TP-Link TL-SG1005LP vs Ubiquiti UniFi Flex 2.5G USW-Flex-2.5G-8

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

all judged against network switches at a similar price

The Ubiquiti UniFi Flex 2.5G USW-Flex-2.5G-8 scores 6.9/10 overall, ahead of the TP-Link TL-SG1005LP at 6.1/10.

The TP-Link TL-SG1005LP leads on noise and efficiency and poE.

The Ubiquiti UniFi Flex 2.5G USW-Flex-2.5G-8 leads on port speeds, management and port count and uplinks.

They score the same on firmware and support.

The biggest difference is port count and uplinks, where the Ubiquiti UniFi Flex 2.5G USW-Flex-2.5G-8 scores 8/10 to the TP-Link TL-SG1005LP's 5/10.

TP-Link TL-SG1005LP

6.1/10verdict: good, not the best

The TL-SG1005LP is for anyone who wants a small, unmanaged Gigabit switch that also powers a few PoE devices. It suits a desk, shelf or cupboard setup where silence matters and VLANs are not needed. It is less suited to anyone who needs management features, faster ports or fibre uplinks.

Typically about £29.99 in the UK when we researched itCheck price at Amazon UK

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

Ubiquiti UniFi Flex 2.5G USW-Flex-2.5G-8

6.9/10verdict: buy

The UniFi Flex 2.5G USW-Flex-2.5G-8 is for people who run a UniFi setup and want eight 2.5G ports in a small switch. It adds a 10G combo uplink, which suits a link back to a faster switch or router. It is a poor fit for anyone who needs PoE output, a CLI or a standalone web interface.

Typically about £150 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	TP-Link TL-SG1005LP	Ubiquiti UniFi Flex 2.5G USW-Flex-2.5G-8
Port speeds	30%	6/10	8/10
Management	20%	5/10	7/10
Port count and uplinks	15%	5/10	8/10
Noise and efficiency	15%	9/10	6/10
PoE	10%	7/10	5/10
Firmware and support	10%	5/10	5/10
Overall		6.1/10	6.9/10

Specifications

Spec	TP-Link TL-SG1005LP	Ubiquiti UniFi Flex 2.5G USW-Flex-2.5G-8
Ports	5x 10/100/1000 Mbps RJ45; ports 1-4 are PoE+	8 access ports (2.5G/1G/100M/10M) plus one 10G RJ45/SFP+ combo uplink
Port speeds	10/100/1000 Mbps on all five ports; no 2.5GbE or 10GbE port listed	Access ports 2.5G/1G/100M/10M; uplink RJ45 10G/5G/2.5G/1G/100M; SFP+ 10G/1G
Management	Unmanaged, plug-and-play; no web UI, VLAN or SNMP listed	Spec sheet lists management interface as Ethernet only; managed through the UniFi console, and a reviewer of the PoE variant reports no web UI
PoE budget	802.3af/at on ports 1-4, up to 30 W per port, 40 W total budget	No PoE output; powered by USB-C 5V DC 3A or PoE+ input
Uplinks (SFP/SFP+)	None listed; all five ports are RJ45	One 10G SFP+ port (10G/1G) and one 10 GbE RJ45 port, as a combo uplink
Switching capacity	Switch capacity 10 Gbps; MAC table 2K; packet buffer 1 Mbit; jumbo frame 9 KB (V4) or 16 KB (V3)	60 Gbps switching capacity, 30 Gbps non-blocking throughput, 45 Mpps forwarding rate
Cooling	Fanless; max heat dissipation 159.46 BTU/h	not listed

Strengths and weaknesses

TP-Link TL-SG1005LP

+ Four PoE+ ports at up to 30 W each
+ Fanless design
+ Plug-and-play with no setup
− Gigabit only; no 2.5GbE or 10GbE
− 40 W total PoE budget is shared
− No web UI, VLAN or SNMP

Skip it if:

Buyers who need VLANs, a web UI or SNMP monitoring
Anyone who needs 2.5GbE, 10GbE or SFP uplinks
Buyers whose PoE devices draw more than 40 W combined

Read the full TP-Link TL-SG1005LP review ›

Ubiquiti UniFi Flex 2.5G USW-Flex-2.5G-8

+ Eight 2.5G access ports
+ 10G RJ45/SFP+ combo uplink
+ Small and light, with flexible power options
− No PoE output
− Needs UniFi console; no CLI or SSH reported
− Owners report limited features, no aggregation

Skip it if:

Buyers who need PoE output to power access points or cameras
Admins who want CLI, SSH or a standalone web interface
Anyone who needs link aggregation or several 10G uplinks

Read the full Ubiquiti UniFi Flex 2.5G USW-Flex-2.5G-8 review ›

More comparisons

Compare all network switches · Best network switches