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TP-Link Easy Smart Switch TL-SG105PE vs Zyxel XMG1915-10E

Researched, not hands-on tested.How we review ›

all judged against network switches at a similar price

The Zyxel XMG1915-10E scores 7.4/10 overall, ahead of the TP-Link Easy Smart Switch TL-SG105PE at 6.3/10.

The TP-Link Easy Smart Switch TL-SG105PE leads on poE.

The Zyxel XMG1915-10E leads on port speeds, port count and uplinks and noise and efficiency.

They score the same on management and firmware and support.

The biggest difference is port count and uplinks, where the Zyxel XMG1915-10E scores 8/10 to the TP-Link Easy Smart Switch TL-SG105PE's 5/10.

5-Port Gigabit Easy Smart Switch with 4-Port PoE+

TP-Link Easy Smart Switch TL-SG105PE

6.3/10verdict: good, not the best

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.

Typically about £39.99 in the UK when we researched itCheck price at Amazon UK (opens in a new tab, affiliate link)

Affiliate link. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. Details

Zyxel XMG1915-10E

Zyxel XMG1915-10E

7.4/10verdict: buy

The Zyxel XMG1915-10E is for people who want 2.5GbE on most ports and 10G uplinks in a quiet, fanless switch. It suits homelabbers and small offices whose devices bring their own power, since it has no PoE. It does not offer copper 10GbE, so buyers who want that need to look at SFP+ modules or other models.

Typically about £189 in the UK when we researched itSearch Amazon UK (opens in a new tab, affiliate link)

Affiliate link. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. Details

Scores, criterion by criterion

CriterionWeightTP-Link Easy Smart Switch TL-SG105PEZyxel XMG1915-10E
Port speeds30%6/108/10
Management20%7/107/10
Port count and uplinks15%5/108/10
Noise and efficiency15%8/109/10
PoE10%6/105/10
Firmware and support10%5/105/10
Overall6.3/107.4/10

Specifications

SpecTP-Link Easy Smart Switch TL-SG105PEZyxel XMG1915-10E
Ports5 RJ45 ports (10/100/1000 Mbps), of which 4 are PoE+ (ports 1-4)8 x 100M/1G/2.5G RJ-45 plus 2 x 1G SFP/10G SFP+ (10 total)
Port speeds10/100/1000 Mbps on all ports; no 2.5GbE or 10GbE ports listed100 Mbps, 1 Gbps and 2.5 Gbps on the eight copper ports; SFP+ slots take 1G or 10G
ManagementWeb-based UI and Easy Smart Configuration Utility; VLANs (port-based, tag-based, MTU), QoS, IGMP snooping, PoE Auto RecoverySmart Managed
PoE budget65 W total PoE budget, up to 30 W per port under 802.3af/atNone (0 PoE ports)
Uplinks (SFP/SFP+)not listed2 x 1G SFP / 10G SFP+
Switching capacity10 Gbps switching capacity, 7.44 Mpps packet forwarding rate, 2K MAC table80 Gbps switching capacity; 59.5 Mpps forwarding rate
CoolingFanless design with metal casingFanless

Strengths and weaknesses

TP-Link Easy Smart Switch TL-SG105PE

  • + Fanless metal casing, so no fan noise
  • + VLANs, QoS and IGMP snooping in a web UI
  • + Four PoE+ ports at up to 30 W each
  • − Gigabit only; no 2.5GbE or 10GbE ports listed
  • − No SFP/SFP+ uplink confirmed
  • − 65 W total PoE budget is shared across four ports

Skip it if:

  • Buyers who need 2.5GbE, 10GbE or SFP+ uplinks
  • People powering several high-draw PoE devices near 65 W
  • Anyone wanting controller-managed or full L3 switching
Read the full TP-Link Easy Smart Switch TL-SG105PE review ›

Zyxel XMG1915-10E

  • + Eight 2.5GbE copper ports
  • + Two SFP+ slots take 1G or 10G
  • + Fanless, quiet, low power draw
  • − No PoE ports
  • − No copper 10GbE ports

Skip it if:

  • Buyers who need PoE to power access points or cameras
  • Buyers who want copper 10GbE ports rather than SFP+ slots
  • Buyers who need more than ten ports on one switch
Read the full Zyxel XMG1915-10E review ›

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