List of Best 2.5 GBe Switches – Multi-Gigabit Ethernet with Budget Options

If you are looking for the best 2.5 GBe switches, you are in the right spot. This standard offers excellent performance over existing CAT 5e cables in specific scenarios.

The standard Ethernet speed is 1 GbE, and it may not offer excellent network performance. To benefit from a high-speed connection, it is better to use a 2.5 GbE switch that provides 2.5 times faster speed than a standard Ethernet switch. When you plan to upgrade your whole network to the quickest possible speeds, these switches prove so much helpful. The enhancement in network performance leads to a boost in productivity.

Also Read: Best 10G Multi Gigabit LAN Switch Managed & Unmanaged with 24 & 48 Ports

It is based on the IEEE 802.3bz, NBASE-T, plus MGBASE-T standards for existing Ethernet over twisted pair at speeds of 2.5 and even 5 Gbit/s. These use the equivalent existing cabling as the omnipresent Gigabit Ethernet yet offer higher transfer rates. The resulting standards are named 2.5GBASE-T and 5GBASE-T.

Related Reading: Best Gigabit Ethernet Cables CAT 7 and CAT 6 for 10G Ethernet

NBASE-T refers to Ethernet equipment that can automatically negotiate to operate at speeds of 100 Mbit/s, 1, 2.5, 5, or 10 Gbit/s, depending on the quality of the cable and the abilities of the equipment at the other end of the line.

These standards are specified in Clauses 125 and 126 of the IEEE 802.3 standard. The physical (PHY) layer transmission technology of IEEE 802.3bz is based on 10GBASE-T but functions at a lower signaling rate. By decreasing the actual signal rate to 1⁄4 or 1⁄2, the link speed falls to 2.5 or 5 Gbit/s, respectively. The spectral bandwidth of the signal is lessened accordingly, lowering the requirements on the cabling so that 2.5GBASE-T and 5GBASE-T can be deployed at a cable length of up to 100 meters on Cat 5e or better cables.

Also Read: Best 10 Gbps PCIe x4 Ethernet card for LAN – 10BaseT

The NBASE-T effort also systematized how its switches can execute power over Ethernet according to the IEEE 802.3at and replacement standards. This allows a single cable to provide both power and data for high-bandwidth wireless access points such as those that execute the 802.11ac and 802.11ax measures.

No special connectors or cables are needed to benefit from 2.5 GbE connections. It would be best if you used your existing CAT5e cables as usual with the new 2.5GbE infrastructure. If the situation is such that you cannot afford for 10 GbE upgrade, then a 2.5 GbE switch presents a more affordable option. There will be a significant improvement in the Ethernet speeds. Let’s know more about the best 2.5 GbE switches:

Sr. No.	Image	Product Name	Manufacturer	Buy Now
1		QNAP QSW-1105-5T 5-Port Unmanaged 2.5GbE Switch	QNAP	Buy from Amazon
2		NETGEAR 10G Ethernet Smart Managed Plus Switch (GS110EMX)	NETGEAR	Buy from Amazon
3		QNAP QSW-M408-2C 10GbE Managed Switch	QNAP	Buy from Amazon
4		QNAP QSW-M408-4C 10GbE Managed Switch	QNAP	Buy from Amazon
5		Zyxel Multi-Gig Unmanaged Switch with 12 Ports	Zyxel	Buy from Amazon
6		TRENDnet 2.5GBASE-T Web Smart Switch, TEG-30102WS	TRENDnet	Buy from Amazon
7		QNAP QSW-1208-8C-US Unmanaged 10GbE Switch	QNAP	Buy from Amazon
8		D-Link Smart Managed 2.5 GBe Switch (DMS-1100-10TS)	D-Link	Buy from Amazon

8. D-Link Smart Managed 2.5 GBe Switch (DMS-1100-10TS):

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In this intelligent managed Ethernet switch from D-Link, there are multiple access ports available. One unique feature of the DMS-1100-10TS controller is it supports 802.3bz. This allows the IT professionals to increase their network bandwidth up to two times. Also, it controls the existing Cat-5e cabling. There is no requirement to upgrade the cabling infrastructure. Hence, this switch is perfect for applications like installing multiple 802.11ac Wave 2 access points through 2.5 GB connections. The actuator type is the push button.

Features:

• There are eight 2.5 GB access ports, and there are two 10 GB SFP+ uplink ports.
• All 8 multi-speed RJ45 PoE ports can automatically detect the speed required by the end device. It fixes its rate to any options like 100 Mbps or 1000 Mbps, or 2.5 Gbps.
• Both the multi-speed SFP+ ports support either 1000 Mbps or 10 Gbps optical transceivers. The optical transceivers are managed through a user-friendly web-based GUI.
• The support for 802.1Q VLANs provides safe traffic or network segmentation.
• Its cutting-edge features are bandwidth limiting, QoS, link aggregation, and IGMP Snooping.
• It is IEEE 802.3az compliant, so it is an energy-efficient Ethernet.

7. QNAP QSW-1208-8C-US Unmanaged 10GbE Switch:

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The key thing to note about this unmanaged switch from QNAP includes 12 SFP+ ports and shared 8 shared 10GBASE-T ports. When you plan to upgrade your network environment without spending much quickly, this switch proves to be helpful. The 10GBASE-T and NBASE-T standards support you from the faster network speeds when using your existing Cat 5e and 6a cables.

The RJ45 (copper) and SFP+ (fiber) ports are present for accomplishing a wide range of network needs. These ports allow most devices to benefit from the 10GbE connectivity. Being compliant with the IEEE 802.3az, this switch is found to be energy-efficient. Some other qualities of this switch include low latency and high-performance output. Therefore, QSW-1208-8C is the perfect choice for upgrading your professional or home network.

Features:

• The NBASE-T supports 5 speeds based on automatic negotiation. These options are 100 Mbps, 1 Gbps, 2.5 Gbps, 5 Gbps, and 10 Gbps.
• Its 802.3az (EEE) assists in decreasing the power consumption to operate the low-speed and non-active connections flawlessly.
• The MAC address caching capacity is 27K.
• The switching capacity of each one is 240 Gbps, guaranteeing the full potential of each port.
• With dynamic detection of link speeds and adjustments accordingly, this switch saves energy to reduce operational expenses.
• Through the RJ45 interfaces, Cat 6a cables support 10 GbE.
• The switching capacity is 240 Gbps that guarantees that each port works efficiently.
• The switch offers the freedom to connect DAC cables with SFP+ ports. So, you can join the servers within a rack.
• For Legacy devices, backward compatibility is offered.

6. TRENDnet 2.5GBASE-T Web Smart Switch, TEG-30102WS:

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TRENDnet equips this smart web switch with eight 2.5 GBASE-T RJ-45 ports. They offer fast gigabit speeds that can support up to 2.5 Gbps speed on the prevailing Cat5e or advance cabling. Looking at the hardware design, it shows two 10G SFP+ slots that support fast network connections. The hardware also depicts the 1U rack mount design. The maximum connection speed is up to 2.5 Gbps.

This product is an IPv6-ready switch implemented with an intuitive web-based interface. Some advanced traffic management controls are IP routing, QoS, VLAN, LACP, access controls, troubleshooting, link aggregation, IGMP snooping, and SNMP monitoring. The controls are also available for dynamic ARP check and per port MAC restriction. All these controls make this switch an efficient solution for SMB networks. Through the help of intelligent web management, the controller presents a simple to use online GUI management interface.

Features:

• The two 10G SFP+ slots offer an affordable solution to add 10G link ability to an SMB network.
• The switching capacity is 80 Gbps.
• There is bandwidth control in each port.
• Its web-based management interface supports a maximum of 32 IPv4/IPv6 static routes.
• For network troubleshooting, traffic statistics and a cable diagnostic test are supported.
• The built-in intelligent fans save energy by automatic adjustment of the fan speed depending on the cooling needs.

5. Zyxel Multi-Gig Unmanaged Switch with 12 Ports:

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Zyxel specifically designs this 12-port switch for those customers who demand cost-effective 10GbE network connectivity. It is helpful for a broad range of applications ranging from home to office. Its structure highlights two 2.5G Multi-Gigabit ports, eight Gigabit Ethernet ports, and two 10G SFP+ uplink ports. The port combination can serve a broad range of network devices like NAS, WiFi 6 AP, gaming PC, or workstation. Hence, they enhance the flexibility of your network.

With the setup of this unmanaged switch, you will benefit from super-fast 2.5G networking. Both the 2.5G multi-Gigabit ports provide a boost to your wired connection. The maximum speed is 2.5 times more than the standard Gigabit connections. The increase in speed makes this switch perfect for use with a new motherboard. It facilitates quick file transfers, high-resolution video streaming, and a gaming experience without lags. It comes with a plug-and-play design that does not need setup to save time and effort for the users. You can connect this switch to multiple devices in your home or a studio network. Examples of these devices are media players, game consoles, set-top boxes, VoIP, and few other web navigating devices. There is no need to make any software configuration.

Features:

• Its two SFP+ ports are compatible with 10GbE. They offer faster transmission speeds and quick upgrades to a hybrid fast-speed network environment.
• There are two extra 2.5G ports available for NAS, WiFi 6 AP new motherboard, or workstation.
• The 10G SFP+ ports work as an ultra-speed uplink to connect with high-speed NAS and server.
• There are two
  medium p-priority ports and two high-priority ports. They provide excellent download speed for web browsing, gaming, and streaming on different devices.
  
• Its fanless design guarantees noise-free operation and high reliability. There are no extra moving parts included.
• Some advanced features include flow control, jumbo Frame, and IGMP snooping v1 and v2 compatibility.
  
• QoS support offers efficient traffic control.

4. QNAP QSW-M408-4C 10GbE Managed Switch:

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There is a total of 12 ports in this QNAP managed switch. It is found compatible with 10GbE and NBASE-T technologies. These technologies make this switch capable of supporting a maximum of 5-speed options. They are 10 G, 5 G, 2.5 G, 1 G, and 100 M. The purpose behind implementing these technologies is to offer fast transmission speeds with your existing Cat 5e and 6a cables.

The prominent characteristics include efficient performance, desktop size, and user-friendly management functionalities. They let you quickly upgrade to a hybrid fast-speed network environment and that too at an affordable price. Simultaneously, there will be the optimization of network bandwidth, and the security of network maintenance will be excellent. Especially for home and office setups, this switch is handy.

Features:

• It comes with four 10GbE SFP and RJ45 combo ports, and there are eight 1GbE ports.
• This layer 2 web-managed switches can connect varied devices to several 10GbE SFP+ fiber and gigabit ports. Hence, your devices can benefit most from your high-speed network.
• Its user-friendly web user interface offers port management, an overview dashboard, and a setting guide. Thus, the control of the central network becomes simple.

3. QNAP QSW-M408-2C 10GbE Managed Switch:

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QNAP designs the QSW-M408-2C switch as a Layer 2 web managed switch. It comes equipped with several SFP+ ports and Gigabit ports. The support for network management and layer 2 switching is excellent. This is made possible through the web user interface that is user-friendly and easy to use. Hence, this managed switch provides flexible operation in a hybrid fast-speed network infrastructure. It also provides a smooth network management solution for non-IT working professionals.

The QSW-M408-2C is known to be compatible with NBASE-T and 10GbE technologies. They support 5 speeds, namely 100 M, 1 G, 2.5 G, 5 G, and 10 G. Consequently, this switch can guarantee fast transmission speeds in Cat 5e and 6a cables which you already use. Packed with a lot of features, this switch is made in a compact size. It can nicely fit on a desk and does not get overheated. The design shows that the power cable connector rotates. It is available at an affordable price, and it can optimize the network bandwidth and offer high network security.

Features:

• The QSW-M408-2C switch contains
  two 10GbE SFP+/RJ45 combo ports, two 10GbE SFP+ ports, and two 10GbE BASE-T (RJ45) ports.
• There are eight 1GbE ports available.
• It allows the connection of multiple devices to multiple 10GbE SFP+ fiber and gigabit ports.
• Its web interface is user-friendly. It conveys easy-to-use port management, a setting guide, and an overview of the dashboard.
• The web UI supports every layer 2 function required for use at home and office.

2. NETGEAR 10G Ethernet Smart Managed Plus Switch (GS110EMX):

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The unmanaged switch offers an easy plug & play solution to make a connection with all of your network devices. They don’t need any complex configuration or installation of management software. They can provide a secure and reliable network connection. But this NETGEAR product is a Smart Managed Plus switch. It powers emergent small businesses with fundamental features to configure, monitor, and secure their network. All these benefits are conveyed cost-effectively to provide a perfect upgrade from unmanaged switches.

The manufacturer thoroughly tests this switch for quality, reliability, and performance. What makes it famous and unique is it comes with PROSAFE lifetime protection. Being compliant with IEEE802.3az Ethernet mode, the switch does not consume much power during use. All NETGEAR switches, including this one, surpass the high standards needed for a steady and robust network infrastructure. Being supported by an industry-leading commitment, there are no doubts about performance and quality.

Features:

• Its Ethernet port configuration highlights 8 GB ports and 2 Multi-Gig ports.
• These ports support 5 speeds like 100 M, 1 G, 2.5 G, 5 G, and 10 G.
• The built-in management software with a user-friendly GUI interface provides fundamental features. So, you can properly configure and control your network.
• The Smart Cloud functionality offers entirely integrated management, excellent visibility, and easy control from any device. Irrespective of the place, you can control your devices.
• The NETGEAR Insight app and its cloud portal offer the latest configuration and remote access for high flexibility.
• It allows mounting on a desktop or wall or rack.
• All needful mounting hardware is present in the pack.
• The fanless design guarantees zero noise irrespective of the place. Hence, this switch is perfect for environments that are sensitive to noise.

1. QNAP QSW-1105-5T 5-Port Unmanaged 2.5GbE Switch:

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Equipped with 5 high-performance 2.5GbE ports, this QNAP switch rapidly upgrades your network. The intention behind this is to benefit from the 2.5GbE-enabled devices and NAS without any need for extra network cables. The plug & play setup and fanless design are the two essential aspects of this switch. They both facilitate loop detection and provide blocking functions. As a result, it becomes easy to make a cost-effective, high-speed network environment at home or office.

If you are looking to upgrade your network to high-speed without spending much, this switch is a great option. In addition to efficient performance, the build quality is sturdy enough to resist vigorous usage. With this switch, it becomes easy to set up and connects your PCs. Also, it works perfectly for the SOHO Hi-Speed network.

Features:

• All its five 2.5GbE ports support the existing devices and can support the next-generation 2.5GbE devices.
• The QSW-1105-5T switch supports auto-negotiation. It helps to optimize the transfer speeds and performance for every device connected with it.
• Its network loop detection works such that if a network loop is identified, the switch automatically locks the looped ports. So, it makes sure the network environment rapidly resumes regular operation.
• The ventilated structure helps in cooling and also maintains high performance.
• Its plug & play operation benefits the user with smooth productivity.
• The lowest temperature rating is 32°F.

Conclusion:

The 2.5 GbE switches are well-known to make a high-speed network environment at cost-effective prices. They significantly boost the speed and performance of your network compared to standard Ethernet switches.

More References:

IEEE P802.3bz 2.5G/5GBASE-T Task Force”. IEEE Standards Association.