Netgear GS305EP Performance
The Netgear GS305EP is a simple 5-port switch so we get performance that we would expect:
This type of switch as a PoE+ switch is designed for higher-power devices such as WiFi APs. Still, it is not enough performance to be a practical solution for modern high-throughput WiFi 6 APs on like the Netgear WAX630 WiFi 6 Access Point we featured recently. This is really just a low-end switch.
Next, we are going to take a look at power consumption and noise.
Netgear GS305EP Power Consumption and Noise
When it comes to power consumption, we know this is not going to use much just given the specs. We have a 68W PSU and a 63W PoE budget. That means Netgear has around 5W set aside for the switch hardware aside from the PoE circuits. That is the same amount on the unmanaged side. With nothing plugged in we were in the 1-2W range and using non-PoE we could not get to 5W passing traffic. Still, we are talking under 5W so the majority of this switch’s power consumption is dedicated to the PoE function.
In terms of noise, this is a fanless design so it was silent in our testing. In our test unit, we did not hear any PSU whine either. That is what one wants in a switch like this since it is often mounted on a wall or sitting on a desk or another area where adding noise is not the objective.
Final Words
The Netgear GS305EP 63W switch is clearly an upgrade over the GS305P 55W. The difference in price between the two was only $5 and for that we got management features along with PoE+ capabilities and another 8W of PoE budget. PoE is an area where some people just buy the absolute minimum while others (including myself) try to budget a bit extra in the event endpoints are replaced with higher-power devices. Modern systems are increasing in power as they add capabilities so it makes sense to deploy PoE+ as a starting point for many.
In terms of pricing, we will leave an auto-updating affiliate Amazon affiliate banner above the final words that will show current pricing. We paid $55 for ours and sometimes they get to be less expensive. That is $13.75 per PoE+ port and $11/ 1GbE port which is on the higher-end, but this also has some basic management functionality. That remote PoE power cycle can be worth the $1-2 per port alone.
Sometimes one just wants to deploy unmanaged switches at the edge to not have to deal with firmware updates on those devices. That is certainly a popular and valid model. For others who want a bit more control at the edge, the Netgear GS305EP may be a good option.
Is the switch itself a PoE {consuming} device?
(if so, might be handy in some limited scenarios)
One Netgear page depicts it connected with no DC cord in sight (but then they also depict the bare device with nothing connected and all the LEDs lit). Manual provided no illumination on this question, so to speak.
No,
I have 8 port version.
Netgear GS308EPP
You need power adapter to power the switch.
PoE/PoE+ functionality is PoE output only!
You might want to take a look at MikroTik hEX PoE or hEX S.
Technically these are sold as wired routers.
But you can choose if you want to run MikroTik’s Router OS or Switch OS on them. You can use them as managed switch and they are affordable (approx 70-80$).
hEX PoE and hEX S has one PoE input port as well as one (hEX S) or several (hEX PoE) PoE output ports.
If you intend to use several PoE devices attached to a hEX PoE.
You probably should have it powered with power supply.
But if you only want the router/switch to be PoE powered, you can absolutely do that.
would it be possible to post a guide to setup the vlans using this new user interface that differs from the previous switches? i only ask because there is a lack of guides for this.