NETGEAR FS105NA Switch 5Port Metal by Netgear
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Digital camera reviews of NETGEAR FS105NA Switch 5Port Metal
Digital camera Review: A good, solid switch. A little nicer than others.
Summary: 5 Stars
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.
Digital camera Review: A great switch
Summary: 5 Stars
A super switch at a great value. I use essentially as a "splitter" so that I can have both a laptop and a network printer on my desk.Digital camera Review: A solid performer
Summary: 5 Stars
This review is for the FS105 v2 as depicted in the picture, not for the one shown in the manual that is currently (9/12/2009) available for download from the Amazon product page.
This switch was purchased to replace one that only did half duplex 100Mbs. The switch routes video and data to a multi media server, so having full duplex was important to me.
I agree with other reviewers the this device is built like a tank. It does not get hot at all: I measured 86F at its hottest spot (bottom) in an 82F environment.
My unit was shipped with a tiny power adapter that angles sideways. When used in a regular powerstrip it does not obstruct any other outlets. (In case your powerstrip has its outlets angled sideways, you'll probably end up using 2-3 outlets.) Doesn't match the picture of the brick in the official (v2) manual for the device, though. The adapter only gets warm to the touch.
There has been some misunderstanding in other reviews about not being able to use all ports. THIS IS NOT TRUE. All ports have an auto-MDI/MDI-X capability (the "Auto Uplink" feature), so there is no special port reserved for uplinks to other switches/routers that, when used, would take out the ability to use one of the other ports on the switch. What this means is that you can use all 5 ports, no matter what you intend to use them for, connecting any/all to either other routers/switches or to regular devices like computers, network printers, etc. I confirm this using 4 devices and a router hooked up to the switch, with the router plugged into any of the 5 ports.
Functionally I have nothing to complain about: the HD video streams and NFS & SBM/CIFS data all stream through the device nicely and without interruption, which is really all you can ask for in a switch.
I personally like having the ports and LEDs on the front of the device, but that's because I am not using it on my desk. The configuration makes it very easy to see which UTP cable is live & sending data.
Pros:
- Built like a tank.
- Does not get warm.
- Works well.
Cons:
- Can't really see if a port is running at full or half duplex.
Digital camera Review: A very nice switch
Summary: 4 Stars
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!Digital camera Review: Amazingly Simple, Easy, and Rugged
Summary: 5 Stars
This is by far the simplest, fastest, easiest installation of network equipment I've ever done. Even the box was easier to open than most (open top instead of slide-out like all the crap I usually end up with).
This switch is nice and heavy - has a very solid, rugged feel. Don't know if it will hold up for years, but it looks like it could be around longer than me. No cheap plastic here.
Took it out of the box, plugged it in, and hooked it up & I was golden <1min total setup time, and no problems.
Likes:
-Price (I got it for $9 after rebate)
-Durability
-Size (very small - they did a good job being space-efficient).
Dislikes:
Didn't come with a pony