NETGEAR 5-Port Gigabit Ethernet Unmanaged Essentials Switch (GS305v3) vs NETGEAR 8-Port Gigabit Ethernet Unmanaged Switch (GS108)

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

both judged against network switches at a similar price

The NETGEAR 8-Port Gigabit Ethernet Unmanaged Switch (GS108) scores 6.3/10 overall, ahead of the NETGEAR 5-Port Gigabit Ethernet Unmanaged Essentials Switch (GS305v3) at 6.0/10.

The NETGEAR 8-Port Gigabit Ethernet Unmanaged Switch (GS108) leads on management and firmware and support.

They score the same on port speeds, port count and uplinks, noise and efficiency and poE.

NETGEAR 5-Port Gigabit Ethernet Unmanaged Essentials Switch (GS305v3)

6.0/10verdict: wait for deal

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.

Typically about £13.99 in the UK when we researched itCheck price at Amazon UK

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

NETGEAR 8-Port Gigabit Ethernet Unmanaged Switch (GS108)

6.3/10verdict: wait for deal

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.

Typically about £24.99 in the UK when we researched itCheck price at Amazon UK

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

Scores, criterion by criterion

Criterion	Weight	NETGEAR 5-Port Gigabit Ethernet Unmanaged Essentials Switch (GS305v3)	NETGEAR 8-Port Gigabit Ethernet Unmanaged Switch (GS108)
Port speeds	30%	6/10	6/10
Management	20%	5/10	6/10
Port count and uplinks	15%	5/10	5/10
Noise and efficiency	15%	9/10	9/10
PoE	10%	5/10	5/10
Firmware and support	10%	6/10	7/10
Overall		6.0/10	6.3/10

Specifications

Spec	NETGEAR 5-Port Gigabit Ethernet Unmanaged Essentials Switch (GS305v3)	NETGEAR 8-Port Gigabit Ethernet Unmanaged Switch (GS108)
Ports	5	8 Gigabit RJ-45 copper ports
Port speeds	Gigabit (5 x 10/100/1000Mbps ports, Auto Uplink)	10/100/1000 Mbps on each port
Management	Unmanaged	Unmanaged, no VLANs
PoE budget	Not applicable (PoE budget N/A)	None (PoE ports n/a, PoE budget n/a)
Uplinks (SFP/SFP+)	not listed	None listed; Gigabit copper only, no SFP or SFP+ port
Switching capacity	Non-blocking bandwidth 10 Gbps	16 Gbps
Cooling	Fanless	Fanless

Strengths and weaknesses

NETGEAR 5-Port Gigabit Ethernet Unmanaged Essentials Switch (GS305v3)

+ Fanless and silent, as owners report
+ Plug-and-play with no software or configuration
+ Listed maximum draw of 2.34W, with 802.3az support
− Unmanaged, so no VLAN or QoS
− Only five ports and no SFP uplink
− Gigabit only, with no 2.5GbE or 10GbE

Skip it if:

Homelabbers who need VLANs, QoS or other management features
Buyers who need PoE to power access points or cameras
Anyone who needs more than five ports, SFP uplinks or links faster than Gigabit

Read the full NETGEAR 5-Port Gigabit Ethernet Unmanaged Essentials Switch (GS305v3) review ›

NETGEAR 8-Port Gigabit Ethernet Unmanaged Switch (GS108)

+ Fanless, with acoustic noise listed as 0
+ Plug-and-play setup with nothing to configure
+ Limited lifetime warranty and 90 days of support
− Gigabit only, with no 2.5GbE, 10GbE or SFP uplink
− Unmanaged, so no VLANs
− Owners report failures in older revisions after a few years

Skip it if:

Buyers who need VLANs or any switch management
Anyone powering access points or cameras who needs PoE
Users with 2.5GbE or 10GbE devices, or who want an SFP uplink

Read the full NETGEAR 8-Port Gigabit Ethernet Unmanaged Switch (GS108) review ›

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