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NETGEAR GS308E vs TP-Link TL-SX1008

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

all judged against network switches at a similar price

The NETGEAR GS308E scores 6.2/10 overall, ahead of the TP-Link TL-SX1008 at 5.8/10.

The NETGEAR GS308E leads on management and noise and efficiency.

The TP-Link TL-SX1008 leads on port speeds, port count and uplinks and firmware and support.

They score the same on poE.

The biggest difference is noise and efficiency, where the NETGEAR GS308E scores 9/10 to the TP-Link TL-SX1008's 4/10.

NETGEAR GS308E

NETGEAR GS308E

6.2/10verdict: good, not the best

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.

Typically about £24.97 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

TP-Link TL-SX1008

TP-Link TL-SX1008

5.8/10verdict: good, not the best

The TL-SX1008 is for homelabbers and small offices who want eight 10GbE copper ports with no configuration. It suits people linking a NAS, servers and workstations over standard RJ45 cabling, including 2.5GbE and 5GbE devices. It does not suit anyone who needs VLANs, SFP+ uplinks or a silent switch.

Typically about £319 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

CriterionWeightNETGEAR GS308ETP-Link TL-SX1008
Port speeds30%6/109/10
Management20%7/103/10
Port count and uplinks15%5/106/10
Noise and efficiency15%9/104/10
PoE10%5/105/10
Firmware and support10%4/105/10
Overall6.2/105.8/10

Specifications

SpecNETGEAR GS308ETP-Link TL-SX1008
Ports8 x Gigabit RJ45, no 10G port8 x RJ45 ports
Port speeds8 x 1G ports, auto-negotiating; no 2.5G or 10G portsAuto-negotiating 100Mbps / 1Gbps / 2.5Gbps / 5Gbps / 10Gbps on every port
ManagementWeb-managed Easy Smart interface; VLAN, QoS, cable health check and loop preventionUnmanaged
PoE budgetNone (PoE ports and PoE budget N/A)None listed
Uplinks (SFP/SFP+)not listedNone listed (no SFP/SFP+)
Switching capacity16Gbps bandwidth160 Gbps switching capacity, 119.04 Mpps forwarding rate, 16K MAC table, 12 Mbit packet buffer, store-and-forward
CoolingFanless (0 fans, 0 dBA at 25°C)One fan with intelligent fan-speed adjustment; not fanless

Strengths and weaknesses

NETGEAR GS308E

  • + Fanless, with 0 dBA listed
  • + Web-managed with VLAN, QoS and loop prevention
  • + Plug-and-play setup; maximum draw of 3.7W
  • − Gigabit only, with no 2.5G or 10G ports
  • − Owners criticise firmware update frequency and process
  • − Layer 2 only, modest web UI and no mobile app

Skip it if:

  • Buyers who need PoE for access points, cameras or phones
  • Anyone with 2.5GbE or 10GbE devices or who wants SFP uplinks
  • People who need advanced Layer 3 features or a polished management UI
Read the full NETGEAR GS308E review ›

TP-Link TL-SX1008

  • + 10GBASE-T with multi-rate 100M to 10G on all eight ports
  • + Plug-and-play setup with no configuration needed
  • + ServeTheHome reports line-rate 8x10GbE at 64-byte frames
  • − Unmanaged: no VLANs or web management
  • − Fan is not silent; one owner calls it high-pitched
  • − No SFP+ uplinks, and owners say it is pricey for 10G

Skip it if:

  • Buyers who need VLANs or web management
  • Anyone who needs SFP+ uplinks or PoE
  • People placing a switch in a quiet room
Read the full TP-Link TL-SX1008 review ›

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