Average Reviews:
(More customer reviews)Here's my story. I used to have (note past tense) pretty much all Linksys gear in my home. Router, switches, print servers, etc. Over a half-dozen devices because our condo is wired like an office with network drops everywhere.
All of a sudden in the span of about 6 months, one-by-one most of the devices just died. They had power, but simply would not pass network traffic. I wrote to Linksys and basically said, "Here's my situation, meet me half-way, do something, anything to keep my business." They never replied. So I began a quest to look into a new switch for my home office. I decided I wanted a 16 port model because I might max out an 8 port unit.
I noticed that the "ProSafe" line from Netgear comes with a lifetime warranty and 24/7 technical support (although how much support can one need for an auto-sensing switch, assuming it's actually working.) So I gravitated toward that line of products. Then looking at the comparison charts I was trying to determine the difference between the mid-level "GS" series and their top-of-the-line "JGS" series switches.
There is only one: The JGS models have a built-in power supply. Meaning, no "brick," just a standard 3-prong power cord.
Sold!
My only complaint (and it is significant): The little fan inside this monster is quite noisy. Almost as loud a standard desktop PC, which uses a much larger power supply and fan. Mind you it does not sound "cheap." It sounds like a quality fan and power supply. It quite simply needs a little better ventilation and Netgear needs to invest that whopping extra 2 bucks on a higher grade fan that it is truly whisper quiet.
So in summary, fine for a network closet or an open area with a few people an other things that make modest constant noise, but think about it a bit if it will be in a "quiet" office setting. With quieter operation, it would easily earn 5 stars in my book.
Click Here to see more reviews about: Netgear JGS516 ProSafe 16-Port Gigabit Ethernet Switch
NETGEAR's unmanaged JGS500-series switches make it affordable to take Gigabit to the desktop. These unmanaged 10/100/1000 Gigabit Ethernet switches provide high-speed connectivity for small office networks at an economical price a savvy business owner can't ignore. All 16 or 24 switched 10/100/1000 ports deliver up to 2000 Mbps throughput, up to 48 Gbps of backplane bandwidth, and Auto Uplink¿ technology to adjust for straight-through or crossover cables. These high-performance switches can combine 10, 100 and 1000 Mbps devices within a network, and are conveniently compact for either the desktop or rack mounting.Ideal for work groups, departments or any small network looking for the ultra fast desktop connections.
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