Asante FriendlyNET GX5-800P - switch - 8 ports

Advantages: Performace at an excellent price
Disadvantages: 4 ports may not be enough

...to that one port only. To add to this, Switches can support "Full-Duplex" networking, which means sending and receiving data at the same time, effectively doubling your network speed under the right conditions. >>> So what? So, that's immensely more efficient, and particularly in a high-traffic environment (even online games played no a LAN qualify here) it can have a perceptible positive impact on performance. >>> What's the FS-105 then? This is how you get this wonderful technology into your home! This £69 beauty is half the cost of its competition, will auto-detect 10 and 100Mb/s connections and has 5 ports, one of which can be used as an uplink. Even a good hub will cost £50, and for the larger office, the FS-108 (8 port) version can be bought for only £88 (if you can find one in stock anywhere!)... Read review

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Advantages: 8 Port
Disadvantages: Static.

...Dlink DES 1008D Why a switch? Switches are the backbones of a network. They are the devices that at all the computers in the office have no choice but to use. They are a great tool in modern computer networks. The switch allows communication between computers, servers and network printers. What does a switch need to do? 1. Connect multiple computers 2. Be Fast 3. Be Reliable 4. Be user Friendly So will the DES 1008D model handle the pressure? 1. Connectivity The DES 1008D has a total of 8 ports witch means that you could have 8 computers connecting simultaneously, or you could have a variety or pcs, servers, printers, and other networks switches connecting to it. 8 ports will happily support a small office or home based network. 2. Speed So we have found out that it has 8 ports so what will the speed be like. Well... Read review

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Advantages: Probably the cheapest 8-port 10/100Mbit switch
Disadvantages: A little plain

...If you want to connect up more than two computers to make a network, chances are you'll need somehting like this switch. You simply plug the network cables from each computer into the back, and it lets them all talk to each other. This switch allows up to 8 computers to be connected, however more than one (they don't have to be the same model) can be connected together if you want a larger network. The unit is designed to be used with standard UTP cables with RJ45 connectors. I bought this model because it was the cheapest one available and I don't think there is really a lot of difference between one switch and another other than the maximum transfer speed and the number of little blinky lights. This switch will automatically select between 10 and 100 megabit transfer rates but automatically detecting how fast the network cards... Read review

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