Automotive
Baby Products
Beauty
Books
Business, Industry & Science
Computers & Accessories
DIY, Garden & Tools
Electronics & Photo
Fashion
Grocery
Health & Personal Care
Home & Kitchen
Large Appliances
Musical Instruments & DJ
PC & Video Games
Pet Supplies
Sports & Outdoors
Stationery & Office Products
Toys & Games
Household goods
PC and cameras
Home appliances and electronics
Cosmetics and skincare
Health
Food and drinks
Kitchen supplies
Clothing
Shoes
Accessories
Kids and baby
Interior and furniture
Hobbies
Outdoor
DIY and tools
Sports and fitness
Pets
Books, CDs, DVDs
Games
Cars and motorcycles
Gifts
Housing equipment and renovation
Travel
Smartphones and mobile phones
Music
Smartphone applications
Any home or office with multiple devices would benefit from the addition of a high-speed network switch. Whether you're working with desktop PCs, servers, printers, media centres, or videogame consoles, having a fast and reliable wired connection makes a huge difference.
If you've ever had to deal with spotty wifi, an ethernet network switch will result in a massive improvement to your network. That's why we've ranked the 10 best network switches in the UK for businesses and homes. With reviews of top brands including TP-Link, D-Link, and NETGEAR available on Amazon and Argos, read on for more!
A recommendation service that carefully researches each product and consults with experts across many disciplines. We are constantly creating new content to provide the best shopping experience from choosing ‘cosmetics’ to ‘food and drink’, ‘home appliances’ to ‘kids and baby’ products, reaching users all across the United Kingdom.
Table of Contents
Depending on the number of devices you're planning on hooking up to your network switch, you'll want to make sure there are enough ethernet ports for them all to connect comfortably. If you're looking at something for the home, you shouldn't need more than five ports for your PCs, media centres and other devices.
If you're picking up a network splitter for a business or professional environment that uses multiple devices and printers, or runs its own servers, you'll want to invest in something with a lot more ports. Depending on the size of the business, you could need anywhere between twelve and twenty-four ports to meet your needs.
Keep your network safe with the best VPN software!
You'll notice that most network switches have, at minimum, a network speed of a gigabit which allows for lightning-fast 1000 Mbps speeds. For most home and business use, this will be more than enough for your everyday needs, so you can be confident every switch on our list will fit your requirements.
However, it may be worth considering future-proofing your network by opting for a network switch with 2.5 Gigabit capabilities or even higher. While you may not notice the difference right now, as files get larger and larger, it could be the standard in just a few years' time.
Wire up the furthest corners of your home with a powerline adapter!
Products | Image | Click to purchase | Price | Key features | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | TP-Link 8-Port Gigabit Ethernet Switch|TL-SG108 | £29.99 Low Mid | A Plug and Play Network Switch for Homes and Small Businesses | ||
2 | TP-Link 5 Port Gigabit Ethernet Network Switch|TL-SG1005D | £10.49 Low | Affordable Fanless Design for Quiet Operation | ||
3 | NETGEAR 8-Port Gigabit Ethernet Unmanaged Switch|GS108 | £36.40 Mid | Limited Lifetime Protection Gives Great Peace of Mind | ||
4 | D-Link 8-Port Gigabit Unmanaged Metal Desktop Switch|DGS-108/B | £24.30 Low Mid | An 8-Port Network Switch That’s Great for Online Gaming and Streaming | ||
5 | TP-Link 24-Port Gigabit Ethernet Switch|TL-SG1024D | £74.99 Mid | A 24-Port Gigabit Switch That’s Perfect for Upgrading an Old Office Network | ||
6 | Zyxel Multi-Gig 12-Port Unmanaged Switch | £101.26 High Mid | A Great All-rounder With Two Ultra-Fast 2.5 Gigabit Ports | ||
7 | TP-Link 5 Port Gigabit Ethernet Network Switch|TL-SG105S | £12.49 Low Mid | A Cheap and Cheerful 5-Port Option That’s Only 10 cm Long | ||
8 | NETGEAR 24-Port Gigabit Ethernet Switch | £109.99 High Mid | A Reliable Ethernet Switch for Business and Office Environments | ||
9 | TP-Link 5 Port Multi-Gigabit Unmanaged Network Switch|TL-SG105-M2 | £144.91 High Mid | Future-Proof Your Network With 2.5 Gigabit Speeds | ||
10 | Linksys Business 8-Port Desktop Gigabit Ethernet Unmanaged Network Switch|LGS108 | £95.00 High Mid | A Quality 8-Port Network Switch for Small Businesses |
If you're looking for a simple plug-and-play option to set up at home or for a small business network, the 8-Port Gigabit Ethernet Switch is an affordable choice to get you up and running. There's no configuration required, and it intelligently adjusts for compatibility and optimal performance.
The TL-SG108 also features a lower power consumption design, that can save you up to 82% when compared to other network switches. If you're looking for something that just works, you won't be disappointed with this purchase!
If you're working on a budget and looking to add a bit more oomph to your home network, this compact model from TP-Link is the best network switch to meet your needs. It's a small and practically silent, with a fanless design for quiet operation.
It comes with a three-year manufacturer's warranty and can either sit on a desktop or be wall-mounted. This is a great way to improve your networking capabilities on a budget, without the usual headaches of setting up a home network.
With 8-gigabit ethernet ports and a sturdy metal case, this offering from NETGEAR is one of the most reliable options around. It even comes with a limited lifetime guarantee from failure. In short, NETGEAR is a brand that won't let you down!
Many customers swear by this model, claiming that it brought a noticeable improvement to the level of quality and stability in their network. It also offers silent operation that's ideal for noise-sensitive environments.
Whether you're looking to transfer files quickly, or want to enjoy high-speed online gaming, this network switch from D-Link features easy-access Ethernet ports with two LED indicators per port to easily distinguish link status. It also features a Kensington Security Slot to fasten the unit to a table or desk.
Best of all, the switch features QoS, which organises and prioritises time-sensitive and important data for efficient delivery. This results in flawless media streaming across multiple devices and no drops while gaming online.
If you're looking to upgrade an old business network, the TL-SG1024D is a high-performance, low-cost, and user friendly solution. It supports MAC address self-learning and auto MDI/MDIX alongside IEEE 802.3x flow control.
TP-Link network switches have intelligent technology to optimise energy usage and performance. Plus, the TL-SG1024D comes with a lifetime warranty making it a great long-term choice for your business or office network.
Narrowly missing out on our top five is the Multi-Gig 12-Port Unmanaged Switch. It has two 2.5 Gigabit speed ports, alongside ten standard one Gigabit ports, and is capable of servicing a range of network devices such as gaming PCs, NAS, workstations, or WiFi 6 AP.
While all the specifications are great, it's hard to know where this network switch would be best suited. It's a bit too big for a home or small business, but not quite big enough for a busy office. If you have a medium business that will make use of ultra-fast ports, however, this is perfect.
This small steel network switch can be either wall or desktop mounted and, at only 10 cm long, it can basically squeeze in anywhere. Like the other TP-Link offerings on our list, this doesn't require any configuration and supports 802.1p/DSCP QoS and IGMP Snooping functions.
While a solid choice for the home, there are cheaper options available. Not to mention, having only 5-ports is something of a drawback. That said, if you're after a small and reliable switch for a handful of devices, you'll be happy with this one.
With a fanless design and versatile mounting options, this 24-Port Gigabit Ethernet Switch is perfect for any busy business or office environment. It's covered by a lifetime limited hardware warranty that includes next-day replacement and 24/7 chat with a Netgear expert.
If you're a fan of NETGEAR products, this is well worth the investment. In fact, it only missed out on our top five as there is a noticeably cheaper TP-Link option available with similar specs.
This offering from TP-Link comes with five 2.5 Gigabit ports for the highest speeds possible available for a home network. It features auto-negotiation which intelligently senses the link speeds, and adjusts for compatibility and optimal performance.
Just be aware that this is only really suitable for homes or very small business. The 2.5 Gigabits also come with a premium cost attached. But, if you're after top speeds and are happy to invest in the best, this is well worth considering.
The Linksys Business 8-Port Desktop Network Switch is a quality option for small businesses and homes with easy plug-and-play connection and QoS traffic prioritization. It also meets EEE (Energy Efficient Ethernet) 802.3az standards.
While there is a lot to like about this model, the price is bafflingly high when compared to similar options from other brands. If the cost wasn't a factor, we'd recommend this wholeheartedly, but it's hard to justify in comparison to the rest of the market.
No. 1: TP-Link|8-Port Gigabit Ethernet Switch|TL-SG108
No. 2: TP-Link|5 Port Gigabit Ethernet Network Switch|TL-SG1005D
No. 3: NETGEAR|8-Port Gigabit Ethernet Unmanaged Switch|GS108
No. 4: D-Link|8-Port Gigabit Unmanaged Metal Desktop Switch|DGS-108/B
No. 5: TP-Link|24-Port Gigabit Ethernet Switch|TL-SG1024D
View Full RankingThe descriptions of each product are referenced from content available on manufacturer, brand, and e-commerce sites.
Automotive
Baby Products
Beauty
Books
Business, Industry & Science
Computers & Accessories
DIY, Garden & Tools
Electronics & Photo
Fashion
Grocery
Health & Personal Care
Home & Kitchen
Large Appliances
Musical Instruments & DJ
PC & Video Games
Pet Supplies
Sports & Outdoors
Stationery & Office Products
Toys & Games
Household goods
PC and cameras
Home appliances and electronics
Cosmetics and skincare
Health
Food and drinks
Kitchen supplies
Clothing
Shoes
Accessories
Kids and baby
Interior and furniture
Hobbies
Outdoor
DIY and tools
Sports and fitness
Pets
Books, CDs, DVDs
Games
Cars and motorcycles
Gifts
Housing equipment and renovation
Travel
Smartphones and mobile phones
Music
Smartphone applications