Neat Netgear 5 port gigabit switch

Advantages: Cheap, reliable, simple to use
Disadvantages: None.

...I liked this switch so much, I bought two of them. Netgear have a reputation for cheap and reliable networking equipment, and this 5 port unmanaged switch is no exception. When I bought my two, they were retailing online for approx £35 each - but these days you should be able to get one for approx £25 (inc VAT.) The switch is more or less the size of my hand (yes, I have big hands). With 5 ports on the back - all are auto-sensing, as is the gigabit standard, so you don't have to worry about crossover cables if you're daisy-chaining switches... The only other port on the back is for power, which is the usual "wall-wart" plug in transformer you get with most home networking equipment. Given the switch is unmanaged, you can just plug desktop computers, laptops, XBOXes, network printers straight into the switch, and not worry...

sjhill 20.08.2007 · Read review
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Review of NETGEAR GS605 5-Port Gigabit Desktop Switch - switch - 5 ports

Netgear GS105 5 Port Gigabit Switch

Advantages: Easy installation, small, sturdy, quiet, auto uplink
Disadvantages: Runs quite hot

...cables. Operation Compatibility: Most recent PC's have at least a single gigabit Ethernet port on them now. Now you can make use of it. Tested fine with Intel Pro/1000 MT cards and nVidia nForce cards Noise It contains no fans so operation is completely silent, however, as with all other Netgear switches, this unit gets quite hot. For peace of mind it would be best to keep it away from sources of heat (I tend to lay an old PII heatsink on the unit just to help with the cooling!) Troubleshooting The LED indicators provide you with all the information you could possibly need to help diagnose any connectivity problems - not that you should have any Conclusion Very fast, reliable equipment. With prices for gigabit equipment coming down, now is a great time to upgrade...

sj19uk 11.09.2005 (04.12.2005) · Read review
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Review of NETGEAR ProSafe GS105 - switch - 5 ports

Switch to Netgear

Advantages: Easy to use, easy to install
Disadvantages: closeness of the ports.

...Netgear are well known for their networking equipment and it is for this reason I want to tell you about a great piece of kit. The 24 port switch. 24 ports of networking capability.... But what does that all mean??? Ok, let me tell you about what a network is. Even the internet is just one big network. it is simply just a collection of computers that are connected together and can communicate. Simple! But, how do you connect them together? Its not like they shake hands and have a chat is it? Well in a way, that is what they are doing but using some extra hardware to do this. To put a computer on a network, it needs a Network interface card or NIC. This plugs into your computer's motherboard. Its basically similar to installing a graphics card or sound card. You then need to connect the computer via the NIC card to...

andycharger 02.06.2003 (04.06.2003) · Read review
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Review of Netgear 24port 10/100 Switch

Switch to Netgear

Advantages: Excellent quality. loads of features, easy to install
Disadvantages: None

...Netgear are well known for their networking equipment and it is for this reason I want to tell you about a great piece of kit. The 24 port switch. 24 ports of networking capability.... But what does that all mean??? Ok, let me tell you about what a network is. Even the internet is just one big network. it is simply just a collection of computers that are connected together and can communicate. Simple! But, how do you connect them together? Its not like they shake hands and have a chat is it? Well in a way, that is what they are doing but using some extra hardware to do this. To put a computer on a network, it needs a Network interface card or NIC. This plugs into your computer's motherboard. Its basically similar to installing a graphics card or sound card. You then need to connect the computer via the NIC card to...

andycharger 21.07.2003 · Read review
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Review of Netgear 24port 10/100 Switch

Belkin 2-Port KVM Switch With Built-In Cabling

Advantages: Advantages: Cheap, all in one solution
Disadvantages: No manual overide or audio support

...stops autoscanning and lets you use the currently selected PC. The Belkin claims support for scrolling mice but I did find sometimes one PC would start up without recognising this facility if it wasn't the currently selected one when booting up and in extreme cases, wouldn't recognise the keyboard and mouse at all. Previous KVM's I've used send the PC fake 'There's a keyboard and mouse here' messages when not selected and it seems this unit does not, which is a pity. Conclusion The Belkin 2 port KVM is a well built unit that works nicely and provides a great way to save desk space and the cost of a second monitor, keyboard and mouse. The long leads are useful and despite the niggles with scrolling mice and the lack of manual switch. I'd say this unit is worth considering at this price if you can live with those shortcomings...

ilaskey 21.03.2007 · Read review
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Review of Belkin 2-Port KVM Switch with Built-In Cabling - KVM switch - 2 ports

Belkin 2-Port KVM Switch With Audio Support

Advantages: Cheap, all in one solution, audio support
Disadvantages: No manual overide

...It's surprising how many people have more than one PC at home although even more surprising is that many of them each have their own screen, keyboard and mouse. In many cases this makes perfect sense but sometimes, you know you'll only ever use one or the other - perhaps one is your general PC and the other your music workstation. In these situations you can save a lot of space and money by investing in a KVM switch. KVM stands for Keyboard, Video and Mouse and allows you to use one keyboard, mouse and screen shared between two PCs. This particular unit from Belkin is unusual in that it also includes audio support and also comes with all the leads permanently attached instead of being supplied as a separate cabling set. Wiring it Up Installation is simply a matter of taking each of the two main cables and plugging the sets...

ilaskey 26.01.2007 · Read review
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Review of Belkin 2-Port KVM Switch with Audio Support and Built-In Cabling - KVM / audio switch - 2 ports

solid build and quiet switch = happy chappy

Advantages: small compact size, metallic body, passive cooling=no noise
Disadvantages: gets a bit hot during summer

...using Windows 98/2k/xp over samba, which unfortunately only 50-60% efficient. Transfering files over FTP is gonna be miles faster than samba (windows file and print sharing) They are all auto MDI-X on every port, so it doesn't really matter if you';re using a cross over cable or not, as the switch will sort it out The LEDS on the ports indicate 1000mb or 100mb and the status LEDS on the panel indicate 10mb connection and blinking = activity. It's silent, as it's all passivly cooled, unlike 3com switches/hubs, which is good when you have these in the bedroom! It's solidly built and i really can't fault it, and I feel it's worth the money as most other switches are all plasticy and cheap looking/feeling. 1gb transfer over samba takes around 3-4 minutes... which is fast - as you'd expect for gig ethernet.... and ftp transfers are...

waga 25.11.2004 · Read review
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Review of NETGEAR ProSafe GS108 8 Port Gigabit Desktop Switch - switch - 8 ports

The speedy GS605

Advantages: Looks great, performs well, easily installed
Disadvantages: Gigabit networking is unavoidably expensive

...and your OS will use this to configure the IP Addressing, otherwise you may have to set up IP Addressing manually but it's no hard deal. Note however that with the GS605 you won't obtain gigabit speeds on the network unless each machine is equipped with a gigabit Ethernet card and is then plugged into the switch with a Cat5e or Cat6 Ethernet cable - Cat5 doesn't support gigabit speeds. All of the ports on the GS605 support Auto Uplink so you don't need to worry about what type of Ethernet cable to use, although to conform to standards I used straight-through cabling for all connections to computers. When connected Gigabit devices light up on the switch with a green status indicator and the 100M/10M devices light up with an amber status indicator. The switch operates completely silent and doesn't make that horrid high-pitched whining sound...

adehh 12.08.2005 · Read review
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Review of NETGEAR GS605 5-Port Gigabit Desktop Switch - switch - 5 ports

Jeeeeeeese thats fast...

Advantages: Better than a hub, Well priced
Disadvantages: Only 5 ports, yet another damn power adapter!

...lights (also tells you the current load (%) on the network), but was just too slow when copying large files from machine to machine (like when I need to install or copy a windows service pack onto a machine (100megs worth!) Actually, its not that slow, but in this day and age, I want it copied and I WANT IT NOW! So patiance is not one of my more exercised virtues... Along comes the Linksys 5 port switch. Firstly, While wondering through PC World (yes, I know), I started to look and the hubs, hoping a 100BaseT would catch my eye for next to nothing. Well, that didn't happen. There were some nice 3Com hubs, but for a 100BaseT, I was looking at over £100. Then something caught my eye. It was screaming 200Mbs at me and was only £70. I picked up the box with trembling hands, it was not a hub, it was a switch...I had heard of these, but...

Hecatixleef 06.08.2002 · Read review
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Review of Linksys EtherFast Dual Gigabit with 24-Port 10/100 Switch - switch - 24 ports

I'm still scratching. Hey Watchit.

Advantages: Fast, tiny, attractive, cool, compatible, compliant
Disadvantages: Not enough ports (but then it is a 5 port), a little more expensive than similar units by others

...I’ve been scratching my head for hours, wondering what anyone can say about a piece of equipment that simply works, and I have to admit I’m still scratching. Hey – watchit! I can’t think of anything I have ever owned that is more reliable. It does exactly what it is supposed to, which is to act as a conduit through which a collection of computer network enabled devices will work. The Linksys Etherfast 5 Port Switch has 5 x 10 or 100mbps autosensing RJ45 ports for use in a Category 3 or 5 cabled environment, utilising 10BaseT, or 100BaseTX switched half and/or full duplex, technology in a star network topology. The bus topology, which utilises BNC connectors, is not directly supported. (Note: Cat3 cabling = 10BaseT only.) So if used correctly it is as fast as the technology allows. I cannot think of a single reason why it...

RobAnt 31.07.2002 · Read review
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Review of Linksys EtherFast Dual Gigabit with 24-Port 10/100 Switch - switch - 24 ports