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TL-SG1005LP vs UniFi Flex Mini 2.5G

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

both judged against network switches at a similar price

The UniFi Flex Mini 2.5G scores 6.3/10 overall, ahead of the TL-SG1005LP at 6.1/10.

The TL-SG1005LP leads on port count and uplinks, noise and efficiency and poE.

The UniFi Flex Mini 2.5G leads on port speeds and management.

They score the same on firmware and support.

TL-SG1005LP

TL-SG1005LP

6.1/10verdict: wait for deal

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 (opens in a new tab, affiliate link)

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

UniFi Flex Mini 2.5G

UniFi Flex Mini 2.5G

6.3/10verdict: wait for deal

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

CriterionWeightTL-SG1005LPUniFi Flex Mini 2.5G
Port speeds30%6/107/10
Management20%5/107/10
Port count and uplinks15%5/104/10
Noise and efficiency15%9/108/10
PoE10%7/105/10
Firmware and support10%5/105/10
Overall6.1/106.3/10

Specifications

SpecTL-SG1005LPUniFi Flex Mini 2.5G
Ports5x 10/100/1000 Mbps RJ45; ports 1-4 are PoE+5 x 2.5 GbE RJ45 ports
Port speeds10/100/1000 Mbps on all five ports; no 2.5GbE or 10GbE port listed2.5G/1G/100M/10M per port
ManagementUnmanaged, plug-and-play; no web UI, VLAN or SNMP listednot listed
PoE budget802.3af/at on ports 1-4, up to 30 W per port, 40 W total budgetnot listed
Uplinks (SFP/SFP+)None listed; all five ports are RJ45None; no SFP/SFP+ uplink ports
Switching capacitySwitch capacity 10 Gbps; MAC table 2K; packet buffer 1 Mbit; jumbo frame 9 KB (V4) or 16 KB (V3)25 Gbps switching capacity, 12.5 Gbps non-blocking throughput, 19 Mpps forwarding rate, 256 VLANs, 4,000 MAC addresses
CoolingFanless; max heat dissipation 159.46 BTU/hFanless (retailer listing; not on manufacturer spec page)

Strengths and weaknesses

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 TL-SG1005LP review ›

UniFi Flex Mini 2.5G

  • + All five ports run 2.5GbE
  • + Fanless per retailer listing, with low power draw
  • + 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 UniFi Flex Mini 2.5G review ›

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