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QNAP QSW-1105-5T vs Ubiquiti UniFi Flex Mini 2.5G

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

all judged against network switches at a similar price

The Ubiquiti UniFi Flex Mini 2.5G scores 6.3/10 overall, ahead of the QNAP QSW-1105-5T at 5.8/10.

The QNAP QSW-1105-5T leads on port count and uplinks and noise and efficiency.

The Ubiquiti UniFi Flex Mini 2.5G leads on management.

They score the same on port speeds, poE and firmware and support.

The biggest difference is management, where the Ubiquiti UniFi Flex Mini 2.5G scores 7/10 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

UniFi Flex Mini 2.5G

Ubiquiti UniFi Flex Mini 2.5G

6.3/10verdict: good, not the best

The UniFi Flex Mini 2.5G is for people who run UniFi gear and want multi-gig speeds on a small five-port switch. It suits a home office or homelab that needs a few 2.5GbE devices linked and managed from the UniFi Network application. It is a poor fit for anyone who needs PoE output, more than five ports or fibre uplinks.

Typically about £52.99 in the UK when we researched itCheck price at 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 Flex Mini 2.5G
Port speeds30%7/107/10
Management20%3/107/10
Port count and uplinks15%5/104/10
Noise and efficiency15%9/108/10
PoE10%5/105/10
Firmware and support10%5/105/10
Overall5.8/106.3/10

Specifications

SpecQNAP QSW-1105-5TUbiquiti UniFi Flex Mini 2.5G
Ports5 ports5 x 2.5 GbE RJ45 ports
Port speeds2.5GbE on all five ports; standards include 100BASE-T, 1000BASE-T and 2.5GBase-T2.5G/1G/100M/10M per port
ManagementUnmanagednot listed
PoE budgetNone; not a PoE switchnot listed
Uplinks (SFP/SFP+)not listedNone; no SFP/SFP+ uplink ports
Switching capacitySwitching capacity 25Gbps; non-blocking throughput 12.5Gbps25 Gbps switching capacity, 12.5 Gbps non-blocking throughput, 19 Mpps forwarding rate, 256 VLANs, 4,000 MAC addresses
CoolingFanlessFanless (retailer listing; not on manufacturer spec page)

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 Flex Mini 2.5G

  • + All five ports run 2.5GbE
  • + Managed through UniFi Network, with 256 VLANs
  • − Only five ports
  • − No PoE output
  • − No SFP or SFP+ uplink

Skip it if:

  • Buyers who need PoE output for access points or cameras
  • Anyone who needs more than five ports or SFP/SFP+ uplinks
  • Users who want advanced layer 2 or layer 3 switching features
Read the full Ubiquiti UniFi Flex Mini 2.5G review ›

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