NETGEAR 5 Port Gigabit Ethernet Managed Network Switch (GS305E) - Desktop or Wall Mount, Home Network Hub, Office Ethernet Splitter, Silent Operation

Basic no frills Netgear hub. Runs cool to the touch even in summer and is idiot proof to install and use. Perfect for running a network lead from a router to a PC or Smart TV and having 4 or more ports free on the hub to give a proper wired network signal to all the other devices that may need one. Works great with the Amazon Basic Cat 6 leads. So if having issues streaming 4k media or gaming on a TV, Console or PC or WiFi. Grab one of these and a cat6 RJ45 lead to reach it from your ISP router and a few 2 or 3 meter network leads Cat 6 RJ45 again, to plug everything to this hub and kiss WiFi woes goodbye forever.

Super easy to install, and the app is very good too.Currently im using it to connect my home server to the router and so far i havent see any dips in performance. File trasnferes as well as internet speeds remain incredibly fast and stable just as they would as being connected directly to the router. The only tiny bad thing about this switch that i have noticed is that my ping has increased by 1 - 2 ms which is to be expected but it has no effect on day to day use.

In order to understand the benefits of a managed switch you need to understand the difference between a hub and a switch. A switch routes traffic to specific devices through specific ports - i.e. traffic that's flowing to device A through port 1 on the switch won't be visible on the other ports e.g. to device B through port 2. Great for network traffic. A problem if you want to monitor the traffic to and from a specific device to do some tracing and diagnostics.I was looking to do some network diagnostics and this "managed" GS105E has a great facility to mirror ports, so you can get it to copy the traffic going through Port 1 over to port 2, and then plug a laptop running Wireshark into port 2 to see what's happening to and from port 1.In a business environment you might use a network "tap" for this but for the home user, spending an extra £5 to get the "E" version of the GS105 / 108 gives you a similar (and excellent) facility.Netgear switches stand the test of time too. As far as I can determine the main difference between the GS105/108 and 305/308 is the warranty. I've never had a Netgear switch fail in my home environment and some have been running continuously for over 10 years.Recommended

Overall this is perfect for my needs has i needed more ethernet connections for consoles/pc`s, and was easy to setup, one issue is the support software for the prosafe plus utility, it has reached end of life, maybe not a big deal but would have been useful if they still kept it updated.I like the size has it`s not too big and fitted next to my router without taking up much room on the tv shelf. This is where the second issue comes in. The power has to be connected to the front of the box, which i feel it would have been so much better if it connected either on the side or preferably on the back where the ports are located.Overall would buy again has it meets my needs.

This was very easy to install and maintained the quality and speed of my current setup, connecting simply and compatible with the various bits of equipment I use to live stream and monitor. Perfect port capacity for my current needs.

I originally bought this device in order to help me sort out a problem on my network, and it did, I had an RJ45 cat 5 cable that died. Plus I am now able to add extra internet devices to my network, beyond the 4 that my router is limited to. Apart from that, the Netgear 5 Port Ethernet Switch (GS305E) is extremely easy to use, it is plug and play all the way. However, if you want extra facilities you will have to download and install the Netgear ProSAFE Plus Utility. All in all, this device lives up to it's promised abilities.

Great little switch and powerful for the size.The UI is easy to use on the web gui and can change quite a few good L2 bits like VLANS, Port speeds etc.Did a speed test and I was hitting a gig locally and also hitting my 500mbps for my internet without any dramas.

Is a great unmanaged switch, would recommend.