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

The TL-SG105S is an unmanaged five-port gigabit desktop switch from TP-Link. It has five 10/100/1000 Mbps RJ45 ports with auto-negotiation and Auto-MDI/MDIX. TP-Link lists a switching capacity of 10 Gbit/s. It needs no configuration, so it suits adding wired ports to a desk, a workbench or a small homelab.

Don't confuse it with the TL-SG105S-M2. That is a separate five-port 2.5G Multi-Gigabit model with its own product page.

Every port is gigabit and nothing faster is listed. The research shows no 2.5GbE or 10GbE ports on this model. It also shows no SFP or SFP+ uplink on the manufacturer page. All five ports are copper RJ45.

If you want 2.5G ports, the TL-SG105S-M2 named above is a separate model, not a variant of this one.

The switch is unmanaged. You plug it in and it works, with no web interface to configure. That suits buyers who want a switch they never have to touch.

The feature list includes 802.1p/DSCP QoS and IGMP snooping. The manufacturer page does not list VLAN support. With no VLANs listed, this is not the switch for splitting IoT, lab and main traffic on the switch itself. You would need to do that elsewhere in the network.

Five ports is the whole count. If one connects to your router or another switch, four remain for devices. No SFP or SFP+ uplink is listed, so the switch has no dedicated fibre or high-speed uplink port on the manufacturer page.

That makes it a good fit for a small cluster of devices: a PC, a NAS, a printer and a Raspberry Pi, for example. It is a poor fit for anything that needs to grow into a larger lab.

The design is fanless, so the switch makes no fan noise. TP-Link gives a maximum power draw of 3.1 W. The casing is metal, and the listing mentions both desktop and wall-mounting options. With those specs, it suits a quiet room, a bedroom desk or a spot where a fan would be noticed.

There is no PoE. Any device that needs power over Ethernet, such as an access point or camera, needs its own power supply or a separate injector.

TP-Link lists two hardware versions, V1.10 and V4. The research does not say how they differ. Check which version a listing is selling before you buy.

Firmware update history was not checked, so this review can't say how often the switch is updated, and the research gives no further detail.

The Amazon US listing states a three-year manufacturer warranty. That is not confirmed for the UK, so read the warranty terms on the UK listing before buying.

The Amazon UK listing shows an aggregate owner rating of 4.7 out of 5 stars, with 141,174 shown alongside it. The research holds no recurring written themes from owners. This review can't say what buyers praise or complain about beyond that rating.

This is a basic switch for people who want more gigabit ports and nothing else. Its fanless build and 3.1 W maximum draw follow directly from the specs, and they make it easy to leave running on a desk. Its limits are just as clear from the specs: no PoE, no SFP uplink, no listed VLAN support and no ports faster than gigabit. If those limits are a problem for your network, look at a managed or multi-gigabit model.