Today we look at the Netgear ProSAFE GS308P 8-Port Gigabit PoE un-managed switch. Belonging to the latest Netgear 300 series of SOHO switches, this is one of the most popular consumer networking switches at the moment.
In the UK, the same switch is known as the Netgear ProSAFE GS308P-100UKS. Is it the best 8 port gigabit switch you can get right now? Let’s see how it compares with our current favourite, its closest competitor, the TP-Link TL-SG1008p 8-port Gigabit PoE switch that we reviewed and tested extensively.
Netgear Gigabit PoE Switches
Netgear are one of the most widely respected networking companies and for good reason. Their networking products are well-built, reliable and have solid performance.
Netgear even overtook HP as the largest enterprise networking provider with 29% market share world-wide.
For the DIY home automation and security expert, Netgear makes some very attractive PoE (Power over Ethernet) enabled switches – both managed and unmanaged. However the feature-rich product line-up can also be quite confusing! So let’s understand where the GS308P-100NAS sits in Netgear’s product portfolio.
Netgear ProSAFE GS308P-100NAS
This switch belongs to Netgear’s ‘SOHO Ethernet Switch Series’. These switches are aimed at the prosumer and small office end of the market where a strong blend of features and performance are required.
Because they need to be plug-and-play with no setup required, the SOHO switches are of the unmanaged variety. This means that you cannot set up advanced features such as routing and configure networking protocols, as features such as VLANs, QoS, and IGMP Snooping are not available. However, at the DIY level this is usually not an issue.
If you need an 8 port managed PoE gigabit ethernet switch, we recommend the Netgear GS108PE Web Managed (Plus) switch which supports VLANs, QoS, and IGMP Snooping.
Main specifications
| Model Description | 8-Port Gigabit Ethernet Switch with 4-Ports PoE |
| Port speeds | 8 copper 10/100/1000 Mbps RJ-45 Ethernet ports |
| Number of total ports | 8 |
| PoE Ports / Max Power Per Port | 4 Ports / 15.4W (802.3af) |
| PoE Max Power Supplied (All Ports) | 53W |
| Connector Type | Metal |
| Switch Housing | Metal |
| LEDs | Power, Link/Activity (Left), Ports 1-4: PoE Power (Right) |
| Short cable power saving | Yes |
| Energy Efficient Ethernet Support (IEEE 802.3az) | Yes |
| Jumbo Frame Support | 9,720 bytes |
| MAC Table Size | 4K |
| Packet buffer size | 192 KB |
| DC Power Adapter | 48V / 1.25A |
| Max Power Consumption (Watts) | 60.0W |
| Acoustic Noise Level @ 25° C (dBA) | 0 dBA (Fanless) |
| Operating Temperature | 0° to 40°C (32° to 104°F) |
| MTBF (@ 25° C) | 2,244,211 hours |
| Electromagnetic compliance (A or B) | Class A |
| Form Factor | Desktop or wall-mountable |
| Dimensions (W x D x H) | 158 x 101 x 29 mm (6.2 x 4.0 x 1.1 in) |
| Weight | 0.46 kg (1.02 lb) |
| Supported protocols | • 802.3ab 1000BASE-T Gigabit Ethernet • 802.3u 100BASE-TX Fast Ethernet • 802.3i 10BASE-T Ethernet • 802.3x Flow Control • 802.1p Priority QoS (all models) • 802.1p Priority QoS and honors DSCP tags (GS305, GS308, GS324) • 802.3 CSMA/CD • 802.3af Power over Ethernet • 802.3az Energy Efficient Ethernet |
| Warranty | • All except China/India: 3-year warranty • China/India: 1-year warranty |
For more information, please refer to the official datasheet.
PoE features
The most important PoE feature that you should look for in a switch is 802.3af compatibility. 802.3af compatible devices have the ability to auto-negotiate the voltage that they need from a PoE power source. A maximum of 48V is possible under the standard. The GS308P has the following PoE features:
- IEEE 802.3af compliant – auto detects and switches voltage as needed
- Supports PoE power up to 15.4W for each PoE port
- Supports PoE power up to 53W for all PoE ports
The one feature that the TP-Link has and the Netgear doesn’t is prioritised ports for PoE. Also note that Ubiquiti wifi access points will not work with this switch. This is not Netgear’s fault but rather Ubiquiti’s because their PoE implementation is not standards compliant.
What’s in the box
The GS308P packaging consist of the following:
- 8-Port Gigabit Ethernet Switch with 4-Port PoE (GS308P)
- Power Adapter
- Quick Installation Guide
- Wall-mount kit
Look and Feel
Just like the TP-Link TL-SG1008P PoE switch, the Netgear GS308P has an all-metallic chassis. This together with the fanless design helps it to stay cool even when all 4 PoE ports are drawing the maximum possible 53W.
Installation
The retail packaging comes with a wall mounting kit and the switch itself is wall-mountable. Again, just like the TP-Link TL-SG1008P, the Netgear is an unmanaged switch and therefore is plug-and-play. If you need a rack mountable switch, you will need to go for the larger 24-port GS324 model.
Operation
The switch is fanless and is silent during operation. The thermal output of 205.20 BTU during maximum utilisation and 0.95 BTU on standby is also very good despite the fanless design. There is an auto power down feature and the standby power consumtion of 0.28W is very good. Note that there is no on/off button on the device itself.
Verdict
Where to buy
View on your local Amazon Website
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