Netgear FS605 Platinum Series 5 Port 10/100 Unmanaged Switch

• Get Microsoft Office Home and Student for Bundle Offers, 3-user licence (PC) for only £49.99 when you add it to your order of products totaling £39.99 or more sold by Amazon.co.uk in selected electronics categories. Enter code OFFICED4 at checkout. Here's how (terms and conditions apply)

A switch is a device to which all computers in a network or section of a network send their data. A switch works out which computer should receive the data and sends it out to just that port. This is different from a hub, which directs everything it receives to all available ports, leaving it up to the receiving computers to work out if the data is intended for them.

It shouldn't be hard to see that a switch is a lot quicker than a hub. All ports on a switch have the potential to run at the full speed of the network to which they're connected. In a hub, the top speed of any port is the speed of the network divided by the number of ports in the hub. There's also a limit to the number of hubs you can connect together to extend a network--there's no such limit when connecting switches.

The FS605, about the size of a Pocket PC or portable CD drive, has a set of six LEDs on its front edge. The first shows when the power from the separate mains power pack is connected, while the other five show when individual ports in the switch are active. They shine yellow for an Ethernet connection and green for a fast Ethernet one, and flash as data passes through them.

You can position this Netgear switch horizontally on the desktop or vertically using the stand provided or wall-mounting. With all recent versions of Windows, all the software you need to set up a network is built into the operating system and no extra programs are needed or supplied by Netgear.

Should you need to connect the FS605 to another switch to extend your network, you don't need to worry about using special cables or designating one of the ports as an uplink between the two switches. This device is intelligent enough to work it out itself and any of the five ports will automatically switch to an uplink mode as required. --Simon Williams

Product Description
This powerful plug-and-play switch connects at 10 or 100 Mbps and makes it easy to link as many as five computers or peripherals to your Ethernet network. Youll experience maximum performance for 10 or 100 Mbps devices with five ports that automatically sense the correct speed. Use the WGE101 54 Mbps Wireless Ethernet Bridge to link multiple devices to your wireless network without new wireless adapters. The FS605s sleek case has lights on the front for easy monitoring. Installation into your home or small office network couldnt be simpler and, once powered on, it begins cool and silent operation  without an internal fan. Connects up to five computers, servers, printers, switches or any other Ethernet devices at 10 or 100 Mbps over Ethernet cables. Works with virtually any operating system (Microsoft® Windows®, Apple® Macintosh®, Linux® and more). Use the WGE101 54 Mbps Wireless Ethernet Bridge to link more devices to your wireless network without new wireless adapters. Designed specifically for home and small office users with plug and play installation, rear ports that reduce cable clutter, and front status lights for easy monitoring. Plug it in, set up your Ethernet devices, and you will forget that it is even there.. All five ports deliver automatic speed and duplex sensing, plus Auto UplinkTM makes sure that the signal adjusts for each type of Ethernet cable that is connected. Sleek, attractive, platinum design blends seamlessly into your home decor.

See all Product Description

• Electronics & Photo > Computing > Peripherals & Accessories > Networking & Connectivity > Hubs & Switches
• Electronics & Photo > Computing > Peripherals & Accessories > Networking & Connectivity > Modems > Wired Modems
• Electronics & Photo > Computing > Peripherals & Accessories > Networking & Connectivity > Modems > Wireless
• Electronics & Photo > Computing > Peripherals & Accessories > Networking & Connectivity > Wired Networking > Routers, Hubs & Switches
• Electronics & Photo > Computing > Peripherals & Accessories > Networking & Connectivity > Wired Networking > Wired Routers