NETGEAR GS108 8-Port Gigabit Unmanaged Switch vs Ubiquiti UniFi Switch Flex Mini

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

all judged against network switches at a similar price

The NETGEAR GS108 8-Port Gigabit Unmanaged Switch scores 6.3/10 overall, ahead of the Ubiquiti UniFi Switch Flex Mini at 6.1/10.

The NETGEAR GS108 8-Port Gigabit Unmanaged Switch leads on port speeds, noise and efficiency and firmware and support.

The Ubiquiti UniFi Switch Flex Mini leads on management.

They score the same on port count and uplinks and poE.

NETGEAR 8-Port Gigabit Ethernet Unmanaged Switch (GS108)

NETGEAR GS108 8-Port Gigabit Unmanaged Switch

6.3/10verdict: good, not the best

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

Ubiquiti UniFi Switch Flex Mini

6.1/10verdict: good, not the best

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.

Typically about £33 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 GS108 8-Port Gigabit Unmanaged Switch	Ubiquiti UniFi Switch Flex Mini
Port speeds	30%	6/10	5/10
Management	20%	6/10	8/10
Port count and uplinks	15%	5/10	5/10
Noise and efficiency	15%	9/10	8/10
PoE	10%	5/10	5/10
Firmware and support	10%	7/10	5/10
Overall		6.3/10	6.1/10

Specifications

Spec	NETGEAR GS108 8-Port Gigabit Unmanaged Switch	Ubiquiti UniFi Switch Flex Mini
Ports	8 Gigabit RJ-45 copper ports	5 RJ45 ports, 1GbE
Port speeds	10/100/1000 Mbps on each port	10/100/1000 Mbps per port
Management	Unmanaged, no VLANs	UniFi Network Controller management with VLAN support (1,000 VLANs), port isolation, mirroring and rate limiting; requires UniFi Network 5.12.5 or later
PoE budget	None (PoE ports n/a, PoE budget n/a)	No PoE output; one port accepts 802.3af/at PoE input only
Uplinks (SFP/SFP+)	None listed; Gigabit copper only, no SFP or SFP+ port	None; RJ45 ports only, no SFP/SFP+
Switching capacity	16 Gbps	Switching capacity 10 Gbps; 5 Gbps non-blocking throughput; 7 Mpps forwarding rate
Cooling	Fanless	Heat dissipation 6.824 BTU/hr (excluding PoE output); no fan listed on manufacturer page

Strengths and weaknesses

NETGEAR GS108 8-Port Gigabit Unmanaged Switch

+ 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 GS108 8-Port Gigabit Unmanaged Switch review ›

Ubiquiti UniFi Switch Flex Mini

+ Controller management with up to 1,000 VLANs
+ No fan listed; 2.5 W maximum power draw
+ Small and light: 107 x 70 x 21 mm, 150 g
− Gigabit only, with no SFP or SFP+ uplink
− No PoE output to power other devices
− Needs UniFi Network 5.12.5 or later for management

Skip it if:

Buyers who need PoE output to power access points or cameras
Anyone who wants SFP/SFP+ uplinks or faster-than-Gigabit ports
People who do not want to run a UniFi controller

Read the full Ubiquiti UniFi Switch Flex Mini review ›

More comparisons

Compare all network switches · Best network switches