Advantages: easdy to use,USB connections,up to 4 pc's
Disadvantages: not pretty,

...KVM switches are,i think, a very underrated component and are not often seen in use. This i think is because untill recently they relied on pretty much old tech as far as connections were concerned. Just to make it clear at the start what a KVM dose for those not familier with them,a KVM switch performs the very useful function of alowing more than one computer to use the same keyboard,monitor, mouse,and sometimes(and in this case) speakers. Be warned though,a KVM switch is simply an input/output switch it dose NOT link the pcs in any way,when one is on the others are off,no movement between computers just access between you and several pc's. For those of us who need to use more than one PC on a regular basis this is a major bonus both in space saving and speed of use. This belkin switch is a big step forward in KVM... Read review

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

...Well there isn't much to say about this switch. I've bought 4 of these and they are all working fine. This is basically the big brother of the FS108 switch. The FS108 is 100mb Full duplex switch (full duplex meaning it can send and receive data at the same time), which theoretically gives 200mb throughput (send/receive combined). The GS108 is a 1000mb full duplex switch, which theoretically gives 2000mb throughput (send/receive combined). Under real wolrd conditions, you can copy a 650mb file with a 100mb switch in under 5-6 minutes. With a 1000mb (gig) switch , you should be able to do it in under 2 minutes (hardware permitting). On average, you will more than likely get over double the transfer rate than a 100mb switch, and obviously it's a hell of a lot faster than a 100mb hub. With copying the files am assuming you... Read review

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Advantages: So Easy installation, Simple and effective design
Disadvantages: None of which I know

...GENERAL OVERVIEW This 3COM OfficeConnect switch is considered my best. It has simple yet effective design and so easy to use and configure: just plug the cables and it is on. It is very useful for home networks and small business networks, as it can connect up to 5 computers with the 10/100 Mbits per second speed. FEATURES Five autosensing ports automatically detect the speed of the attached device to maximize network performance With plug-and-play installation and no configuration needed, the switch fits easily into your unmanaged network Full-duplex feature supports two-way data transfer, doubling the effective bandwidth of the network Compact, fanless design ensures quiet operation in small office spaces Connectors at rear help reduce cable clutter FCC Class B switch is approved for use in small office and home office... Read review

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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... Read review

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Advantages: Easy to set up, configure and use
Disadvantages: None

...We currently run an 80 user network in our office. While the main traffic of our network is handled by 6, 24 port rack mounted switches, my little IT office has 7 PCs in it with not enough ports on the wall to connect them up. this poses a problem. To connect to our network, you need a network connection on the Wall. There are 4 connections in our office and 7 machines. Obviously 7 into 4 does not go so a solution was needed. The answer? A small desktop based switch that would allow us to connect up to 16 computers to one Network connection on the wall. The Product? Well we use Netgear equipment in our office because you know with Netgear, you are buying quality at an affordable price. So we opted for the FS116 Desktop Switch. The size of it? Well its about an inch high and about a foot long. It is about 6 inches from... 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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Advantages: Advantages: Cheap, all in one solution
Disadvantages: No manual overide or audio support

...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 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 of leads in to each PC. The Belkin KVM... Read review

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

...No, no, not like your Switch card or Visa card... You're in the Networking section now :-) Although I'm sure if you're reading this you have SOME idea about networking, I will explain first the basic difference between a switch and a hub (Network experts please forgive the following paragraphs) >>> A hub will usually work at an elementary level, making a verbatim copy of all data it receives on each of its ports to all of its other ports. As you can imagine, for a 10 port hub, this means that 80% of all its output is completely redundant (reaches a destination that simply ignores it) >>> A switch is a LITTLE more intelligent. A switch will check the unique "MAC" address that the data is destined for, and assuming it has seen the machine that that MAC address belongs to connected to one of its ports, it will pass on received data... Read review

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Advantages: small, metallic, dissipates heat quickly, auto mdi-x
Disadvantages: gets hot during summer

...Well, there isn't much to say about this switch... except that when i bought them, they were well over £200! (about 3 years ago) As for transfer rates, with a 100mb full duplex switch, you should be able to copy a 650mb file in under 5-6 minutes. Full duplex meaning it can send and receive data simultaneously, theoretically boosting the speed to 200mb. Of course this is all theoretical, and samba over ethernet is only 50-60% efficient. If you transfer a file with FTP you should be able to saturate the net connection easily and transfer files even quicker than over samba. Older models have a manual MDI-X (on one port only) thou recent models now have auto MDI-X on all ports, so you can use crossover or straight cables and it won't matter :) The older models ran at a high ampage (not that good) of around 3A, 5v. They now sensibly... Read review

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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... Read review

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