The Zyxel MG-108 is a network switch that offers 2.5 Gigabit Ethernet (2.5GbE) bandwidth capabilities, higher than traditional Gigabit switches. If you want to expand your network, the Zyxel MG-108 is a great choice. It boasts the following features:
- It has 8 LAN ports that support 2.5 Gbps, which is 2.5X faster network speed.
- Plug and play: connect, and it works immediately.
- Unmanaged, you don’t need to configure anything.
- It’s fanless, so it’s quiet. It ensures silent and stale operation.
- Cat5e compatible, Zyxel MG-108 will work with new cable types like Cat6, Cat6a, Cat7, Cat7a, and Cat8. But you don’t need to buy those new cables because Cat5e is more than enough. To carry out 2.5-gigabit bandwidth
- Auto MDI/MDIX. Zyxel MG-108, eight ethernet ports are all auto MDI/MDIX, meaning it doesn’t matter whatever cable you are using, whether it is a crossover or straight-through cable. It will automatically adjust and make the cable work on any scenario and connected devices. It is hassle-free.
- Backward compatible. If your device NIC supports only 100BASE -T/TX (100Mbps) and 1000BASE-T(1Gbps), no problem, Zyxel MG-108 will still work on your device.
WiFi 6 Application
Zyxel MG-108 network switch is best for your WiFi 6 router/AP. Theoretically, WiFi 6 may reach up to 9.6 Gbps throughput. Based on the WiFi 6 speedtest conducted by a trusted YouTube channel, ROG Global, the maximum it gets is 1.8Gbps. The result tells us that WiFi 6 can get over 1Gbps.
Suppose you have a broadband plan of over 1Gbps. Let’s say 2Gbps. It is best to connect it to a 2.5Gbe network switch that can handle 2.5Gbps bandwidth like Zyxel MG-108.
Why? Because if you connect WiFi 6 to a 1Gbps network switch, your internet speed will throttle down to 1Gbps. Due to your network switch’s limited capabilities, it can only support a maximum bandwidth of 1Gbps.
My Broadband Plan is only 200/400/600 Mbps. I don’t need a 2.5Gbe network switch.
Having a 2.5Gbe network switch is not just for an internet connection speed. Your LAN (Local Area Network) benefits from it the most. Why? It can now handle more bandwidth, which means faster network speed. Like an Expressway, there are more vehicles, yet the traffic remains fast-paced and has no congestion because of the wide road.
I conducted a real-world network bandwidth and transfer rate test on a 1 Gigabit switch and a Zyxel MG-108 2.5 Gigabit network switch. To get an accurate result, I use the iperf3 tool.
Here is the result of a 1-gigabit switch: the network bandwidth on average is 700 plus Mbps./sec, and the network transfer is 800 plus megabytes.
On the other hand, this is the result when I use the Zyxel MG-108 network switch: the network bandwidth is almost 1.8 Gbps while the transfer rate is 2 Gigabytes.
The result is also dependent on our device’s performance. In this test, I used AMD A Series PCs. It’s a bit old, but MG 108 still managed to get 2 Gigabytes of data transfer. It would be better if my PCs were the latest models.
What does it mean to you?
It makes your network seamless in terms of data transfer; it’s faster, and less time is needed to get your files from one device to another device in your network.
MG 108 Network switch fits well if you have a NAS or Multi-Media Server in your network. Aside from wired data transfer, your wireless data transfer will also be faster because MG 108 complements WiFi 6 better than a 1 gigabit switch.
Zyxel MG-108 Connections
Scenario 1-a: Zyxel MG-108 and WiFi 6 router will be limited to 1Gbps Internet Speed due to Broadband plan limitation. However, any connected devices in MG-108 will still get 2.5Gbps Network bandwidth. On the other hand, a WiFi 6 router can still provide a Wireless Network bandwidth of 2.5Gbps. The WiFi 6 ethernet port will only get 1Gbps bandwidth since it’s a gigabit port.
Scenario 1-b: Zyxel MG-108 and WiFi 6 router will get 2Gbps Internet Speed. Their Network bandwidth will remain 2.5Gbps. However, the WiFi6 ethernet port will only get 1Gbps internet speed and Network bandwidth.
Scenario 2-a: Zyxel MG-108 and WiFi 6 router will be limited to 1Gbps Internet Speed due to Broadband plan limitation. The WiFi 6 router can still provide a Wireless Network bandwidth of 2.5Gbps, the same as the Zyxel MG-108 ethernet port.
Scenario 2-b: WiFi 6 router will get 2Gbps Wireless Internet Speed, but its ethernet port will only get 1Gbps Internet speed because it’s a 1Gigabit port. The MG-108 will also be limited to 1Gps Internet speed since it is connected to a 1Gigabit port. However, MG-108 connected devices will still get a 2.5Gbps Network speed.
Scenario 3: This is a typical home network setup. In this scenario, you will be able to maximize your ethernet and Wireless devices to a maximum of 2.5Gbps. Always do your own research with regard to your network device placements.
LED Light Indicator
- 100 Mbps/1000Mbps amber LED light
- 2.5 Gbps green LED light
Zyxel MG 108 Hardware Specifications
PROS:
- Zyxel MG-108 provides more bandwidth
- Maximize WiFi 6
- Faster Network Data transfer
- Bigger Switching Capacity
- Better Forwarding Bandwidth
- Unmanaged
- Wall mount
- Future Proof
CONS:
- No Control over VLAN and QoS
- You must buy a 2.5 Network adapter if your device’s NIC does not support 2.5 Gbe.
- A bit pricey compared to a 1 Gigabit switch, but it is much cheaper compared to a 10 Gigabit switch.
Where to buy?
✅ Shopee: https://shope.ee/603ht8sIy0
✅ Lazada: https://www.lazada.com.ph/shop/zyxel-official-store
Online Community ✅ https://pcx.com.ph/collections/vendors?q=Zyxel
Viber Marketplace ✅ bit.ly/PCXViberCommunity2
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