Skip to content
sudopicks
esc

NETGEAR MS305 5-Port Multi-Gigabit (2.5G) Unmanaged Switch vs TP-Link TL-SG108E

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

all judged against network switches at a similar price

The TP-Link TL-SG108E scores 6.2/10 overall, ahead of the NETGEAR MS305 5-Port Multi-Gigabit (2.5G) Unmanaged Switch at 6.1/10.

The NETGEAR MS305 5-Port Multi-Gigabit (2.5G) Unmanaged Switch leads on port speeds.

The TP-Link TL-SG108E leads on management.

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

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

TP-Link TL-SG108E

TP-Link TL-SG108E

6.2/10verdict: good, not the best

The TL-SG108E is for home and homelab users who want a small, silent eight-port gigabit switch with basic VLAN support. It suits setups that need a few separate networks, not strict isolation. It is a poor fit if you need PoE, fibre uplinks, faster-than-gigabit ports or Spanning Tree.

Typically about £45 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 SwitchTP-Link TL-SG108E
Port speeds30%7/106/10
Management20%4/106/10
Port count and uplinks15%5/105/10
Noise and efficiency15%9/109/10
PoE10%5/105/10
Firmware and support10%6/106/10
Overall6.1/106.2/10

Specifications

SpecNETGEAR MS305 5-Port Multi-Gigabit (2.5G) Unmanaged SwitchTP-Link TL-SG108E
Ports5 copper RJ-45 ports8 x 10/100/1000 Mbps RJ45 ports
Port speeds100M/1G/2.5G on each port10/100/1000 Mbps
ManagementUnmanagedEasy Smart; web user interface and Windows management utility; port-based, 802.1Q and MTU VLAN (32 VLANs active out of 4K IDs), port mirroring, loop prevention, IGMP snooping, cable diagnostics
PoE budgetNone (non-PoE switch)not listed
Switching capacity25 Gbps switching capacity; 16K MAC entries; 1 MB buffer16 Gbps switching capacity; 11.9 Mpps forwarding rate; 4K MAC table
CoolingFanlessFanless, metal casing

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 ›

TP-Link TL-SG108E

  • + Fanless metal casing, so no fan noise
  • + 802.1Q VLANs and port mirroring on a web UI
  • + Owners report VLANs working on current firmware
  • − Gigabit only, with no SFP/SFP+ uplink published
  • − VLAN 1 cannot be removed and no Spanning Tree
  • − Owners describe VLAN setup as fiddly

Skip it if:

  • Buyers who need PoE for access points, cameras or phones
  • Anyone who needs strict VLAN isolation, Spanning Tree or a management interface off the user ports
  • Users who want 2.5GbE, 10GbE or SFP/SFP+ uplinks
Read the full TP-Link TL-SG108E review ›

More comparisons

Compare all network switches · Best network switches