TP-Link TL-SG105S 5-Port Gigabit Desktop Switch 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 TP-Link TL-SG105S 5-Port Gigabit Desktop Switch at 6.1/10.

The TP-Link TL-SG105S 5-Port Gigabit Desktop Switch leads on port count and uplinks and noise and efficiency.

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

They score the same on poE and firmware and support.

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

6.1/10verdict: wait for deal

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

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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

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	UniFi Flex Mini 2.5G
Port speeds	30%	6/10	7/10
Management	20%	6/10	7/10
Port count and uplinks	15%	5/10	4/10
Noise and efficiency	15%	9/10	8/10
PoE	10%	5/10	5/10
Firmware and support	10%	5/10	5/10
Overall		6.1/10	6.3/10

Specifications

Spec	TP-Link TL-SG105S 5-Port Gigabit Desktop Switch	UniFi Flex Mini 2.5G
Ports	5× 10/100/1000 Mbps Auto-Negotiation RJ45 ports supporting Auto-MDI/MDIX	5 x 2.5 GbE RJ45 ports
Port speeds	10/100/1000 Mbps, auto-negotiation, auto-MDI/MDIX	2.5G/1G/100M/10M per port
Management	Unmanaged	not listed
PoE budget	No	not listed
Uplinks (SFP/SFP+)	not listed	None; no SFP/SFP+ uplink ports
Switching capacity	10 Gbit/s switching capacity	25 Gbps switching capacity, 12.5 Gbps non-blocking throughput, 19 Mpps forwarding rate, 256 VLANs, 4,000 MAC addresses
Cooling	Durable metal casing, desktop/wall-mounting options, and a fanless design	Fanless (retailer listing; not on manufacturer spec page)

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 ›

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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