MikroTik CRS305-1G-4S+IN vs NETGEAR MS305 5-Port Multi-Gigabit (2.5G) Unmanaged Switch

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

all judged against network switches at a similar price

The MikroTik CRS305-1G-4S+IN scores 7.8/10 overall, ahead of the NETGEAR MS305 5-Port Multi-Gigabit (2.5G) Unmanaged Switch at 6.1/10.

The MikroTik CRS305-1G-4S+IN leads on port speeds, management, port count and uplinks and firmware and support.

The NETGEAR MS305 5-Port Multi-Gigabit (2.5G) Unmanaged Switch leads on noise and efficiency.

They score the same on poE.

The biggest difference is management, where the MikroTik CRS305-1G-4S+IN scores 9/10 to the NETGEAR MS305 5-Port Multi-Gigabit (2.5G) Unmanaged Switch's 4/10.

MikroTik CRS305-1G-4S+IN

7.8/10verdict: buy

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.

Typically about £121.19 in the UK when we researched itSearch Amazon UK

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

6.1/10verdict: good, not the best

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.

Typically about £127.77 in the UK when we researched itSearch Amazon UK

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

Scores, criterion by criterion

Criterion	Weight	MikroTik CRS305-1G-4S+IN	NETGEAR MS305 5-Port Multi-Gigabit (2.5G) Unmanaged Switch
Port speeds	30%	9/10	7/10
Management	20%	9/10	4/10
Port count and uplinks	15%	6/10	5/10
Noise and efficiency	15%	8/10	9/10
PoE	10%	5/10	5/10
Firmware and support	10%	7/10	6/10
Overall		7.8/10	6.1/10

Specifications

Spec	MikroTik CRS305-1G-4S+IN	NETGEAR MS305 5-Port Multi-Gigabit (2.5G) Unmanaged Switch
Ports	Four SFP+ ports plus one 10/100/1000 Ethernet port	5 copper RJ-45 ports
Port speeds	Gigabit copper port; SFP+ cages support up to 10 Gbit per port; 1.25 Gbit SFP modules also supported	100M/1G/2.5G on each port
Management	RouterOS or SwitchOS selectable via dual boot; configurable through WebFig or WinBox	Unmanaged
PoE budget	No published PoE output budget; accepts PoE (802.3af/at) input on its Gigabit port with 12–57 V input; maximum consumption 18 W, or 10 W without attachments	None (non-PoE switch)
Uplinks (SFP/SFP+)	Four SFP+ cages; modules not included	not listed
Switching capacity	82 Gbps switching capacity; 41 Gbps non-blocking throughput	25 Gbps switching capacity; 16K MAC entries; 1 MB buffer
Cooling	Passive, fanless, metal case	Fanless

Strengths and weaknesses

MikroTik CRS305-1G-4S+IN

+ Four SFP+ cages with up to 10 Gbit per port
+ Fanless metal case; owners praise silent, low-power running
+ Choice of RouterOS or SwitchOS via dual boot
− Only five ports, and SFP+ modules are not included
− Owners report weak routing for gigabit internet
− Copper SFP+ modules reportedly run hot in the fanless case

Skip it if:

Buyers who need PoE output to power cameras or access points
Anyone who wants to route a gigabit internet connection
Buyers who need many ports or copper multi-gig without SFP+ modules

Read the full MikroTik CRS305-1G-4S+IN review ›

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

+ 2.5G on all five ports with 1G fallback
+ Fanless and silent, according to owners
+ 3-year hardware warranty
− Unmanaged, so no VLAN support
− No PoE on any port
− No SFP or SFP+ uplink ports

Skip it if:

Buyers who need VLANs or any switch management features
Anyone planning to power access points or cameras over PoE
People who want SFP or SFP+ uplinks or more than five ports

Read the full NETGEAR MS305 5-Port Multi-Gigabit (2.5G) Unmanaged Switch review ›

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