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On the subject of the 5-port model, we will have a review of the 5-port TRENDnet TEG-S350. The two models are overall very similar down to the boxes that they come in. The 8-port TEG-S380 we are looking at here are is the larger of the two models. TRENDnet TEG S380 And TEG S350 Boxes The P5Q Premium has a vacant x1 slot; and, the P5Q Deluxe has a USB 3.0 add-in card installed in an x1 slot, which I almost never use. So, I can remove that add-in card and insert a 2.5GbE NIC in that slot instead — assuming a working driver is available.
TL-SG105-M2 | 5-Port 2.5G Desktop Switch - TP-Link
On many switches, every port runs at the same speed. But there are a growing number of devices that offer multiple speeds on different ports. If you are only connecting a small set of devices, you will only need one speed – and it’s quite commonplace now to get 1 Gigabit speeds (1000 Mbps) even on small switches.
2.5GbE is not just for offices, but also for homes
If you happen to remember this odd request, we’ve got an enormous amount of work done with 2 almost identical ASUS motherboards: the P5Q Premium and the P5Q Deluxe. Both were stabilized several years ago on Windows XP. The affordability of 2.5Gbe as an alternative to traditional gigabit ethernet LAN is getting better than it was at launch commercial in 2019. When hardware started embracing 2.5Gbe connections, it was priced at an arguably fair 2.5x times that of a normal 1Gb connection. However, it soon became apparent that due to demand in network use alongside data growing more rapidly in both home and business, that 1Gbe was fast becoming unsuitable for most businesses. Therefore in more recent times, the cost of 2.5Gbe has begun to arrive at simply the same as or just a pinch above that of accepted 1Gbe hardware. In fact, many hardware manufacturers consider 1Gbe dead in the water and have embraced 2.5Gbe connections as standard at no additional increase (in the NAS community, the heavy hitters on this are QNAP and Asustor). I thought the point of the 2.5Gb and 5Gb stuff was to be cheaper because 10Gb was so much more expensive. I might as well just use a 10Gb switch at current prices. If your network is populated with more compact and portable devices, then you can still use a range of USB connected devices to interact with a 2.5Gbe network. Here are the ones I recommend:
Multi-Gigabit Ethernet Plus Switch - MS108EUP | NETGEAR
BUT, it doesn’t install, no matter what “path” I choose when updating the driver in Windows Device Manager. The ASUSTOR ASW205T gets a recommendation from us because it does everything you'd expect from an unmanaged networking switch. Performance is excellent, even when bombarding the switch with lots of traffic across all ports, and the design is sleeker compared to many unmanaged options available on the market. Just note that this is a basic switch and there aren't any advanced features present. Perhaps the defining feature on the front of the device involves the array of 8x 2.5GbE switch ports. Something that we wish this switch had, especially at this price point, was LED indicators on each switch port. Instead, the TEG-S380 has these to the side and in two rows of four LEDs. These switches often end up deployed behind desks, mounted in dark closets or other areas. Having two rows of offset LEDs makes it harder to tie a LED to a single row of switch ports. This is a small nuance, but it is also one that we should not have to point out on a switch in this price band. TRENDnet TEG S380 Status LEDfaster speeds refer to the speeds compared to standard 1G ports. The actual speeds may vary due to cable quality and type, client limitations, and environmental factors.
2.5G Desktop Switch | TP-Link Australia TL-SG108-M2 | 8-Port 2.5G Desktop Switch | TP-Link Australia
As we have been doing with many of our articles this year, this review has a video companion piece where we discuss this 8-port as well as the 5-port options. Once again, very much an ‘optional extra’, upgrading the router/modem in your network towards 2.5Gbe will only really be beneficial if your internet service is greater than 1Gbps. Never the less, there are some great 2.5Gbe, 5Gbe and 10Gbe routers out there, some of which even include WiFi 6 too. Here are the best 2.5Gbe routers right now in 2021: my need for faster than gigabit transfers is not a need but a helpful curiosity. the video editing server is just running media encoder with a watch folder so when i finish a premiere project i save it there and it renders and exports it without clogging up time on my main rig. faster than gigabit networking would basically only help if i had to transfer large files to one system or another.
Ready for Immediate Network Upgrading to 2.5G?
The switch itself is made using a metal case. Many of the 1GbE unmanaged switches come in plastic cases to save a few dollars on retail prices. Given the margin on these switches, we appreciate that this is at least a metal construction. TRENDnet TEG S380 Side ETHERNET PORT CONFIGURATION: 4 Gigabit ports and 2 1G/2.5G ports and 2 1G/ 2.5G/5G ports and 1 10G port Opening the TEG-S380 up, we can see a fairly simple PCB. Something that is interesting is that practically this switch could be more compact since there is completely open space on the side of the switch behind the logo. TRENDnet TEG S380 Internal 2
Cheapest 2.5GbE switches – NAS Compares Cheapest 2.5GbE switches – NAS Compares
If you are using a desktop PC/Mac/Linux system, then you are able to consider PCIe 2.5Gbe upgrades. Although these are more expensive than the plug n play alternatives, they do allow more connections per card. Here are the 2.5Gbe PCIe cards I recommend: D-link could stand to be a little clearer about the turbo mode and it’s advantages with the DMS-106XT and the extent to which those LEDs can actually be customized is pretty weak, but you are clearly getting a sturdy, solid and high-performance piece of kit here. Additionally, with the increase of affordability of 10GbE, as well as 2.5GbE becoming the defacto port to be used with WiFi 6 client hardware, this switch has a much wider audience than it might have had just 2 years ago. A great piece of kit and one I heartily recommend. NetGear 1GbE+10GbE Smart Managed Pro Switch MS510TXPP-100EUS 9-Port RJ45 (4x 1G, 2x 2.5G, 2x 5G, 1x 10G) , 1x Shared SFP+, 8x PoE+ (138W) Video transfer estimates are based on the minimum time needed when all relevant devices are performing at their maximum possible capacity. Actual transfer time is not guaranteed and will vary as a result of environmental factors, network conditions, and client limitations.Pros – 10G + 2.5G arriving at the same/cheaper price than many 2.5G-only switches right now. Unique and Attractive Design. Unmanaged BUT the Turbo Mode adds Priority of Sevice features. Fanless + Ridged Metal design assists heat dissipation. LED and lighting are quite cool looking ADVANCED CONFIGURATION & CONTROL: Management software with easy-to-use GUI interface offers refined control for secure setup, access, and SNMP (NMS 300) management. If you expect to increase the number of devices you will want to connect in the future, it may be worth purchasing a switch that has more ports than you need immediately. But you could also achieve this by purchasing an additional switch later on. It’s a fair point. Although 10GbE is still more expensive than 1GbE and 2.5GbE, it HAS come down in price quite noticeably over the last 5 years. This alongside improvements in more efficient and affordable 10GbE network controllers has led to 10GbE routers and 10GbE switches arriving on the market at a much more affordable price point than ever. Many die-hard network veterans turn their noses up at 2.5GbE, as (alongside 10G being available to businesses and prosumer users for the better part of 10-15years) they consider 2.5G to be a stop-gap and overall better to spend the money towards something bigger and broader in bandwidth. So, why should you care about 2.5G then? Well, a few reasons actually. Such as: Link aggregation will combine 2 or more Ethernet ports into a one logical link between two network devices like computers or NAS. This will mean doubled or quadrupled bandwidth to use for super fast data transfer. What we care about is which switch is smart enough to be able to manage link aggregation and also which one is the cheapest. Link aggregation or NIC Teaming is also called by other names like:
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