Internet of things [IoT] has become a popular word in the world. IoT denotes a system of machines and devices that are interconnected to transfer data over a network without human interference. As the world began to become chained to the internet, these IoT devices are facing a great demand.
You would have noticed wall mounted WiFi routers and ethernet switches in corporates, schools, hospitals and other institutions that you have visited. These devices have become prevalent as data providers. Two major players manufacturing WiFi routers and ethernet switches are TP-Link and Netgear.
Founded in the same year, 1996, TP-Link and Netgear are responsible for the production of numerous internet-connected products for consumers, businesses, and service providers. These include WiFi gateways, WiFi hotspots, WiFi routers and home WiFi systems, WiFi range extenders, ethernet switches, powerline adapters and bridges, etc.
We decided to compare two separate ethernet switches manufactured by these companies to help you choose the best one. Let us first dig into two most reviewed ethernet switches the TP-Link 16 Port Switch Gigabit Switch and the Netgear 24-Port Gigabit Switch.
TP-Link Vs Netgear Ethernet Switches – A Comparative Table
| Model | Type | No of ports | Ethernet standard |
| Unmanaged | 16 | Gigabit | |
| Unmanaged | 24 | Gigabit | |
| Managed
| 8 | Gigabit | |
| Managed | 8 | Gigabit |
1. TP-Link 16 Port Switch Gigabit Ethernet Network Switch
The TP-Link 16 Port Ethernet switch has 16 ports which means that it is built for a largely connected home or a small business enterprise. The ethernet features 16 10/100/1000Mbps auto-negotiation RJ45 ports supporting Auto-MDI/MDIX function. Auto MDI/MDIX eliminates the need for crossover cables.
The ethernet switch is in a steel enclosure with gigabit ethernet ports to increase your network speed. The switch also contributes to increasing the speed of your network server. The device is equipped with IEEE 802.3x flow control technology provides reliable data transfer. Moreover, the data stream is optimized by IGMP snooping.
The most attractive feature of this product is its low power consumption design. The green ethernet technology saves power consumption, hence cutting down on electricity costs.
This easy to use product comes with a plug and play design, therefore no configuration is required.
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| Low power consumption design Plug and play | No POE Support |
2. NETGEAR 24-Port Gigabit Ethernet Unmanaged Switch
Fitted with 24 ports, the NETGEAR 24-Port Gigabit Switch allows you to connect all your VoIP phones, security cameras or your home media server. Due to its large number of ports the device is equipped with 802.1p traffic prioritization.
Unlike the TP-Link 16 Port switch, NETGEAR 24-Port Switch features POE support. POE or Power over Ethernet support helps ethernet switches provide power to the devices connected to it. The device also possesses POE+ support which provides more electrical power to the devices.
This POE+ switch is flexible in terms of placement and POE power. Netgear sells interchangeable power adapters which allow to increase/ decrease the POE power available on the switch using the built-in POE power selector button.
Also, there is a built-in POE power selector switch that allow for interchangeable power adapters that can be used to increase/decrease the POE power available on the switch.
The device supports IEEE 802.3az standard reducing the energy consumption when there is light traffic on an active port or when there is no activity detected. It can further save energy when a short cable is used.
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| POE and POE+ support Can adjust the POE power across devices | Web management function cannot be turned off |
3. TP-Link 8 Port Gigabit Ethernet Network Switch
The TP-Link 8 Port Gigabit Ethernet Network Switch seeks to provide Gigabit internet to your network devices. The device features 8 10/100/1000Mbps Auto-Negotiation RJ45 ports equipped with Auto-MDI/MDIX function.
With a solid metal construction that guarantees durability, the ethernet switch features a plug and play design so there is no configuration required.
The front side of the switch houses eight 10/100/1000Mbps Gigabit ports. On the left side of the ports there are red and yellow LED lights. If the light is solid red it means that the power of all connected devices is between 120W and 126W. If the LED light is flashing red it means that the power of all the connected POE ports is either equal or exceeds 126W. If the LED is off then the power of all connected POE ports is under 120W.
Besides these two LEDs, every port is lined with three arrays of LED lights each showing the POE Status. If the LED is flashing green, it means that there may be a short circuit or that the current may be overloaded.If the LED is on, it means that the port connection runs at 1000Mbps. However, there is no distinctive colour for the speeds under the 1000Mbps.
Furthermore, the TL-SG1008PE sports a total POE power budget of 124W. There are two additional variations of this ethernet switch which can also be considered among the best Ethernet switches. The first is the TL-SG1008P, an 8-port Gigabit switch that is equipped with four POE ports and second is the TL-SF1008P, also an 8-port switch with 4 POE ports but lacks the Gigabit speeds.
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| Cheap POE support | Does not deliver the promised speed |
4. NETGEAR Nighthawk S8000 8-Port Gigabit Gaming Switch (GS808E)
Netgear announced the Nighthawk S8000 switch promising advanced gaming and streaming capability. This device provides high speed data for gaming laptops and sports uninterrupted online streaming. This gaming switch features eight ports with the default configuration of the first being gaming, media streaming and uplink, to connect to the router.
Besides, the switch accompanies two Multi-gig/10G ports and eight gigabit ones that allow link aggregation. This lets you link up to four connections into one increasing bandwidth up to 4Gbps.
The Nighthawk S8000 is housed in a hexagonal zinc alloy case with a black matte finish. The top of the device is split into four sections. The front area has a blue Power LED light and on the rear side, there are eight LED indicators positioned on the edge. Blue indicates a healthy connection to a device, while flashing blue indicates traffic. However, if all the port LEDs are flashing redone after the other, then you need to wait for the firmware to be loaded. If the port LEDs are blinking blue, then the device has detected a network loop.
The most important feature of the ethernet switch is the QoS (quality of service) prioritization. This feature helps you select the most important content in your home network and deliver it to you faster than any other application or service available on your LAN. QoS can also tackle network congestion.
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| QoS prioritization Link aggregation | No cut ups for cooling the device |
Buyer’s guide
1. Managed vs Unmanaged switch
You can choose an unmanaged switch if your network is not very complex. If you need to connect only a few devices to each other and connect them to the internet these network switches can be a good choice due to their low purchase price. This type of network switch is usually plug-and-play.
If your router doesn’t let you control the traffic on your network or limits the speed of connected devices eating up your data, then consider buying a managed switch. A managed switch can help to increase your network security by preventing other devices from reaching your network.
2. Gigabit switch
Make sure your ethernet switch is a gigabit switch and not one of those fast ethernet ones. Because fast ethernet ones are now outdated and the speed of these are just dismal.
Ethernet networks use transfer speeds that can be different depending on the requirements: networks of 10 Mbps are generally used for email and intranet networks. Networks of 100 Mbps termed fast ethernet are used for small file transfers up to 150 MB per file. Networks of 1,000 Mbps (Gigabit Ethernet) are designed for large files such as video files that require more than 150 MB per file. Networks of 10 Gb/s are the current standard for the installation of new enterprise networks. For very large data transfers or long distances between different devices, you will want to consider fiber optic transfer technology.
3. Number of Ports
The number of ports will depend on the network that you are hoping to establish with the help of the switch. If it is for a basic home setup you can choose a switch with five ports. However, if you are buying a switch for your workplace or you have a large home network with multiple devices then ethernet switches with more than 8 ports are recommended.
FAQs
1. What is the best ethernet switch for home use?
Netgear Prosafe GS108PE 8 Port Gigabit PoE Web Managed Switch is the best gigabit switch to use if you are looking for something a little more advanced for your network. Accompanying a plug and play design, this switch also offers you the ability to configure settings like QoS and traffic.
The main feature of the switch is the PoE support. This lets you send power over your Ethernet cable making your electricity bill cost-effective.
2. What is the best ethernet switch for gaming?
The best switch for gaming is the Netgear Nighthawk S8000. This switch is specifically built for gaming needs by Netgear to provide stable fps for your games even if your switch is facing an overload of data needs.
It has excellent gaming and streaming capability and comes with multiple functions that promise great user experience. Some of these features include IGMP snooping for optimizing multimedia traffic, storm control to control the traffic on the POE network, Auto DoS (disk operating system) to prevent online attacks.
3. What is the difference between an ethernet switch and a gigabit switch?
Gigabit Ethernet and Fast Ethernet are both variations of the Ethernet standard. Both operate in the same way and look physically identical. However, Gigabit Ethernet provides greater bandwidth than Fast Ethernet. Gigabit connections are able to attain theoretical speeds of 1,000 Mbps, while Fast Ethernet provides about 100 Mbps. The difference in available bandwidth is the only significant difference between Gigabit and Fast Ethernet switches.
Conclusion
From the comparative analysis, it is clear that both TP-link and Netgear ethernet switches have similar features that can cater to the high-speed data needs of consumers. POE support, gigabit switch, multiple ports and many other features based on modern-day needs are included in both the company’s switches.
The Nighthawk S8000 from Netgear shows that the company is innovating new ethernet switches according to the modern generation’s internet needs. It is trying to dip its toes in the gaming arena, something that has been attracting the younger generation like a magnet. TP-Link, on the other hand, seems to be sticking to old designs with no products focusing on a single niche.
The companies have also competitively priced its ethernet switches, meaning there are no major price variations between products with similar features. Therefore, choosing between the ethernet switches of both companies comes down to your personal requirements. However, make sure you pick a managed gigabit ethernet switch to put up the best home or enterprise network.
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Last update on 2023-09-26 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API
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