NETGEAR GS208 8 Port Gigabit Ethernet Network Switch, Hub, Internet splitter, Desktop, Plug and Play, White

Easy to set up and ideal for my intended use, I have been using a Belkin version for several years but it had been playing up for a few weeks dropping connections and getting very hot so I decided it was time to change it. I didn’t need anything too big or with masses of ports as it is just used as an extension to my smart TV, Android box, Satellite TV box and a hardwire link for plugging in my wife’s laptop when she needs a windows update or something transferring off my main desktop PC and this looked ideal. Setup is simple and just a case of plugging everything in and it’s done depending on your setup, for me it was just a case of switching out the old and in with the new. The box is nice and compact and everything is well finished, the light indicators work as they should showing activity on each port when in use, the box has no internal fan but even after being on all day it is just warm so no issues with that, the speed seems good, solid and consistent through all ports when I gave them all a file transfer test. I have added a short video and will also add some pictures just showing the unboxing and then plugging in all the network cables, overall I am very pleased with this purchase it is ideal for replacing my old one at a reasonable price and I would certainly recommend it.

I wanted a router to use to upgrade the Virgin Super Hub 3 that came with my Virgin deal as it was limited to say the least. I did a bit of research and went for this model as it offered most of what I wanted. As well as good wireless functionality I wanted a VPN Server and a decent DHCP Server. So far it has been relatively east to setup, although the VPN servers have caused me some issues, probably due to my lack of experience setting up VPNs. DHCP is good, although one minor weakness is the inability to set device names except by using IP Reservations. The aerials are also prone to being a bit slack, but once positioned they seem fine so far. The icing on the cake for me is that the router can use 2 broadband inputs which is just what I wanted. Although I still have some tweaking to get the many varied settings just as I want them I am extremely pleased with this router. I also get a much better speed when connected to the Wi-Fi than I did with the Virgin router, so performance is very good. The web based portal is very good, and the app is fine, but other than installing it for a "play" when the router first arrived I don't think I will use it much. So far, definitely 5 stars from me.

I already have a GS105, which I like very much, in another part of my house and needed a switch for my AV cabinet. The GS105 has been flawless in operation for the 7 years I have had it for so Negear was an obvious first candidate for another swtich. This review is for the GS208, which is an off-white coloured compact unmanaged gigabit network switch. The device has both the electrical and network (RJ45) connections on the back (unlike the GS308) and a set of lights on the front - 9 in total, all green, with one representing power and the rest each of the ports. The lights flash reassuringly or annoyingly depending on how you look at it. I think white lights would have looked better. The AC adaptor is compact enough and has a switch on the wire to turn off power (first time I have seen this). The AC adaptor itself protudes downwards but doesn't need much clearance. The device is made of plastic (unlike the GS308 which is metal) and doesn't have any rubber feet or mounting holes - this doesn't bother me as I have no need to mount it anywhere. The device is attractive, remains cool and silent in operation, whilst neat and tidy because all the connections are at the back. I have the device currently connecting a few devices (Sonos, PS3, Sky+ HD) and connecting upstream to a homeplug. I plan to add a wifi access point, AV Receiver and possibly a HTPC - I think under the TV or on a desk you'll be hard pushed to use more than 8 ports.

The product works well and has a fairly simple design. Setup couldn't have been simpler, and I've been so pleased with it that I ended up purchasing 3 of them! The power adapter that comes with them is nice and compact, which can sometimes be an issue with devices of this nature. My only gripe, which is quite a prevalent issue given our current fascination with climate change, is with the amount of packing this little thing has. You could easily fit 7 or 8 of them in the box it comes in, and for a device as simple as it, it comes with too much paperwork in my opinion. Also of note, both the switch and the paperwork were plastic-wrapped, which again, is unnecessary. I've deducted a star because of this. Overall, a great product at a great price. There's no need to spend more.

First off, this is an awesome product, totally plug and play with absolutely no configuration required whatsoever. Simply plug in your cables and off you go - it automatically detects whichever port has the connection from the router and the which one is connected to your computer or other devices, you don't have to do anything. I use mine to connect an AV receiver, Smart TV, Sky HD box and HTPC to my home network. I simply plug in the various devices to this switch and then run cable between it and my main router. Everything connected and configured automatically as soon as it was plugged in. For a stress test I streamed HD content to the Sky box over the internet, over the Smart TV and over the HTPC. I also sent two Blu-Ray rips from my NAS to the HTPC, each one averaging roughly 25 mbps. All the streams worked perfectly and the switch only got very slightly warm to the touch. A final good point - the power cable and the ethernet ports are on the SAME side of the device. Many switches have these on opposite sides with is a pain for cable management. One ANNOYING point - The older version of this switch would adjust the colour of the LED lights on the front to indicate the speed of the connection over that port. That is, if you had a 100mbps device it would turn orange whilst a 1000mbps device would turn the indicator green. This is quite handy for quickly checking the network is operating as fast as it should. This particular switch seems to simply stay green, despite the speed of the connection. I've tested it with several confirmed 100mbps devices and a green light is all you get.

This is a reliable bit of kit. Its been running without problems 24/7 and is silent.

Purchased to upgrade network in house and to expand my newly purchased Sky Q Hub (which has gigabit ports, but instead of 4 ports now has only two). I order two of these and they arrived in minimal packing from Netgear. They come will just a small power adapter and the switch- no Ethernet cables, so just consider that when ordering. Connected one switch to the rear of the sky hub and the other switch in my sons' room in the loft. Transfer speeds greatly improved over Ethernet compare to the previous 100m switches that were used. My son has an xbox one, xbox 360,smart tv and game pc connected to his switch and there have been no issues. The switch connected via the Sky Q hub has a QNAP nas , sky 2tb box,HP officejet , smart tv and my laptop connected via Ethernet and the switch plods away without issue- I can transfer large files from my laptop to the NAS without issue and considerable quicker than before. I have used Netgear equipment for years and they are the right balance of performance and pricing for me- construction is all plastic on this model (GS208), but not really an issue as it is really "connect and forget". One point is that this model (GS208) is NOT wall mountable- the reviews are often aggregated with various other models/variants . All in all, a cheap and functional upgrade to any home network. Highly recommended.

This switch seems more 'reliable' than the Netgear GS605NA 5 Port unit it replaced. I had problems with the GS605 which only became apparent following its retirement on acquisition of the GS208. I suspect following many hours of use the GS605 would lock up and reset on disconnect of the upstream connection (I would power off the XAV5421 it was plugged into. I needed more connections so acquired the GS208 as a replacement. The GS208 is in use around 8 hours a day with at least 6 devices plugged into it. It seems to run cool which gives it a feeling of being well engineered. The connection indicator lights on the front don't blink in an annoyingly over bright fashion. The device just sits there doing a great job, serenely reliable, unnoticed, but loved. The extra memory and features in these units do allow for noticeably higher performance than than the GS605NA 5 Port Gigabit Ethernet Switch it replaced. I have moved terabytes of data through it without a hint of a problem. A good performance upgrade and not expensive.