TP-Link TL-SG105, 5 Port Gigabit Unmanaged Ethernet Switch, Network Hub, Ethernet Splitter, Plug & Play, Fanless Metal Design, Shielded Ports, Traffic Optimization

Product image from current catalog data

Best Overall

TP-Link TL-SG105 5-Port Gigabit Switch

By TP-Link

9.8Excellent matchFeature and use-case score

The TP-Link TL-SG105 is a small, fanless, five-port gigabit switch aimed at people who need to add a few more wired connections to a home or small-office network without configuring anything. It's been on the market for years under this same model number, which makes it easy to find long-running pricing and availability history, though it also means independent lab publications don't appear to have tested this specific unit — this write-up relies on TP-Link's own published specifications and the Amazon listing rather than third-party benchmarks.

5x 10/100/1000Mbps Gigabit Ethernet ports with auto-negotiation and Auto-MDI/MDIX (works with...
Fanless metal enclosure for silent operation and, per TP-Link, added durability over plastic-...
Green Technology power scaling that reduces consumption based on cable length and link/idle s...

See Price at the store →Price, delivery, and configuration can change at the retailer.

ByTopFiveFind Research Desk

How this was made: AI-assisted research and drafting organize the evidence. Exact product identity, source claims, owner-feedback patterns, conflicts, and publication checks are documented before indexing. No hands-on or human-expert testing is claimed unless a page explicitly shows that evidence. Read the full methodology.

Best fitBest Overall

CategoryNetworking Products

BrandTP-Link

Catalog score9.8 / 10

Product overview

What the TP-Link TL-SG105 actually is

What it is: a 5-port unmanaged Gigabit Ethernet switch meant to expand a wired network by adding extra ports off a single existing connection, per TP-Link's product description.

Speed: all five ports run 10/100/1000Mbps with auto-negotiation, so connected devices link at whatever speed they support without manual configuration.

Design: fanless metal casing intended for silent, passively-cooled operation, small enough for a desktop rather than a rack.

Power efficiency: TP-Link's Green Technology adjusts per-port power draw based on cable length and link/idle state; TP-Link's own marketing cites savings up to roughly 84% versus a conventional switch under specific test conditions, which we have not independently verified.

Feature set: basic 802.1p/DSCP QoS and IGMP snooping for traffic prioritization, but no VLANs, port mirroring, PoE, or management interface — it is unmanaged by design.

Evidence gap: no independent hands-on review or lab test from an established publication (RTINGS, Wirecutter, PCMag, Consumer Reports, etc.) turned up in research for this specific model; a few small blog posts exist but read as generic templated copy rather than genuine testing, so they were not used as evidence here.

Key Listed Features

5x 10/100/1000Mbps Gigabit Ethernet ports with auto-negotiation and Auto-MDI/MDIX (works with either straight-through or crossover cables)

Fanless metal enclosure for silent operation and, per TP-Link, added durability over plastic-cased competitors

Green Technology power scaling that reduces consumption based on cable length and link/idle status (TP-Link claims up to roughly 84% savings versus a conventional swit...

Basic traffic prioritization via 802.1p/DSCP QoS and IGMP snooping for smoother multicast and latency-sensitive traffic

Plug-and-play operation with no configuration software, app, or login required

Compact desktop footprint (per TP-Link's current spec page: roughly 3.9 x 3.9 x 1.0 in / 99.8 x 98 x 25mm) suitable for a desk or shelf rather than a rack

Good fit for

Good fit for someone who just needs to split one Ethernet drop into several — adding a NAS, a second computer, and a smart TV to a single router port, for example — without wanting to touch any settings.
Good fit for anyone who values a quiet, fanless device on a desk, since the metal case has no moving parts and TP-Link's power-saving features reduce heat and standby draw compared to older unmanaged switches.
Not a fit for anyone needing PoE, VLANs, port monitoring, 2.5G/10G speeds, or fiber/SFP uplinks — this is a fixed-feature, copper-only, unmanaged gigabit switch with no upgrade path within the unit itself.

Check before buying

Confirm you only need unmanaged plug-and-play switching — there's no web interface, VLANs, or per-port monitoring on this model, so it won't suit anyone who wants to manage traffic beyond basic QoS prioritization.
Check the included power adapter's regional voltage/plug before ordering from a non-US listing; TP-Link's own documentation for this switch line isn't fully consistent between the current product page and older datasheets on output voltage (5V vs. 9V, both at 0.6A), so don't assume identical adapters across every retailer batch.
Verify port count is enough for your setup — five ports fill up fast once a router, NAS, and a couple of workstations or a games console are connected; TP-Link sells an 8-port sibling (TL-SG108) that's the same product line if you need headroom.
Don't expect PoE, SFP/fiber uplinks, or 2.5G/10G speeds — this is a basic 10/100/1000Mbps copper switch; if any connected device needs Power over Ethernet or faster-than-gigabit throughput, look elsewhere in TP-Link's or NETGEAR's managed/PoE lines.

Research sources

Buying questions

Quick Answers

Does the TL-SG105 need any setup or software?

No. TP-Link's own documentation describes it as plug-and-play: there's no configuration utility, app, or web login. You connect Ethernet cables and power, and the switch auto-negotiates speed and duplex on each port. That also means there's nothing to manage later — no firmware to patch, no interface to lose access to.

Can I use this switch for Power over Ethernet (PoE) devices like cameras or access points?

No. The TL-SG105 is not a PoE switch and has no PoE variant listed in TP-Link's official specs for this exact model. If you need to power cameras, access points, or VoIP phones over the Ethernet cable itself, you'd need a separate PoE switch or injector.

Is this switch managed or unmanaged?

Unmanaged, as stated directly in the product name and TP-Link's datasheet. It supports basic 802.1p/DSCP QoS and IGMP snooping automatically, but there's no VLAN tagging, port mirroring, or web-based control panel. TP-Link sells a separate 'Easy Smart' line (e.g., TL-SG105E) for those who want basic managed features.

How does the 5-port TL-SG105 differ from the 8-port TL-SG108?

They share a product line and datasheet, but they are physically different sizes: TP-Link's own spec sheet lists the TL-SG105 at 3.9 x 3.9 x 1.0 in and the TL-SG108 at 6.2 x 4.0 x 1.0 in, with the 8-port model also having a larger MAC address table and higher switching capacity. Some third-party retailer spec pages list the TL-SG108's larger dimensions under the TL-SG105 by mistake, so double-check measurements against TP-Link's own site if the physical footprint matters for your setup.

Is there an independent lab review of this exact switch?

We didn't find one. Publications like RTINGS, Wirecutter, PCMag, or Consumer Reports don't appear to have published hands-on testing of the TL-SG105 specifically. The handful of blog 'reviews' we found for this model read as generic templated copy rather than actual bench testing, so this listing leans on TP-Link's own published specifications and the Amazon listing's description rather than third-party lab data.

What do buyers generally say about it on Amazon?

The Amazon listing shows a high aggregate rating across a very large number of ratings, which is a reasonable signal of broad satisfaction for a low-cost, simple device — but it's seller-platform data, not independent testing, and doesn't tell you about throughput under sustained load or long-term reliability.

Does it support jumbo frames or link aggregation?

TP-Link's datasheet lists jumbo frame support up to 15–16KB. It does not list link aggregation (LAG/trunking) as a supported feature on this unmanaged model.

TP-Link TL-SG105 5-Port Gigabit Switch

What the TP-Link TL-SG105 actually is

Key Listed Features

Quick Answers

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