Rankings
The Netgear MS308E is an 8-port unmanaged Multi-Gigabit switch delivering up to 2.5 Gbps per port and a 40 Gbps non-blocking fabric. It sacrifices managed features such as VLAN and PoE for simplicity and low power consumption. Best suited for small offices or home labs that need higher-speed ports without the complexity of managed switches.
The QNAP QSW-2104-2S-A-US is a compact, fanless 6-port unmanaged switch that combines 10 GbE SFP+ and 2.5 GbE RJ45 ports with a 60 Gbps fabric. Its limitations include a small port count and lack of management features such as VLAN and PoE. It suits home labs or small offices needing simple high-speed connectivity.
The NETGEAR MS305 is a compact 5-port unmanaged Multi-Gigabit switch delivering up to 2.5 Gbps per port and a 25 Gbps non-blocking fabric with fanless operation and Energy Efficient Ethernet. It sacrifices PoE support and a larger port count, offering only basic unmanaged functionality. Best suited for small businesses or home offices upgrading a few devices to 2.5 GbE.
A fanless 8-port 2.5 GbE switch with a 10 Gb SFP+ uplink that offers web-based management featuring VLAN, QoS, IGMP snooping and LACP. It does not provide PoE and lacks detailed power and reliability specs, which may concern enterprise users. Ideal for homelab enthusiasts and small offices needing advanced features in a silent, compact package.
The D-Link DMS-108 is an 8-port unmanaged switch delivering 2.5 Gbps per port, fanless metal construction and Energy Efficient Ethernet, making it a strong fit for gaming and Wi-Fi 6 backhaul scenarios. Its lack of PoE, VLAN support and a higher power draw, combined with unspecified warranty terms, temper its appeal for more demanding or power-sensitive deployments. Ideal for gamers and small-office users needing uniform 2.5 Gbps connectivity without complex management.
The Zyxel XMG-108 is a 12-port unmanaged multi-gigabit switch delivering 66 Gbps capacity, 2.5 G ports and a 10 G SFP+ uplink in a fanless chassis. It lacks management features and PoE, which may limit advanced deployments. Suited for simple high-speed connections in small offices or home labs.
The CRS305-1G-4S+IN is a fanless, compact 10 Gbps SFP+ switch offering four fiber ports and a single Gigabit Ethernet uplink, ideal for silent, low-power deployments. Its limitations include the absence of copper 10 Gbps ports, modest routing capability, and reliance on passive cooling. Best suited for fiber-centric edge or aggregation points where space and power are at a premium.
The TRENDnet TEG-S591 is a 9-port unmanaged multi-gigabit switch offering eight 2.5 Gbps ports and a 10 Gbps uplink with a 60 Gbps switching capacity. Its fanless metal design and low 11.9 W power draw make it quiet and energy-efficient, but it lacks managed features such as VLANs and QoS. Ideal for small offices or home setups that need simple high-speed connectivity.
The TP-Link TL-SG105S-M2 is a compact 5-port unmanaged 2.5 GbE switch offering 25 Gbps total capacity, fanless silent operation and QoS/IGMP features. Its unmanaged nature, lack of PoE and reliance on an external power adapter limit its suitability for more advanced or power-hungry deployments. It is ideal for home users, gamers or small offices needing multi-gigabit connectivity without new cabling.
The NICGIGA 6-port switch offers a fanless metal case, auto-negotiation and a mix of 10 Gb and 2.5 Gb ports, making it a solid choice for home labs. Its limited 10 Gb port count, modest switching capacity and lack of advanced features restrict its use in larger or enterprise environments. Best suited for budget-conscious homelab and NAS setups.
The BrosTrend 8-port switch offers 2.5 Gbps per port and a fanless chassis, delivering fast multi-gigabit performance for home and small-office setups. Its unmanaged nature, front-facing ports, and absence of advanced features like QoS or SFP limit its suitability for more demanding networks. Ideal for gamers and NAS users seeking plug-and-play speed upgrades.
| Attribute | | | | | | | | | | | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
60 Gbps | 25 Gbps | 82 Gbpsbest | 40 Gbps | 25 Gbps | 60 Gbps | 40 Gbps | 60 Gbps | 40 Gbps | 66 Gbps | — | |
44.64 Mpps | 18.6 Mpps | 61 Mppsbest | 29.76 Mpps | 3.72 Mpps | — | — | — | — | 49 Mpps | — | |
9 | 5 | 5 | 8 | 5 | 6 | 8 | 6 | 8 | 12best | 9 | |
10 Gbpsbest | 2.5 Gbps | 10 Gbpsbest | 2.5 Gbps | 2.5 Gbps | 10 Gbpsbest | 2.5 Gbps | 10 Gbpsbest | 2.5 Gbps | 10 Gbpsbest | 2.5 Gbps | |
| ↓ lower better | 11.9 W | 5.81 Wbest | 18 W | 8.586 W | 9.24 W | — | — | 12 W | 8.1 W | 11.53 W | — |
| ↓ lower better | 0.724 kg | 0.472 kg | 0.454 kg | 0.349 kg | 0.794 kg | 0.58 kg | 0.2 kgbest | 0.713 kg | 0.43 kg | 0.661 kg | 0.4 kg |
— | 3 yearsbest | — | — | 3 yearsbest | 1 years | — | — | 3 yearsbest | — | 1 years | |
518,151 hours | — | 200,000 hours | — | 1,401,743 hours | — | — | — | 3,309,911 hoursbest | — | — |
Click an attribute name to sort · Green = best, red = worst (relative to this comparison)
| Attribute | | | | | | | | | | | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Performance(2) | |||||||||||
Switching Capacity (Gbps) | 60 Gbps | 25 Gbps | 82 Gbps | 40 Gbps | 25 Gbps | 60 Gbps | 40 Gbps | 60 Gbps | 40 Gbps | 66 Gbps | — |
Forwarding Rate (Mpps) | 44.64 Mpps | 18.6 Mpps | 61 Mpps | 29.76 Mpps | 3.72 Mpps | — | — | — | — | 49 Mpps | — |
Ports(2) | |||||||||||
Number of Ports | 9 | 5 | 5 | 8 | 5 | 6 | 8 | 6 | 8 | 12 | 9 |
Port Speed (Gbps) | 10 Gbps | 2.5 Gbps | 10 Gbps | 2.5 Gbps | 2.5 Gbps | 10 Gbps | 2.5 Gbps | 10 Gbps | 2.5 Gbps | 10 Gbps | 2.5 Gbps |
Power(1) | |||||||||||
Maximum Power Consumption (W) | 11.9 W | 5.81 W | 18 W | 8.586 W | 9.24 W | — | — | 12 W | 8.1 W | 11.53 W | — |
Design(3) | |||||||||||
Mounting Options | Wall-mountable | Desktop, Wall-mount | — | — | Desktop,Wall | Desktop, Wall Mount | Desktop, Wall-mount | Desktop | Desktop, Wall | Desktop, Wall-mountable | Magnetic, Rubber |
Weight (kg) | 0.724 kg | 0.472 kg | 0.4536 kg | 0.349 kg | 0.794 kg | 0.58 kg | 0.2 kg | 0.713 kg | 0.43 kg | 0.661 kg | 0.4 kg |
Dimensions (HxWxD) (mm) | Height: 25.4 mm, Width: 104.1 mm, Depth: 240.0 mm mm | 101x126x138 mm mm | 141 x 115 x 28 mm | 145 x 82 x 28 mm mm | 228.6x228.6x101.6 mm | — | 22.86x88.9x142.24 mm | 203x330x76 mm | 158x101x27 mm | 27 x 105 x 240 mm mm | 24.9x90.9x160 mm mm |
General(2) | |||||||||||
Operating Temperature (°C) | 0-40 °C | — | — | 0 to 40 °C | 0-40 °C | -10 to 50 °C | — | 0-40 °C | 0-40 °C | — | — |
Warranty (years) | — | 3 years | — | — | 3 years | 1 years | Lifetime years | 2-3 years | 3 years | — | 1 years |
Reliability(1) | |||||||||||
MTBF (hours) | 518151 hours | — | 200000 hours | — | 1401743 hours | — | — | — | 3309911 hours | — | — |
Products in the top-left offer the best value (high score, low price).
Professional reviewers consider the TEG-S591 a solid, practical solution for multi-gigabit networking, praising its ability to leverage existing Cat5e cabling, its silent fanless design, and the confidence provided by a lifetime warranty. They also note the high 60 Gbps switching capacity as a strong performance point, while acknowledging that the unmanaged nature limits its appeal to more complex deployments.
Everyday users consistently commend the switch for its silent operation, easy upgrade path using existing cabling, compact form factor, low power usage, and the reassurance of a lifetime warranty. The main recurring concerns revolve around the lack of management features, absence of fiber ports, and the limited number of high-speed uplink ports.
“great for NAS setups, homelabs”
“the cheap unmanaged 8-port 10Gbase-T switch”
“Hits full 2.5G bandwidth”
Pick MikroTik for power users needing advanced routing; pick Sodola for noise-sensitive, plug-and-play environments.
Professional reviewers, notably ServeTheHome, commend the TL-SG105S-M2 for its sturdy metal enclosure, silent fanless design, and native 2.5 GbE ports that provide true multi-gigabit throughput without requiring new cabling. The switch's 25 Gbps fabric and QoS features are highlighted as delivering reliable performance for home and small-office environments, though its unmanaged nature and lack of PoE are noted as limitations for more advanced deployments.
The research did not uncover any direct consumer reviews or forum discussions, indicating that user feedback is scarce in the available sources. Consequently, no specific praise or criticism from everyday users can be reported.
Professional reviewers praise the CRS305-1G-4S+IN for its silent, compact design and impressive hardware-offloaded switching performance, while noting that its modest CPU and lack of copper 10 Gbps support make it unsuitable as a primary router. The dual-boot capability adds flexibility, but routing throughput remains a secondary strength.
Professional reviewers view the MS305 as an entry-level, plug-and-play solution that delivers solid 2.5 GbE performance with silent operation and energy efficiency, but they caution that its unmanaged nature and limited port count make it unsuitable for more complex or larger deployments.
Consumer feedback is scarce; product pages emphasize ease of use and silent operation, but no specific user praise or complaints are captured in the available data.
Professional reviewers consider the NICGIGA 6-port switch a cost-effective solution for budget-conscious homelab and NAS users, emphasizing its silent fanless design and plug-and-play simplicity.
Consumers generally praise the device for its ease of use, silent operation, and solid build quality, often highlighting the value of getting 10 Gb speeds without a high price tag.
Professional reviewers commend the BrosTrend 8-port switch for its solid construction, fanless cooling and reliable 2.5 Gbps performance across large file transfers. They especially value the static link aggregation and basic VLAN isolation for small-office or home lab scenarios, while noting the front-panel port placement and lack of advanced management as notable drawbacks.
Everyday users consistently praise the device for delivering the promised 2.5 Gbps speeds, easy plug-and-play setup and stable operation over months. The switch is frequently cited as a game-changer for NAS transfers, gaming and 4K streaming.
Industry editors and reseller sites praise the QSW-2104-2S for delivering silent, energy-efficient performance with a versatile port mix that suits budget-conscious home and SOHO users. The 60 Gbps switching fabric and support for jumbo frames are repeatedly highlighted as strong points, while the lack of management features and limited port count are noted as trade-offs inherent to its unmanaged design.
Professional reviewers and Netgear editors describe the MS308E as a dependable, cost-effective solution for small-office or home-lab environments that need 2.5 Gbps connectivity. They praise its non-blocking 40 Gbps fabric, silent fanless design, and plug-and-play simplicity, while noting the lack of management features as a trade-off inherent to its unmanaged class.
Although specific user reviews are unavailable, analogous Netgear unmanaged switches receive positive feedback for straightforward setup, quiet operation, and low power consumption. Users consistently mention the ease of deployment and the benefit of a silent, compact unit in noise-sensitive settings.
Professional commentary notes that Zyxel's multi-gigabit line is praised for its high port density and strong performance, making it a solid choice for upgrading Wi-Fi 6/6E networks without recabling, though the XGS1010-12's lack of management features is seen as a trade-off for simplicity.
Users who have experience with comparable Zyxel unmanaged switches highlight the ease of plug-and-play setup, silent fanless operation, and low power draw, with no major complaints emerging from the available sources.
