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NETGEAR MS305 5-Port Multi-Gigabit (2.5G) Unmanaged Switch vs QNAP QSW-1105-5T

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

all judged against network switches at a similar price

The NETGEAR MS305 5-Port Multi-Gigabit (2.5G) Unmanaged Switch scores 6.1/10 overall, ahead of the QNAP QSW-1105-5T at 5.8/10.

The NETGEAR MS305 5-Port Multi-Gigabit (2.5G) Unmanaged Switch leads on management and firmware and support.

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

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

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 (opens in a new tab, affiliate link)

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

QNAP QSW-1105-5T

QNAP QSW-1105-5T

5.8/10verdict: good, not the best

This switch is for people who want to move a small wired network from gigabit to 2.5GbE without any setup. It suits a desk, a home office or a homelab corner where noise matters and VLANs are not needed. Buyers who want management features, PoE or extra uplinks need a different model.

Typically about £93.14 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 MS305 5-Port Multi-Gigabit (2.5G) Unmanaged SwitchQNAP QSW-1105-5T
Port speeds30%7/107/10
Management20%4/103/10
Port count and uplinks15%5/105/10
Noise and efficiency15%9/109/10
PoE10%5/105/10
Firmware and support10%6/105/10
Overall6.1/105.8/10

Specifications

SpecNETGEAR MS305 5-Port Multi-Gigabit (2.5G) Unmanaged SwitchQNAP QSW-1105-5T
Ports5 copper RJ-45 ports5 ports
Port speeds100M/1G/2.5G on each port2.5GbE on all five ports; standards include 100BASE-T, 1000BASE-T and 2.5GBase-T
ManagementUnmanagedUnmanaged
PoE budgetNone (non-PoE switch)None; not a PoE switch
Switching capacity25 Gbps switching capacity; 16K MAC entries; 1 MB bufferSwitching capacity 25Gbps; non-blocking throughput 12.5Gbps
CoolingFanlessFanless

Strengths and weaknesses

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 ›

QNAP QSW-1105-5T

  • + 2.5GbE on all five ports
  • + Fanless, and owners praise how quiet it is
  • + Plug-and-play, with no configuration needed
  • − Unmanaged, so no VLANs or traffic control
  • − No PoE and no separate uplink ports listed
  • − Owners complain about cost per 2.5GbE port

Skip it if:

  • Buyers who need VLANs or other management features
  • Anyone who needs PoE for access points or cameras
  • Homelabbers who want more than five ports or faster uplinks
Read the full QNAP QSW-1105-5T review ›

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