TRENDnet 5-Port Mini Gigabit Switch, TEG-S50g, GREENnet Technology, NDAA + TAA Compliant, Desktop Metal Ethernet Network Switch, 5 x Gigabit Ports, Fanless, Lifetime Protection, Black

I have never had occasion to use a dedicated Gigabit Ethernet Switch like this Trendnet procured 5-port switch that I bought at Amazon.com for a ridiculously low price, and Kudos for that! We just got FIOS TV, Phone, and Internet from Verizon, and contrary to what most people do with their networks (wanting everything to be wireless in general, if possible) I wanted to wire up all of my PC's of consequence with the Verizon Dual Core CPU-controlled Router/Modem for the FIOS system, which is a most remarkable system to put it mildly.When the technician first wired up the FIOS network we picked my main PC as the No.1 "system PC" which we based all of the network settings on, cloning them to each PC desktop. I have three dedicated Folding@Home (Stanford research program that crunches proteins to simulate "protein folding" in order to study how diseases propagate, mature, and change amongst other things) rigs, which are Core i7 CPU-based desktops and I wanted each to benefit from the FIOS system's raw speed for transmitting the vast array and substance of data that they necessarily work through each day...literally many hundreds of millions of bytes of data transferred from Stanford to my PC's, and then after synthesis and the "folding" is complete and a Work Unit is done, the resulting 100-million+ byte files get transmitted back to Stanford.Using wireless with my previous system, Time-Warner Cable internet and TV, resulted in transmission times of up to 25 minutes for the largest Work Units which are called "Big Advanced Work Units",that is just plain unacceptable. The Cable network had a grand total of 1MB/sec or "megabits per second" upload speed, which is typical of cable modems and services. However the new FIOS system has 35MB/sec upload and download speeds both, a most remarkable thing to use I'll tell you right now, and I wanted the PC's to be hard wired to take advantage of this unbelievable speed for uploading my files day in and out. Hence enter the Trendnet switch for including all of my PC's, my network printer, an external backup USB HD, my twin RAID system for PC No.1 which communicates through the network also, so I had a need for exactly 4 extra ports, and this switch is exactly what the doctor ordered.Wiring up the system with Cat-5 Ethernet wires was simple, and our technician cut the cables to be exactly the correct length for each PC in the room, with fresh, brand-new, clean and nicely colored beige cable to match our carpet, a nice touch. The Verizon FIOS Router had the usual 4-ports for use, typical there, and combined with the Trendnet switch I had just enough ports to include all 4 PC's including the PC No.1 which is my server also on the PC side. On the Mac side (entertainment and AppleTV mostly used for that system) I have one PowerMac G5 M9591LL/A Server to run on the network also, and an AppleTV system also with a line from the Mac to the ATV system, so the technician cut wires for that application also, thanks Verizon!The Trendnet Gigabit switch works a treat in practice, as I didn't lose any of the FIOS network speed to cable or switch loss, to speak of anyway, with upload file speeds approaching 1000 bytes per second, a most welcome change from the cable system! Typically now using the FIOS system we are averaging 1.5 minute transmission times for the biggest files now, and as little as 20-30 seconds for the nominal sizes files from the PC's to Stanford's servers at the FAHome Labs in Palo Alto, CA. My network printer works perfect using the switch also, so no pain there at all, it's just simply perfect through the switch. My RAID systems are also working 100% through the switch, without data or packet loss to speak of, so on all fronts this switch is as perfect performing as I could have imagined, and then some!I like the design especially, a very strong point, with a steel case, albeit small but sturdy and strong, and having the LED indicator lights on the front of the switch, and the connections on the rear of the switch is ideal. Very nicely done, Trendnet! The switch comes with a 3-year warranty also, a nice touch from Trendnet to compliment this high-quality switch that looks ever so KUHL with its green LED's flashing off and on, indicating activity through the PC's and the network and RAIDs. This is a very high quality switch from all angles, and I don't think it's necessary to spend $100 or more on some fancy Gig E switch when this little switch does all you want and then some.Overall I'm rating the switch 5-Stars for fantastic design, performance and functionality par supreme! I can't think of anything I'd change about it, since Trendnet thought it all out thoroughly before marketing this switch series in several configurations, so Kudos to Trendnet. I have nothing but compliments for this thing, as it is seamless, does its job 100% of the time 100% effectively without any speed loss or packet loss through the network that I can tell of anyway.Of course we kept our laptops (2 MacBook Pros and one PC notebook+ a PC netbook) wireless for the new FIOS system, and they are getting 20MB/second upload and download speeds, most remarkable there also! Between the FIOS 35MB/sec and higher (we measure typically up to 45MB/sec speed during downloads, and 31-35MB/sec upload speeds in the network so far) speeds and the Trendnet switch's ability to work with the FIOS Router to bring the speed of this new network to each component is superb and I can't find any fault with this switch, it just performs 100% and then some again, seamless in the network.That's the story of my uses for this switch, and I am totally satisfied with its design, performance and utility with 5 effective ports for use. Give Trendnet a big Thumbs UP for the switch that costs a pittance and performs like the multi-hundred $$ switches. You won't be disappointed if you purchase this switch, it looks great, performs 100% and then some, and I highly recommend its use for any type of network duty, be it for PC's, Macs, printers, full duplex RAID systems and the like, it all works great with this switch in the mix. Best of all? It' silent and runs cool no matter what the load is, in my observations so far.Trendnet's 5-port Gigabit Ethernet Switch is a solid value, and performs with the best switches out there for a very inexpensive price, so get yours today! Don't hesitate because of anything to do with price or performance, this one's together 100% and more!

Overall this is a terrific switch. I replaced an old Ethernet hub with this. The hub was severely adversely impacting my bandwitdth over the network. The switch is now plugged in to my home (wired) Ethernet port and I have it plugged in my XBox 360 and Denon AVR-3310ci receiver to the switch. Both receive full signal now and work great.It was such a no-brainer. Just plug in the router to the power supply, plug in your internet cable, and then your other devices (PC's, game systems, receivers, etc.) to the other available ports. Works great and was super easy.Also nice is that the switch apparently can detect differences in cable lengths, along with knowing when data is needed and which ports are being unused and adjusts power consumption accordingly to presumably be "green" and save money. Not sure how much I'll save with this, but it's a nice feature.Attractive packaging and look (which I personally really couldn't care less about, but it is nice and makes me think TRENDNet is a credible, mass-market kind of company if I ever need support, etc.). The device is actually smaller than it looks online (which I also like- a small footprint helps when placed inside a media cabinet with a bunch of A/V stuff.). The device itself is very clean and simple- the display shows you which ports are active, the speed of the connection (I, sadly just have a 10/100 modem, so that's what it shows- someday I'll have a Gigabit but in function, everything works great for now with 10/100 so no big deal).Some of this will vary by cable provider (I have Brighthouse), but since I installed this switch, I've watched Netflix HD, listened to internet radio, etc. and it has never readjusted for quality problems, etc. (If you have streaming Netflix, you have probably experienced the 'quality' adjustments mid-viewing which is super annoying. With this switch- haven't had a problem yet- full HD).I also am streaming recorded HD video from my PC through Windows Media Center, which I use like a DVR/PVR. I just watched a full HD recording of 'Fringe' and it looked amazing. Fast-forwarded, rewound, played, paused with no issues and it looked and sounded perfect.Anyway- this was so easy to install, and the price is great for what it does. You can get cheaper Gigabit routers if you really shop around and wait for deals, but you probably won't find one for much less (I would say there is maybe a $5.00 +/- differential between this and the cheapest generic 5-port Gb routers I saw). I justified the little bit of extra money for this because of the build quality, good reviews, power saving features and 'branded' manufacturer which I felt might provide better support if I ever need it (though you never really know).All in all, a great switch. Should've bought one years ago. So far, so good! Strongly recommend the product.