NETGEAR 8 Port Gigabit Network Switch (GS108) - Ethernet Switch - Ethernet Splitter - Plug-and-Play - Silent Operation - Desktop or Wall Mount

Product Information

This is not to say that Wi-Fi doesn’t have its advantages: wireless networks are obviously more convenient than wired Ethernet cables and more than adequate for most of what we do on our networks. Still, if you want those Gigabit speeds for your devices (and there’s no doubt that the Ethernet cable is much, much faster than any Wi-Fi), you should go for an Ethernet connection.

Unmanaged Switch : Normally the cheapest option used to simply connect all Ethernet-based devices into one router. This is normally the best solution for someone not interested in managing their network traffic. Number of ports - The most important thing to figure out is how many ports you need. Think of how many devices you have to connect to your network. If it’s just a handful of them, you could easily get away with a five-port switch, which is perfect for wiring four devices plus connecting your switch to the router. Cost: For some users, cost is a significant choice driver. Unmanaged switches are cheap, as well as very simple to run. Managed switches, with all their additional capabilities, cost more than unmanaged switches. They also require more expertise to provision and manage, meaning added costs for staff with the skills to maintain the network If you’ve ever run out of Ethernet ports on your router, you know the feeling of frustration that comes with it. Or maybe you want wired connections for all the devices in your home entertainment center, but don’t want to string multiple cables from the living room to wherever you happen to have your router. Plug-and-Play: With their "plug-and-play" nature, unmanaged switches require no configuration, enabling you to connect devices instantly without the need for technical expertise.The average internet user relies almost entirely on Wi-Fi. All of their devices, including computers and TVs, access the internet wirelessly. And this arrangement is usually just fine. Wireless connectivity is faster and more reliable than ever before. The overall speed of each switch was also one of the most critical factors; every switch on our list features up to 100Mbps transfer speeds, with most selections able to attain even faster gigabit speeds — perfect for busy networks. Lastly, we provided options with power over ethernet (PoE) functionality so that you can easily supply power to supported devices on your network without the need for a power cable. Best Ethernet Switch Buyer’s Guide Features Capabilities: Unmanaged switches immediately start forwarding traffic once users have plugged them in. They have no features besides what they need to negotiate transfer speeds and to determine each link's duplexing type. Managed switches can offer a huge number of features that can be configured by IT professionals, thus permitting a diverse array of deployment possibilities. These capabilities allow for optimization of network performance and availability.

Simplicity: Unmanaged switches are incredibly straightforward to set up and use, making them ideal for beginners or small network deployments. Speed - Depending on your needs, you can choose between two types of switches, those with Fast Ethernet and those with Gigabit Ethernet. We’re huge fans of the latter, as most routers come with Gigabit Ethernet ports anyway and it’s a pity to hamstring yourself by pairing it with a slower switch.Managed switches let users adjust each port on the switch to any setting, enabling them to manage, configure and monitor the network in many ways. They also provide greater control over how data travels over the network and who can access that data. Control and performance. A major difference between managed and unmanaged switches is control and performance. From this standpoint, the networking team is responsible for maintaining both managed and unmanaged switches. The difference, however, is teams can configure managed switches to handle network traffic differently. Other differences include the ability to remotely access configurations and the ability to monitor devices using monitoring protocols, such as SNMP, NetFlow and other network telemetry data. Your home router only comes with so many ethernet ports, so NETGEAR’s Gigabit Ethernet Desktop Switch stands in as an excellent option to expand that capacity. This small and compact switch can fit in neatly with your home’s other computer gear; unlike other options, this one doesn’t stand out as a bulky metal box. Additionally, it is easy to use thanks to its plug-and-play operation that doesn’t require the use of an external computer.

A: Both Ethernet hubs and switches are networking devices designed to connect multiple computers to a network. Typically though, a switch is used to connect the various network segments, such as PCs, gaming consoles, etc., whereas hubs are usually used to connect multiple Ethernet devices together and make them act as a single segment. Due to this difference, switches are capable of performing better than a hub, by selectively forwarding data to the network segments that actually need it. An unmanaged switch is simple, connecting Ethernet devices with a fixed configuration that you cannot make any changes to, often used for small networks or to add temporary groups of systems to a larger network. A managed switch, on the other hand, also allows you to manage, configure, and monitor the settings of your LAN, including controls over LAN traffic, prioritizing certain channels, and create new virtual LANs to keep smaller groups of devices segregated and to better manage their traffic. Managed switches also offer redundancy features that duplicate and recovery data in the event of a device or network failure.If you expect to increase the number of devices you will want to connect in the future, it may be worth purchasing a switch that has more ports than you need immediately. But you could also achieve this by purchasing an additional switch later on. Remember that connected devices will consume more power when active than inactive. If all your connected devices are going to be active at the same time you might need the switch to have quite a high PoE budget i.e. up to 30W per port. On some switches, you might have only 15W per port maximum. Also, the way that the power is distributed might be significant. Many switches will have a fixed maximum Wattage per port; on others, the power can be dynamically allocated, so different PoE ports can use more power if it’s needed by the connected device. Managed vs. unmanaged switches - If you’re in the market looking for the best Ethernet switch, you have probably noticed there are managed and unmanaged devices. Which one is right for you pretty much depends on the type of network you’re creating. Managed Switch: These types of switches allow users to manage network traffic coming in and out of it. This is where QoS comes into play, allowing users to prioritize bandwidth and traffic based on a connected device’s needs. For example, an online gamer would need more bandwidth than a PC used for day-to-day office work. It is much cheaper than managed switches and smart managed switches, suitable for families and small businesses with limited budgets.

Spanning Tree Protocol ( STP) support for switch and link redundancy without creating loops. Several STP iterations exist and are commonly configured, including traditional STP, per-VLAN STP, rapid STP and multiple STP; TP-Link is no stranger to producing high-quality components for the computer networking world, and the company’s lineup of Gigabit Ethernet Network Switches is no exception. Choose from a range of different port sizes from only 5-ports for small networks, to an impressive 48-ports for larger-sized networks. Each port also features gigabit ethernet for high-speed connections — you won’t feel left in the dust with TP-Link. This gigabit ethernet switch’s easy plug-and-play setup is another positive feature of the Link. Most switches for business use will have 16, 24, or 48 ports and are designed for deployment within the network fabric. They come with a variety of features and capabilities and these factors will also influence your choice.Reliability: Built with simplicity in mind, unmanaged switches are designed to perform reliably. They prioritize stable connections over advanced features, ensuring consistent network performance. As mentioned, managed switches are more expensive than unmanaged switches, as they require software patches, updates and -- often -- a skilled professional for implementation. That said, complex networks that consist of servers, wireless access points, PCs and IoT devices often necessitate the configuration options found on managed switches. Switches come in various sizes that allow them to have any number of ports up to 52, but the differences go deeper than that when it comes to managed switches and unmanaged switches. Here, we’re going to define the two types, look at the differences between them, and help you decide which is right for you. The Differences Between Managed and Unmanaged Network Switches