Skip to content
sudopicks
esc

Ubiquiti UniFi Flex Mini 2.5G vs Zyxel XGS1210-12

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

all judged against network switches at a similar price

The Zyxel XGS1210-12 scores 6.9/10 overall, ahead of the Ubiquiti UniFi Flex Mini 2.5G at 6.3/10.

The Ubiquiti UniFi Flex Mini 2.5G leads on management.

The Zyxel XGS1210-12 leads on port speeds and port count and uplinks.

They score the same on noise and efficiency, poE and firmware and support.

The biggest difference is port count and uplinks, where the Zyxel XGS1210-12 scores 7/10 to the Ubiquiti UniFi Flex Mini 2.5G's 4/10.

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

Zyxel XGS1210-12

Zyxel XGS1210-12

6.9/10verdict: buy

The Zyxel XGS1210-12 is for homelabbers and small offices that want a quiet, fanless switch with a couple of faster links. It suits someone connecting a server or NAS over 2.5GbE copper or 10G SFP+ while the other devices stay on Gigabit. It is a poor fit if you need PoE or LACP bonding.

Typically about £125 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

Scores, criterion by criterion

CriterionWeightUbiquiti UniFi Flex Mini 2.5GZyxel XGS1210-12
Port speeds30%7/108/10
Management20%7/106/10
Port count and uplinks15%4/107/10
Noise and efficiency15%8/108/10
PoE10%5/105/10
Firmware and support10%5/105/10
Overall6.3/106.9/10

Specifications

SpecUbiquiti UniFi Flex Mini 2.5GZyxel XGS1210-12
Ports5 x 2.5 GbE RJ45 ports12 total: 8 x RJ-45 10/100/1000 Mbps, 2 x RJ-45 100/1000/2500 Mbps, 2 x SFP+
Port speeds2.5G/1G/100M/10M per port8 copper ports 10/100/1000 Mbps; 2 copper ports 100/1000/2.5G; SFP+ cages take 1G or 10G optics
Managementnot listedWeb-managed; port-based VLAN, 802.1p and port-based QoS, IGMP snooping, static link aggregation, port mirroring, management VLAN, HTTP/HTTPS
PoE budgetnot listedNo PoE
Uplinks (SFP/SFP+)None; no SFP/SFP+ uplink ports2 x SFP+ (1G/10G)
Switching capacity25 Gbps switching capacity, 12.5 Gbps non-blocking throughput, 19 Mpps forwarding rate, 256 VLANs, 4,000 MAC addresses66 Gbps switching capacity; 49 Mpps forwarding rate
CoolingFanless (retailer listing; not on manufacturer spec page)Fanless

Strengths and weaknesses

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 ›

Zyxel XGS1210-12

  • + Two SFP+ cages take 1G or 10G optics
  • + Fanless, and owners praise it as quiet and compact
  • + Two 2.5GbE copper ports alongside eight Gigabit ports
  • − Static link aggregation only; no LACP
  • − Owners report heat under heavy load
  • − No PoE

Skip it if:

  • Buyers who need LACP link aggregation
  • Anyone who needs PoE for access points or cameras
  • Buyers putting it in a warm, unventilated cupboard under heavy load
Read the full Zyxel XGS1210-12 review ›

More comparisons

Compare all network switches · Best network switches