TP-Link TL-SG105S 5-Port Gigabit Desktop Switch 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 TP-Link TL-SG105S 5-Port Gigabit Desktop Switch scores 6.1/10 overall, ahead of the Ubiquiti UniFi Switch Lite 8 PoE at 5.9/10.

The TP-Link TL-SG105S 5-Port Gigabit Desktop Switch 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.

TP-Link TL-SG105S 5-Port Gigabit Desktop Switch

6.1/10verdict: good, not the best

The TL-SG105S is for anyone who needs four or five extra wired gigabit ports without any setup. It suits desks, benches and small home networks where traffic does not need segmenting on the switch. It does not suit buyers who need VLANs, PoE or faster-than-gigabit links.

Typically about £13.99 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 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

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

Scores, criterion by criterion

Criterion	Weight	TP-Link TL-SG105S 5-Port Gigabit Desktop Switch	Ubiquiti UniFi Switch Lite 8 PoE
Port speeds	30%	6/10	4/10
Management	20%	6/10	8/10
Port count and uplinks	15%	5/10	5/10
Noise and efficiency	15%	9/10	9/10
PoE	10%	5/10	5/10
Firmware and support	10%	5/10	5/10
Overall		6.1/10	5.9/10

Specifications

Spec	TP-Link TL-SG105S 5-Port Gigabit Desktop Switch	Ubiquiti UniFi Switch Lite 8 PoE
Ports	5× 10/100/1000 Mbps Auto-Negotiation RJ45 ports supporting Auto-MDI/MDIX	8 RJ45 ports in total, of which 4 are PoE+
Port speeds	10/100/1000 Mbps, auto-negotiation, auto-MDI/MDIX	10/100/1000 Mbps on all ports
Management	Unmanaged	Layer 2 managed, configured through the UniFi Network Controller, in-band Ethernet management
PoE budget	No	52 W total PoE budget; up to 30 W per PoE+ port (802.3at)
Uplinks (SFP/SFP+)	not listed	No SFP or SFP+ port; RJ45 networking ports only
Switching capacity	10 Gbit/s switching capacity	16 Gbps switching capacity; 8 Gbps non-blocking line rate
Cooling	Durable metal casing, desktop/wall-mounting options, and a fanless design	Fanless; heat dissipation 27.3 BTU/hr excluding PoE output

Strengths and weaknesses

TP-Link TL-SG105S 5-Port Gigabit Desktop Switch

+ Fanless design with a 3.1 W maximum power draw
+ Plug-and-play with no configuration needed
+ Metal casing with desktop or wall-mount options
− Gigabit only, with no SFP or SFP+ uplink listed
− Manufacturer page does not list VLAN support
− No PoE on any port

Skip it if:

Buyers who need VLANs to segment traffic on the switch
Anyone powering access points or cameras over Ethernet
Buyers who want 2.5GbE ports or an SFP uplink

Read the full TP-Link TL-SG105S 5-Port Gigabit Desktop Switch 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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