Cheap, quiet 8-port Gigabit switching with near-perfect buyer approval

Is the TP-Link TL-SG108S worth buying? Yes — at £24.69, with a 4.7/5 rating from 4,492 reviews and the current price sitting at the all-time lowest, it is an easy recommendation for anyone who needs simple, reliable wired networking. It is not a flashy switch, but that is exactly the point: you get 8 Gigabit RJ45 ports, plug-and-play setup, silent fanless operation, and power-saving features for very little money.

What do you get for £24.69?

The TL-SG108S is an unmanaged 8-port Gigabit Ethernet switch, so there is no configuration, no app, and no learning curve. You connect it to your router or existing network, then expand wired connectivity instantly. TP-Link also positions it as a desktop or wall-mount unit, which makes it easy to tuck behind a TV, in a study, or inside a small home network cupboard.

For home lab users, the appeal is obvious: 8 ports is enough to feed a NAS, Plex server, desktop PC, smart TV, games console, access point, and a couple of spare devices without immediately needing a larger managed switch. The listing also highlights QoS and IGMP snooping support, which are useful features for traffic handling and multicast-heavy setups such as IPTV or media streaming, even though this remains an unmanaged device.

How does it perform in a home network?

Performance here should be understood in the context of a basic Gigabit switch: it is designed to pass traffic efficiently, not to provide advanced routing or VLAN control. The key strength is stability. Gigabit ports mean you are not bottlenecking typical home wired devices the way you would with older Fast Ethernet hardware, and the switch is marketed as maintaining speed without reduction when splitting a connection across multiple outputs.

Its fanless design is a major practical benefit. In a living room, bedroom, or office, silence matters, and this switch avoids the low-level noise that can make rack gear annoying in domestic spaces. The energy-efficient operation is also useful, as it automatically adjusts power consumption based on link status and cable length, which makes sense for a device that may sit on 24/7 in a NAS or streaming setup.

Is the build quality good enough?

The metal case is a strong point at this price. Many sub-£25 switches use lighter plastic housings, so a metal enclosure gives the TL-SG108S a more durable feel and helps it suit wall mounting or a busier desk environment. TP-Link also backs it with lifetime tech support and a limited lifetime warranty, plus 24-hour live chat customer service, which adds reassurance for a low-cost networking device that is likely to be left running continuously.

The main warning is that this is still an unmanaged switch. If you need VLANs, link aggregation, port mirroring, or any serious network segmentation for a lab, this is not the right class of hardware. It is excellent at one job, but it does not try to do more than that.

Is it good value for money?

At £24.69, this is extremely competitive. The RRP is £24.99, so the current saving is only 1%, but the more important detail is that the current price is the all-time lowest and sits at 0.0% above the average price. For a product with 4.7/5 from 4,492 reviews and 1,000+ bought last month, that combination of price and buyer confidence is hard to ignore.

Compared with alternatives in the provided context, the value is even clearer. A UbiQuiti UDM-PRO costs £352.97 and is a very different device class altogether. GL.iNet’s Flint 2 is £152.99 and the Flint is £74.79; both are routers with networking features, not simple 8-port switches. If your job is just to add wired Gigabit ports, the TP-Link is dramatically cheaper and more directly suited to the task.

Who should buy it?

Buy it if you want a quiet, inexpensive way to add 8 wired Gigabit ports to a home network, NAS setup, or media centre. It is especially sensible for people who want plug-and-play simplicity and do not need managed-switch features. It is less suitable if you are building a segmented lab, need 2.5GbE, or want advanced traffic control.

What should you watch out for?

The biggest limitation is that this is still entry-level switching: no management, no SFP, and no higher-than-Gigabit speeds. Also, the product title and listing language use “Ethernet splitter” wording, which can be misleading — this is a switch, not a magical speed-preserving splitter for arbitrary network topologies. It works well for expanding a network, but it should not be bought with unrealistic expectations.

Bottom line

For £24.69, the TP-Link TL-SG108S delivers the essentials with very little fuss: 8 Gigabit ports, silent operation, a metal case, and a long track record of strong buyer feedback. If you want a dependable switch for a home network, NAS, Plex server, or TV cabinet, this is an easy shortlist pick.