NETGEAR GS108 8-Port Gigabit Unmanaged Switch review

The GS108 is an unmanaged eight-port Gigabit switch. Every port is 10/100/1000 RJ-45 copper. NETGEAR describes it as plug-and-play, so there are no settings to configure. The listed switching capacity is 16 Gbps.

That makes it a straightforward way to add wired ports behind a router. A desk, a media cabinet or a small homelab shelf are the obvious places for it. It is a plain Gigabit switch, and the only extra the research lists is 802.3az Energy Efficient Ethernet.

Each port is listed at 10/100/1000 Mbps, so older 10/100 devices fall within the listed speeds alongside Gigabit ones.

All eight ports run at up to Gigabit. NETGEAR lists no 2.5GbE or 10GbE port on this model. It also lists no SFP or SFP+ uplink. Any link through the switch is therefore limited to Gigabit by the ports listed.

With no dedicated uplink, a connection to another switch or to your router uses one of the eight RJ-45 ports. That leaves fewer free ports for devices. If you already own a NAS or workstation with a faster network card, this switch will not use it. That makes it a better match for Gigabit-only kit.

The switch is unmanaged and has no VLANs. You cannot separate traffic on it, so it will not split IoT devices from the rest of your network. The upside is that there is nothing to set up, secure or forget about.

NETGEAR also sells a smart-managed model, the GS108T. That is a different product. If VLANs matter to you, look at a managed switch instead of this one.

The GS108 has no PoE. The research lists no PoE ports and no power budget. It will not power access points or cameras over the cable. Anything that needs PoE will need its own power source or an injector.

The switch is fanless, and the datasheet lists acoustic noise as 0. It also supports 802.3az Energy Efficient Ethernet. Owners praise its quiet running, which suits a bedroom, an office or a living room where a fan would be noticed.

Owners praise its long service life. The same reports include a clear complaint: some units fail after a few years. These reports relate to older revisions, and the failures they describe involve the power supply or capacitors. The research does not say how newer revisions compare, so check which revision you are buying.

Praise for long service life and reports of failures sit side by side, so the research gives a mixed picture on durability.

NETGEAR backs the switch with a limited lifetime warranty. It also includes 90 days of free phone and online technical support from the date of purchase. The warranty is a useful safety net given the failure reports on older units.

The GS108 fits buyers who want plain Gigabit switching and silence. Setup is simple, and the fanless design keeps it quiet. It lacks VLANs, PoE, faster ports and an uplink. If you need any of those, pick a different switch. If you need none, the specification covers the basics.

Owner reports follow the same pattern. Praise centres on simple setup, quiet running and long service life, while the main complaint is failures after a few years on older revisions.