Best network switches under £150 (2026)

MikroTik CRS305-1G-4S+IN

The MikroTik CRS305-1G-4S+IN is for homelabbers and sysadmins who need a few 10G SFP+ links on a small, silent switch. It suits anyone who wants to link a server, NAS or workstation at 10G and is happy to configure RouterOS or SwitchOS. It is not aimed at buyers who need many ports, PoE output or fast routing for a gigabit internet connection.

10W idle · £23.06/year to run · £190.36 over three years, all in

Ubiquiti UniFi Flex 2.5G USW-Flex-2.5G-8

The UniFi Flex 2.5G USW-Flex-2.5G-8 is for people who run a UniFi setup and want eight 2.5G ports in a small switch. It adds a 10G combo uplink, which suits a link back to a faster switch or router. It is a poor fit for anyone who needs PoE output, a CLI or a standalone web interface.

Zyxel XGS1210-12

The Zyxel XGS1210-12 is for homelabbers and small offices that want a quiet, fanless switch with a couple of faster links. It suits someone connecting a server or NAS over 2.5GbE copper or 10G SFP+ while the other devices stay on Gigabit. It is a poor fit if you need PoE or LACP bonding.

3.95W idle · £9.11/year to run · £152.32 over three years, all in

Ubiquiti UniFi Flex Mini 2.5G

The UniFi Flex Mini 2.5G is for people who run UniFi gear and want multi-gig speeds on a small five-port switch. It suits a home office or homelab that needs a few 2.5GbE devices linked and managed from the UniFi Network application. It is a poor fit for anyone who needs PoE output, more than five ports or fibre uplinks.

1.3W idle · £3.00/year to run · £61.98 over three years, all in

TP-Link Easy Smart Switch TL-SG105PE

This TP-Link switch suits a small home or office network that needs a few PoE devices such as access points or cameras. It adds VLANs, QoS and IGMP snooping to a five-port gigabit layout without a fan. It is a poor fit for anyone who needs faster-than-gigabit ports, fibre uplinks or a large PoE budget.

4.52W idle · £10.42/year to run · £71.25 over three years, all in

NETGEAR GS108 8-Port Gigabit Unmanaged Switch

The NETGEAR GS108 is for anyone who needs eight more wired Gigabit ports with no configuration. It suits a desk, a media cabinet or a small lab where quiet running matters. It does not suit buyers who need VLANs, PoE or ports faster than Gigabit.

1.5W idle · £3.46/year to run · £35.37 over three years, all in

TP-Link LS1005G 5-Port Gigabit Switch

The TP-Link LS1005G is for anyone who needs a few more wired Ethernet ports without any setup. It suits a desk, media cabinet or small homelab corner where gigabit is enough and VLANs are not needed. Buyers who want management features, PoE or faster links should look at other switches.

TP-Link TL-SG108E

The TL-SG108E is for home and homelab users who want a small, silent eight-port gigabit switch with basic VLAN support. It suits setups that need a few separate networks, not strict isolation. It is a poor fit if you need PoE, fibre uplinks, faster-than-gigabit ports or Spanning Tree.

NETGEAR GS308E

The NETGEAR GS308E is for people who want a small, silent eight-port Gigabit switch with basic VLAN support. It suits homes, bedrooms and desks where a fan would be a nuisance and plug-and-play setup matters. It is a poor fit for anyone who needs PoE, faster than Gigabit ports or deep Layer 3 management.

2.5W idle · £5.76/year to run · £42.26 over three years, all in

TP-Link TL-SG1005LP

The TL-SG1005LP is for anyone who wants a small, unmanaged Gigabit switch that also powers a few PoE devices. It suits a desk, shelf or cupboard setup where silence matters and VLANs are not needed. It is less suited to anyone who needs management features, faster ports or fibre uplinks.

Ubiquiti UniFi Switch Flex Mini

The UniFi Switch Flex Mini is for people who run, or plan to run, a UniFi network and want a small managed switch. It offers five Gigabit ports, VLAN support and controller management in a 150 g fanless-listed box. It does not suit buyers who need PoE output, SFP uplinks or faster-than-Gigabit links.

1.8W idle · £4.15/year to run · £45.45 over three years, all in

TP-Link TL-SG105S 5-Port Gigabit Desktop Switch

The TL-SG105S is for anyone who needs four or five extra wired gigabit ports without any setup. It suits desks, benches and small home networks where traffic does not need segmenting on the switch. It does not suit buyers who need VLANs, PoE or faster-than-gigabit links.

1W idle · £2.31/year to run · £20.91 over three years, all in

NETGEAR MS305 5-Port Multi-Gigabit (2.5G) Unmanaged Switch

The NETGEAR MS305 is for anyone who wants to move a small wired network to 2.5GbE without configuring anything. It suits a desk, a home office or a homelab shelf where five ports and silence matter more than VLANs or PoE. Buyers who need segmentation, powered devices or fibre uplinks should look at other models.

4W idle · £9.22/year to run · £155.44 over three years, all in

NETGEAR GS305v3 5-Port Gigabit Unmanaged Switch

The GS305v3 is for anyone who needs a few extra wired Gigabit ports with no setup. It suits a desk, a media cabinet or a small office where silence matters. It does not suit people who need VLANs, PoE, SFP uplinks or more than five ports.

TP-Link LS108GP

The LS108GP is for anyone who wants a small, silent, plug-and-play switch that also powers a few PoE devices such as access points or cameras. It suits desks, shelves and quiet rooms where a fan would be a nuisance. It doesn't suit buyers who need VLANs, faster-than-gigabit ports or a large PoE budget.

5.53W idle · £12.75/year to run · £78.24 over three years, all in

TP-Link TL-SG105-M2

The TL-SG105-M2 is for people who want a simple five-port switch with 2.5GbE on every port. It suits a desk, a small home network or a homelab that needs faster links but no VLANs or PoE. It is a plug-in switch with no management interface listed.

TP-Link TL-SG108S

The TL-SG108S is for anyone who needs eight more wired Gigabit ports with no setup. It suits desks, living-room cabinets and small home networks where quiet running matters. It is not for anyone who needs VLANs or a web interface.

Ubiquiti UniFi Switch Lite 8 PoE

The UniFi Switch Lite 8 PoE is for people already running, or planning, a UniFi setup who want a small, silent managed switch. It suits a desk, small office or home network with a few PoE devices such as access points or cameras. It is a poor fit for anyone who needs faster than gigabit speeds, fibre uplinks or lots of PoE power.

3.7W idle · £8.53/year to run · £136.59 over three years, all in

QNAP QSW-1105-5T

This switch is for people who want to move a small wired network from gigabit to 2.5GbE without any setup. It suits a desk, a home office or a homelab corner where noise matters and VLANs are not needed. Buyers who want management features, PoE or extra uplinks need a different model.

4W idle · £9.22/year to run · £120.81 over three years, all in