As we all know a wired connection is supposed to be the fastest and the most stable way to connect between your devices and also to the internet.
I was using the Ac750 wireless router as a switch, but with only a 100 Mbps throughput, the speeds from and to my Network drive was very slow.
My main router the Archer Ac1750 has gigabit ethernet, and internet speeds are quite good even via wireless.
But I have a network drive attached to it, which when accessed from my wireless devices is quite slow. Using my older Ac750 router as a switch improved speeds, but it was still not fast enough as it was being capped at 100 Mbps.
So here I have the Tp-link TL-SG1005D which is a 5 port Gigabit switch. Let’s get it out of the box and check it out. It’s available currently as of this review at Rs 1,295 but the actual price is Rs 1,499.
The packaging is typical Tp-link style, with the recycled cardboard packaging. The main device is covered in a plastic cover. Getting that off, we have our first look at the device itself.
It has a thin film of plastic wrap to protect the glossy sides from scratches. Also, in the box we have the power adapter, an installation guide and that’s it.
The switch is quite small, smaller than I expected it to be. But that’s a good thing, making it easier to hide away.
The front has a single LED, to let us know if the device is on or not. The top is quite shiny with the tp-link logo in white and is a fingerprint magnet, so install and keep away. Designed for home use, the styling is much more aesthetic as compared to the boxy styling of professional models.
On the bottom are mounting holes to be able to mount the switch on a wall. I would have liked the switch to have had rubber pads make sure the device won’t slide around when placed flat, but they’re plastic, so the device could slide around it being so light.
On the back the 5 ports are easily accessible, with enough space between the ports to allow for plugging in Ethernet cables.
Each port as a led which shows its connected state. If it’s green its connected and when data is being transmitted, it blinks. I would have liked these lights to have been at the front so that we could see them easier, but this is a cost cutting measure by TP-Link, as the older one did have them.
The power adapter provided is 9 volts and the cable provided is of a decent length.
So, did this help me at all, the best way to test it is via speed tests.
Let me switch to the AC750 router and run an internet speed test.
Ok, so we have 90 Mbps download speed and 90 upload speed.
Let’s access the NAS or Network attached storage I have and see how fast it via Wi-Fi.
Ok, it’s quite slow, and video playback is even slower.
Let’s switch to the switch 🙂
Test again, whoa, we have 150 download speed and 150 upload speed.
The main reason got this network switch is for NAS access, so lets try it again
This is quite fast, let’s play a video file. It at least plays, which is a big improvement from earlier. I’m planning on adding more network storage, so this was an important step in my network upgrade.
The device is a great choice if you need gigabit ethernet at home, the 5 ports as of now are plenty as I don’t have many hardwired devices. You will need a router to use this switch, which I have the AC1750, a dual band gigabit port Wi-Fi router. The switch is mainly to connect the router to my home office and also have more gigabit ports available if i need to connect more devices.
I’ve been using it for more than a month now, and it’s been working perfectly. So, if you need a budget gigabit switch, this is a great choice.
If you have any questions do write in to us at tech@talkingstuff.net or WhatsApp us at 96525 78833.
