With switch prices coming down to about $10-per-port, it's hard to justify buying anything less than a 10/100-switch for all but the most cost-conscious buyer.As most 5-port 10/100 switches have the same capabilities and cost about the same, there's not much to distinguish one from another. Still, I particularly like the Netgear FS-105 5-port switch. Like other products from Netgear, this switch is a little nicer than the competition because it has:- Nice sturdy metal construction instead of plastic. The case also has a grounding tab in case you're using the switch in a (electrically) high-noise environment.- Connection status indicators built into the jacks, so you can easily tell which cable is connected and is active. (The "vistajack" feature.)- Right-angled barrel power connector which reduce the likelihood of disconnecting power accidentally.- An easy-to-access switch to toggle port 1 between station mode and uplink mode. Unlike some hubs where two jacks are wired together, this design prevents accidentally shorting a station to an uplink.- Screw-mount notches on the underside allows for easy attachment to the wall, underside of a counter, etc.With a 1000-MAC address buffer and 200 Kbytes-per-port packet buffer, this switch can easily handle the typical traffic load of small- and medium-sized networks.The Netgear product is not the cheapest 10/100-switch (check out the D-Link Fast Ethernet Switch, for example), but for overall design and value-for-money, I still like the Netgear the most. Netgear FS105NA Switch 5Port Metal
I have been replacing my ethernet hubs with switches (because the throughput on a switch is much better than on a hub). After extensive review, I decided to get one D-Link 5-port switch and one Netgear 5-port switch, both auto-sensing for 10/100 rate. The truth is, they both work great! They both perform well, and were equally easy to hookup (no software to deal with). I will add one thing, and that is that the D-Link box was a much nicer design than the Netgear. First of all, it is much smaller (the picture of the D-Link here is deceiving). Secondly, the Netgear has the LED lights and the ethernet ports on the same side. For my setup, I prefer the ports on the back and the lights on the front. I think the Netgear switch was fashioned more for a rack. Style aside, a big thumbs up for both of these switches!
I originally had a hub, and when I realized that I wasn't getting anywhere near the throughput I would get with a switch, the obvious choice was netgear. the switch is fast, slick looking, and has LED's to tell you everything about your connections. the downside? design. the ethernet cables plug into the front of the unit, while the power cord plugs into the back. the problem here is that if your ethernet cables are as flexible as warm butter, they get in the way of the led's or each other. when i plugged three cables in, the box sat to the side because the weight of the cable held up up. if you are going to wall mount the unit (it comes with screws to do so) then that might help, but if you are going to set it on your desk, the ethernet cables have to run from the front of it, instead of behind... the unit also gets warm, so make sure you have clearance on all sides so it gets air. otherwise, despite the design issues, the product is slick. has led for 10/100mb, full duplex, collisions, and the 5th port doubles as an uplink.... for fast networking netgear makes a quality product.
What a great product! I plugged a PS3, xbox360, two computers, and our DSL cable (all ethernet cables) into this switch and now all four systems have internet connection. It was that simple!
My only regret is that I got didn't get the 8-port switch. I didn't realize that the DSL connection goes in one of these front 5 ports. I thought perhaps there was a port in the back (similar to a USB hub). I was hoping to have one port available to plug a laptop in, but the four systems and DSL connection uses all five available ports.
I bought the FS105 simply so that I could connect a TiVo to a wired network in a room with a single Ethernet port and a desktop that was already using that port.
Lo and behold, when I connected the switch the download speed on my desktop doubled. Overall system performance is now visibly faster, even in non-internet applications. Evidently the desktop had been using system resources needlessly processing Ethernet traffic, and the compartmentalization that the switch brought to my network eliminated this unnecessary processing.
It's great when a product actually does more than advertised.
I purchased one of these to split out the CAT5 cabling in my basement; I only had one cable coming in but needed three. So far it has been working 24/7 for the past 6 months with no problems.
This switch is super simple. There are no web interfaces and complicated configuration steps to go through. Don't need them. Just plug it in, plug in your CAT5 cables and go. The hardest part of the installation was installing the screws for wall mounting it.
The only thing I can complain about is the huge power supply that powers it; I'm pretty sure it outweighs the switch and it is large enough that if you plug it into the top socket of an outlet it will block the bottom one. Thankfully, Netgear chose to go with prongs that allow it to be inserted upside down in a socket. Additionally, they provided about 5 feet of wire to give plenty of flexibility in locating the switch and I was able to place it in an inconspicuous spot.
If you need expand your home network, this little unit will do it in a snap.'
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