Netgear GS105 vs GS108 vs GS108E vs GS305P vs MS105 Compared

Which small Netgear switch at a glance

Every switch below is a desktop model with a metal case that can also be wall-mounted. They differ in three ways: whether you can configure them (unmanaged vs Plus), whether they power devices over the cable (PoE+), and port speed (Gigabit vs 2.5G). These are the exact Australian SKUs ARC IP Networks sells.

Summarised from Netgear's datasheets and Australian product pages for each SKU.

Netgear GS105, GS108, GS305P, GS108E and MS105 specifications

Switching bandwidth is the total the switch can move at once; every model here is non-blocking, so each port can run at full speed.

Swipe the table sideways to compare all models →

Sources: Netgear GS105v5/GS108v4 datasheet, GS105E/GS108E datasheet, GS305E/GS308E datasheet, 300 Series PoE datasheet, GS305EP/GS308EP/GS308EPP datasheet, MS105 datasheet and Netgear's Australian product pages. The GS105 and GS108 datasheet lists acoustic noise as 0 rather than using the word fanless.

GS105 vs GS108: unmanaged and plug-and-play

The Netgear GS105 and GS108 are the classic Netgear ProSAFE desktop switches. Plug in the power adapter, connect your cables and they start switching: there is no software and nothing to configure. Each port senses the speed and cable type automatically, and both honour 802.1p and DSCP priority tags, so voice and video marked by your router or phone system are still sent first.

The only real differences are port count and size. The GS105 has 5 ports and 10 Gbps of switching in a 94 x 100 x 27 mm case; the GS108 has 8 ports and 16 Gbps in a 158 x 102 x 27 mm case. Both come with a wall-mount kit and rubber feet, and both support IEEE 802.3az Energy Efficient Ethernet to cut power use on idle ports. Choose the GS108 unless you are sure you will never need more than four devices: one port always goes back to your router.

GS105E, GS108E and GS308E: what a Netgear Plus switch adds

Netgear's Plus switches, which Netgear also calls Easy Smart Managed, look like the unmanaged models but have a web browser interface (and a PC utility) behind them. That unlocks the features small Australian offices most often ask for:

• VLANs: up to 64 802.1Q or port-based VLANs, so guest Wi-Fi, CCTV or a point-of-sale terminal can sit on its own network segment: a sensible step for any business holding customer or patient information covered by the Privacy Act.
• QoS: 802.1p, DSCP, TOS and port-based priority with strict priority queuing, so a VoIP call wins over a file download.
• IGMP snooping (v1, v2 and v3) to keep IPTV and multicast streams off ports that do not want them.
• Troubleshooting: port mirroring, a cable test utility, loop detection and broadcast storm control.

The GS105E has 5 ports and mirrors up to 4 source ports; the GS108E and GS308E have 8 ports and mirror up to 7. The GS308E is the 300 Series version, with a 3.7W maximum power draw listed by Netgear. One important point from Netgear: unmanaged switches are not upgradeable to Plus software, so if you think you will want VLANs later, buy the E model now.

GS305P vs GS305EP vs GS308EP vs GS308EPP: small PoE+ switches

Power over Ethernet (PoE) sends power and data down one cable, so a ceiling access point, desk phone or camera needs no power point nearby. All four models use IEEE 802.3at PoE+, which allows up to 30W per port, but the total PoE budget is shared across the ports.

• GS305P (v3): 5 ports, 4 of them PoE+, 63W budget, unmanaged and plug-and-play, with PoE auto-balance.
• GS305EP: the same 4 PoE+ ports and 63W, plus the Plus web interface, per-port PoE on/off, priority and power limits, and uninterrupted PoE that keeps devices powered during a firmware update or software reboot.
• GS308EP: all 8 ports PoE+ on a 62W budget, so it suits desk phones and other low-power devices rather than eight high-draw devices at once.
• GS308EPP: all 8 ports PoE+ on a 123W budget, the better choice for Wi-Fi access points and cameras.

Add up the maximum draw from each device's datasheet and keep it under the budget. For 16, 24 and 48-port options and higher-power PoE++, see our Netgear PoE switch comparison and what PoE switch do I need.

MS105: when 2.5G is worth it

The Netgear MS105 looks like a GS105 but each of its 5 RJ45 ports runs at 100M, 1G or 2.5G, with 25Gbps of non-blocking switching bandwidth, a 1MB buffer and a 16K MAC table. It is unmanaged, fanless at 0 dBA, and does not supply PoE.

2.5G makes sense when the devices at both ends have 2.5G ports: many newer Wi-Fi 7 routers, NAS units and desktop PCs do. Link them through a Gigabit switch and they are held to Gigabit. If you are planning a faster NBN connection or a new Wi-Fi 7 router, read our home network setup guide first. Note that ARC IP Networks sells the 5-port MS105; the 8-port 2.5G models we list are the PoE++ MS108UP and MS108EUP.

Exactly which models ARC IP Networks sells

Netgear sells several near-identical names, so here are the precise Australian SKUs in this guide: GS105AU, GS108AU, GS105E-200AUS, GS108E-400AUS, GS308E-400AUS, GS305P-300AUS (v3), GS305EP-100AUS, GS308EP-100AUS, GS308EPP-100AUS and MS105-100AUS. We do not list the plain GS305 or GS308 (non-PoE, unmanaged) models; the GS105 and GS108 do the same job. For more ports, the unmanaged GS524 has 24 Gigabit ports and the GS348 has 48. Browse every model in Netgear unmanaged switches.

Which switch for which Australian setup

ARC IP Networks suggestions, based on the Netgear specifications above.

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