it_user1128 - PeerSpot reviewer
Infrastructure Expert at a tech company with 51-200 employees
Vendor
Boost your network performance with Netgear

What is most valuable?

Net gear switches come with auto sensing Ethernet connectivity. They automatically detect 10,100 and 1000 Mbps speeds and act accordingly. They support both half and full duplex connectivity. Monitoring LED's are available for switches to enable you to identify the link, speed, and activity of a switch. The FS108 utilizes Store-and-Forward switching, which verifies the integrity of data before forwarding it across the network so that you don't waste bandwidth on junk transmissions. The Netgear FS108 is a simple, economical, path to high-speed Ethernet connectivity, giving you solid performance and running usability! No fan, means no noise, which helps maintain a peaceful atmosphere in your busy office. It also supports green technology which helps you save a lot of electricity.

What needs improvement?

If it’s generating a lot of hits, then it can hang up network. You need to reboot the switch for the network to run once again. VLAN management facility is not available on some models.

What other advice do I have?

This product has a high stability standard. You can easily plug and play. Buy Netgear products to increase your network performance.
Disclosure: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions.
PeerSpot user
it_user7665 - PeerSpot reviewer
it_user7665Network Engineer at a tech company with 51-200 employees
Vendor

Having no fan means no noise. However, on the downside it heats up the machine a lot and needs rebooting. How often it needs to be reboot and in what interval. If not taken care,then there is a high probability that overheating may lead to malfunctioning of some parts thus causing sever network issues.

it_user1083 - PeerSpot reviewer
Manager of Operations at a tech company with 51-200 employees
Vendor
Netgear switches are easily affordable and easy to install products.

Valuable Features:

Some of the Netgear Ethernet Switches are available in the market at a low cost, so they are easily available. Moreover, setting up these switches is quite easy. Few of them are only plug and play. Netgear has both managed and unmanaged switches starting with 5 Port to 24 Port. Few series of 5 Port and 8 Port switches are quite popular in the market. There are only a few steps to configure them. 24 Port JS series provide a good amount of bandwidth with 4.8 gbps speed and a transmission rate of 200 mbps. Some of Netgear Gigabit model like GS series, QoS (Quality of Service) is configured internally and easy to install and operate. Netgear Switches are quite handy for small enterprise networks.

Room for Improvement:

Though Netgear Ethernet switches are available in the market at a lower price than Cisco Switches, the ultimate market leading switches, they lag the edge of superior security features in them. Features like 802.1x protocol, IP-MAC port binding, etc. can not be easily configured in manageable switches. For larger enterprise networks, where complex VLAN environment is desired, Netgear switches do not provide the required features. There are very few products available that support Gigabit speed.

Other Advice:

Users from small and medium networks are quite oriented with Netgear Ethernet Switches. They are easy to install and some of them can be plugged into the wall. Their low cost makes them easily affordable. These switches can be effectively utilized in a small group of VLANs. Power consumption requirement is also quite a bit less than other commercially available switches.
Disclosure: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions.
PeerSpot user
it_user3870 - PeerSpot reviewer
it_user3870Senior Manager of Engineering with 1,001-5,000 employees
Vendor

Agreed, Netgear switches are one of the best choices for small to medium networks. However, if security is a concern then Cisco should is the preferred choice.

I have seen a lot of networks using Cisco switches for no reason, from experience D-Link and Netgear switches are the best devices to use in a small network whether its just basic routing or providing a wireless service.

Wissam

Buyer's Guide
Download our free NETGEAR Switches Report and get advice and tips from experienced pros sharing their opinions.
Updated: April 2024
Buyer's Guide
Download our free NETGEAR Switches Report and get advice and tips from experienced pros sharing their opinions.