NETGEAR MS305 5-Port Multi-Gigabit (2.5G) Unmanaged Switch vs TP-Link TL-SX1008

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 TP-Link TL-SX1008 at 5.8/10.

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

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

They score the same on poE.

The biggest difference is noise and efficiency, where the NETGEAR MS305 5-Port Multi-Gigabit (2.5G) Unmanaged Switch scores 9/10 to the TP-Link TL-SX1008's 4/10.

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

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

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

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

Scores, criterion by criterion

Criterion	Weight	NETGEAR MS305 5-Port Multi-Gigabit (2.5G) Unmanaged Switch	TP-Link TL-SX1008
Port speeds	30%	7/10	9/10
Management	20%	4/10	3/10
Port count and uplinks	15%	5/10	6/10
Noise and efficiency	15%	9/10	4/10
PoE	10%	5/10	5/10
Firmware and support	10%	6/10	5/10
Overall		6.1/10	5.8/10

Specifications

Spec	NETGEAR MS305 5-Port Multi-Gigabit (2.5G) Unmanaged Switch	TP-Link TL-SX1008
Ports	5 copper RJ-45 ports	8 x RJ45 ports
Port speeds	100M/1G/2.5G on each port	Auto-negotiating 100Mbps / 1Gbps / 2.5Gbps / 5Gbps / 10Gbps on every port
Management	Unmanaged	Unmanaged
PoE budget	None (non-PoE switch)	None listed
Uplinks (SFP/SFP+)	not listed	None listed (no SFP/SFP+)
Switching capacity	25 Gbps switching capacity; 16K MAC entries; 1 MB buffer	160 Gbps switching capacity, 119.04 Mpps forwarding rate, 16K MAC table, 12 Mbit packet buffer, store-and-forward
Cooling	Fanless	One fan with intelligent fan-speed adjustment; not fanless

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-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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