Features:

  • ETHERNET PORT CONFIGURATION: 16 Gigabit ports
  • PLUG-AND-PLAY: Simple set up with no software to install or configuration needed
  • VERSATILE MOUNTING OPTIONS: Supports desktop or wall mount placement
  • SILENT OPERATION: The fanless design means zero added noise wherever its located, making it ideal for noise-sensitive environments
  • PEACE OF MIND WARRANTY – Covered by an industry-leading 3-year limited hardware warranty
  • ENERGY EFFICIENT: Designed to optimize power usage lowering its cost to operate. Most models are compliant with IEEE802.3az Energy Efficient Ethernet mode.
  • BUILT TO LAST: Every NETGEAR Network switch is rigorously tested for reliability, quality, and performance.
Reliable with super easy set up

Trying to convert my home into a smart home means having multiple hubs being plugged into the router (Netgear Arlo, Philips Hue, Samsung Smartthing, etc) along with other devices needing to be plugged into the router. This means my router ran out of ports pretty quickly and I needed an ethernet switch. Having had a good experience with an older Netgear switch in the past (FS108), I decided to get this one for the gigabit capability. Setting up the switch was as easy as taking it out of the box, plugging the power supply into the wall, and then connecting the ethernet cable from the router to the switch. Took less than two minutes! I now have additional ethernet ports to plug in my ever expanding smart home devices. No complaints!

Excellent switch for the price

This is a great switch. I've purchased many, many Netgear switches for small businesses and homes over the years. Bought this switch to replace and 8 port and a 4 port...cleaner installation and wiring. Have never had a failure. I find the negative reviews here to be curious -- wonder if they're using cheap patch cables -- I don't scrimp when it comes to cables. Or plastic switch models. I only buy metal. These switches simply work. Period. And the LED displays tell you clearly the connection speed per port. Highly recommended.

Exactly the compact size I needed and at a great price. No issues with it after a few ...

Exactly the compact size I needed and at a great price. No issues with it after a few months of use in a media panel. Now if they will only make a 10gbit model in this form factor..

Works perfectly

This device works perfectly. You just plug Ethernet cables into it, and it makes sure the packets get to the right place. Apparently it figures the right place to route. I'd guess that at first it broadcasts incoming packets out all the other ports, and listens to determine where the response comes from, and from then on sends packets only where needed. In my case I have a home router with only 4 ports, but about 7 things that need connecting. So I just plugged the 3 fastest things directly into the router, and used a short cable between the 4th part are this switch, and then plugged all the other things into other ports of this switch. Everything worked perfectly on the first try.

Nice little switch!

Now that our entertainment center has 4 internet connected devices (TV, Blu-Ray, Satellite, XBox), it was a bit annoying to have them all connected via wireless, and it would barely work at times due to interference. I bought some TP-Link ethernet home plugs, connected this thing to that and all my devices, and haven't turned back since. I love knowing that I can just leave this thing in the back of my entertainment center and not have to worry about it. It's small, the metal case seems as good quality as the old Netgear switches I dealt with a few decades ago, it doesn't seem to run hot even enclosed in furniture, and is one of my better home upgrades due to losing the hassle of wireless. Now our other wireless devices aren't as crowded on the network and I don't get called to the living room with questions about why Netflix isn't working.

Great 5-Port Cable Switch From A Great Company... As Usual

I bought this to expand the hard-wired capabilities in my bedroom with all the internet ready devices needing to connect. This is my second Netgear switch primarily because the brand reputation. I own tons of Netgear devices, proudly. This is very sturdily built, no sharp edges, easy access ports and status lights. It is basically a plug and play device, no drivers to download or install. Just plug in and you're off to a more efficient wiring setup and productivity. I love the fact that it has a small footprint in not taking up too much desk space and that being made of metal it sits still. I've used others that would shift around and cause connectivity issues now and again. Not with this. This is reliable and working great. Love this.

... a new switch with gigabit speed I would highly recommend this product

If you are looking to either upgrade an existing switch or purchase a new switch with gigabit speed I would highly recommend this product. Recently my internet speed jumped from 40Mbps to 120Mbps, I had been using a Netgear FS524 which has a max speed of 100Mbps. With my new switch I can take full advantage of my speed upgrade and my network traffic has seen an improvement as well. My new Netgear Gigabit switch not only provides me with additional speed but the fan-less design is a significant improvement over the older fan based models because of the noise reduction. The changeover from my old switch to the new Gigabit switch was extremely simple and the new Gigabit switch also has a smaller footprint. This product is a slam dunk with a good design and performance which meets expectation, again I would highly recommend. Pros: - Status LEDs are easy to read - Plug and play - Fanless design is quiet Cons: - Non that I have found

Function over form...

This review is for the GS308 unit. Nice, quality build. Performance as expected. Does what it's supposed to do... That being said, why do manufacturers of these "Home" switches insist on just making smaller versions of rack-mount units? Having Ethernet cables coming out of the "front" of this unit makes for a messy-looking desktop. Yes, I knew this when I bought it, and that there are switches that look more "homey", but for the price and features, this was what I decided on. One of life's compromises, I guess. Now I just have to move my desk away from the wall so I can mount it out-of-sight. (Venting session over!)

Works as advertised. But runs hot...very hot.

I received this switch after speedy delivery. On plugging it to power socket, I got funky burning smell. Immediately the switch stopped working. Turned out that the adapter had burnt out. Had to go out and get a replacement adapter from local store for $3. Thankfully the switch is working as expected. So not cutting any stars. I get 10 Gbps link speed and transfer speed between QNAP TS-653B and my PC (Both having Aquantia AQC-107 10gbe PCIe cards) is 620 MBps (5 Gbps) download and 375 MBps (3 Gbps) upload. This is as per my expectations. Let's see how long it lasts. I am a bit worried because it runs very hot. Too hot to touch in-fact.

Fast Speeds and Reliable Hardware

I have been a network engineer for almost 20 years. I have consulted for the federal gov, state gov, and numerous Fortune 500 companies. So when it comes to knowledge of networking technologies, including switches, I am what's often to referred to as a 'subject matter expert'. With that said, I hope this review is helpful to others so they can make informed decisions based on verifiable information, not conjecture. Netgear uses reliable pieces and parts in the construction of their hardware switches. If you take a close look at the power draw (raw consumption of electrical power), you'll notice Netgear switches use slightly more power than other small switches. This is actually important in switching data packets between ports. But by no means is this switch a power hog...it just utilizes enough power to QUICKLY switch packets between its ports. Lower latency compared to other SOHO switches. The average home network has 1 or 2 switches as they introduce more devices that need connectivity. You could buy TP-link, Linksys, or other manufacturers, but Netgear has better performance because it has lower latency overall. Metal is better than plastic. There's no rocket science behind this claim -- it's common knowledge that metal will hold up better than plastic. When given the choice, go with a metal chassis over plastic. The chassis on this Netgear is metal. Well done, Netgear. Keep it simple. When it comes to plug and play, it doesn't get any easier. Plug this in to a power source, and plug your network cables into the ports. Simple enough, right? Would I recommend this to others? Yes. In fact, I own 4 of these switches and I've purchased 2 for my parent's home use. I also have 1 of these in my emergency kit in my car in case I need a reliable switch while I'm working on IT related projects. I highly recommend this switch and would buy it again.

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