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TP-Link TL-SX1008 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 TP-Link TL-SX1008 at 5.8/10.

The TP-Link TL-SX1008 leads on port speeds and port count and uplinks.

The Ubiquiti UniFi Flex Mini 2.5G leads on management and noise and efficiency.

They score the same on poE and firmware and support.

The biggest difference is management, where the Ubiquiti UniFi Flex Mini 2.5G scores 7/10 to the TP-Link TL-SX1008's 3/10.

TP-Link TL-SX1008

TP-Link TL-SX1008

5.8/10verdict: good, not the best

The TL-SX1008 is for homelabbers and small offices who want eight 10GbE copper ports with no configuration. It suits people linking a NAS, servers and workstations over standard RJ45 cabling, including 2.5GbE and 5GbE devices. It does not suit anyone who needs VLANs, SFP+ uplinks or a silent switch.

Typically about £319 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

CriterionWeightTP-Link TL-SX1008Ubiquiti UniFi Flex Mini 2.5G
Port speeds30%9/107/10
Management20%3/107/10
Port count and uplinks15%6/104/10
Noise and efficiency15%4/108/10
PoE10%5/105/10
Firmware and support10%5/105/10
Overall5.8/106.3/10

Specifications

SpecTP-Link TL-SX1008Ubiquiti UniFi Flex Mini 2.5G
Ports8 x RJ45 ports5 x 2.5 GbE RJ45 ports
Port speedsAuto-negotiating 100Mbps / 1Gbps / 2.5Gbps / 5Gbps / 10Gbps on every port2.5G/1G/100M/10M per port
ManagementUnmanagednot listed
PoE budgetNone listednot listed
Uplinks (SFP/SFP+)None listed (no SFP/SFP+)None; no SFP/SFP+ uplink ports
Switching capacity160 Gbps switching capacity, 119.04 Mpps forwarding rate, 16K MAC table, 12 Mbit packet buffer, store-and-forward25 Gbps switching capacity, 12.5 Gbps non-blocking throughput, 19 Mpps forwarding rate, 256 VLANs, 4,000 MAC addresses
CoolingOne fan with intelligent fan-speed adjustment; not fanlessFanless (retailer listing; not on manufacturer spec page)

Strengths and weaknesses

TP-Link TL-SX1008

  • + 10GBASE-T with multi-rate 100M to 10G on all eight ports
  • + Plug-and-play setup with no configuration needed
  • + ServeTheHome reports line-rate 8x10GbE at 64-byte frames
  • − Unmanaged: no VLANs or web management
  • − Fan is not silent; one owner calls it high-pitched
  • − No SFP+ uplinks, and owners say it is pricey for 10G

Skip it if:

  • Buyers who need VLANs or web management
  • Anyone who needs SFP+ uplinks or PoE
  • People placing a switch in a quiet room
Read the full TP-Link TL-SX1008 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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