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QNAP QSW-1105-5T vs Ubiquiti UniFi Switch Lite 8 PoE

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

all judged against network switches at a similar price

The Ubiquiti UniFi Switch Lite 8 PoE scores 5.9/10 overall, ahead of the QNAP QSW-1105-5T at 5.8/10.

The QNAP QSW-1105-5T leads on port speeds.

The Ubiquiti UniFi Switch Lite 8 PoE leads on management.

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

The biggest difference is management, where the Ubiquiti UniFi Switch Lite 8 PoE scores 8/10 to the QNAP QSW-1105-5T's 3/10.

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

Ubiquiti UniFi Switch Lite 8 PoE

Ubiquiti UniFi Switch Lite 8 PoE

5.9/10verdict: good, not the best

The UniFi Switch Lite 8 PoE is for people already running, or planning, a UniFi setup who want a small, silent managed switch. It suits a desk, small office or home network with a few PoE devices such as access points or cameras. It is a poor fit for anyone who needs faster than gigabit speeds, fibre uplinks or lots of PoE power.

Typically about £111 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

CriterionWeightQNAP QSW-1105-5TUbiquiti UniFi Switch Lite 8 PoE
Port speeds30%7/104/10
Management20%3/108/10
Port count and uplinks15%5/105/10
Noise and efficiency15%9/109/10
PoE10%5/105/10
Firmware and support10%5/105/10
Overall5.8/105.9/10

Specifications

SpecQNAP QSW-1105-5TUbiquiti UniFi Switch Lite 8 PoE
Ports5 ports8 RJ45 ports in total, of which 4 are PoE+
Port speeds2.5GbE on all five ports; standards include 100BASE-T, 1000BASE-T and 2.5GBase-T10/100/1000 Mbps on all ports
ManagementUnmanagedLayer 2 managed, configured through the UniFi Network Controller, in-band Ethernet management
PoE budgetNone; not a PoE switch52 W total PoE budget; up to 30 W per PoE+ port (802.3at)
Uplinks (SFP/SFP+)not listedNo SFP or SFP+ port; RJ45 networking ports only
Switching capacitySwitching capacity 25Gbps; non-blocking throughput 12.5Gbps16 Gbps switching capacity; 8 Gbps non-blocking line rate
CoolingFanlessFanless; heat dissipation 27.3 BTU/hr excluding PoE output

Strengths and weaknesses

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 ›

Ubiquiti UniFi Switch Lite 8 PoE

  • + Fanless and quiet, praised by owners
  • + Layer 2 management with VLANs through UniFi Network Controller
  • + Easy setup and quick provisioning, per owners
  • − Only four of eight ports supply PoE
  • − Gigabit only, with no SFP or SFP+ uplink
  • − 52 W PoE budget may strain demanding devices

Skip it if:

  • Buyers who need 2.5GbE, 10GbE or SFP+ uplinks
  • Anyone powering many or high-demand PoE devices
  • People who want L3 routing on the switch itself
Read the full Ubiquiti UniFi Switch Lite 8 PoE review ›

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