Netgear MS305-100NA Performance
In terms of the overall 2.5GbE performance, we were able to get fairly normal 2.5GbE speeds from each of the five ports.
To be frank, we have considered whether to even include this portion in our series. Most of the 5-port 2.5GbE switches we have tested look very similar.
Netgear MS305-100NA PoE and Management Capabilities
Since we are going to be doing this as part of a series, we will note that this is an unmanaged switch. Also, we did not find PoE capabilities when testing this switch.
Netgear MS305-100NA Power Consumption
Here is a quick shot of the 12V 1A power adapter. One difference between the Netgear and some of the other switches on the market is that the power adapters and switches have regulatory markings and other certifications. This is the same adapter that came with our MS105.
We saw idle power consumption of around 4.0W. Adding one 2.5GbE connection incremented power by 4.4W.
This is the same result that we got with the MS105.
The switch itself is a fanless unit so we did not notice any noise. Not using fans also helps with power consumption. Netgear will be one of the lowest-power switches in our round-up.
Final Words
The Netgear MS305 retails for somewhere around $135. One may immediately ask, what is the difference between this switch and the $150 Netgear MS105? In this case, both are unmanaged switches, but the MS305 has a 3-year warranty while the MS105 has Netgear’s limited lifetime warranty.
There are a few ways to look a the question of the Netgear MS105 vs the MS305 (or MS105-100NA vs MS305-100NA.) If you need a lifetime warranty, then the MS105 is probably the better option. For us, we would get the MS305 with its 3-year warranty. These network switches have a very low AFR. Assuming a switch does not fail early, then there is little practical difference between the MS305 and MS105, except the $15 price difference.
While the Netgear MS305 may be our recommendation for a cheap NETGEAR 5-port 2.5GbE switch, there are many options out there that are significantly less expensive. Many want Netgear because they have had fanless 1GbE switches deployed for years so they trust the brand. If you are willing to branch out to different brands, you can see the Ultimate Cheap Fanless 2.5GbE Switch Mega Round-Up for other options.
Where to Buy
If you want to check the current pricing, here is an Amazon affiliate link. Note, we may earn a small commission if you buy using this link.
 review, we see how this unit compares to the MS105 and other options as part of our 2.5GbE switch series){kind=link}
Not cheap, no fast uplink, there is no reason to pay the money versus a real cheapo 1 Gbps switch. Not worth the time to read the review.
It does seem a case of too little too late. We were stuck at 1G for so long, everyone who cared has already moved to 10G, and is now looking at 25G and higher. So 2.5G is going backwards for us, and too expensive for the crowd who were always happy with 1G.
Unfortunately this probably means 2.5G stuff won’t sell especially well, leading manufacturers to think people aren’t interested in higher speeds. The reality is we are interested, their offerings are just 10 times slower than where we’re looking.
1 pes
I’m a 2.5 convert since about 12 months ago, home stuff. Thanks for the 2.5gbe content. Love your vids
regarding power consumption, so each port add’s 0.4W
so 4w idle and then if all ports are connected, then the total power consumption is be ~6W correct?
this looks like the most power efficient 5 port 2.5Gbit switch available, correct?
ps. great reviews loving it :)
Regarding the comment on “no reason to pay the money versus a real cheap…”. Well for me I like Netgear because of:
– security (their brand has a lot to lose from a cheapo security breach vs. say a no-name
– low power, easy to design with off the shelf chips, harder to do it efficiently
– reliability, see last point on design
I would rather get 2.5 when I expect 2.5, versus getting actually lower rates from less reputable brands (seen this with POE setups twice already).
Thanks for the comparison between the two. I agree, after the bathtub failure which will be covered by warranty, the remaining estimated life of the 305 is fine for me.