NETGEAR GS116 Unmanaged L2 Gigabit Ethernet (10/100/1000) Black

Product Overview

AI-generated summary

The NETGEAR GS116 is one of those “boringly reliable” 16/8-port-style unmanaged gigabit switches that just works. For an office, small studio, or a light server closet, unmanaged is a big plus: plug it in, it forwards traffic, and you don’t end up fiddling with VLANs or settings you don’t need. At ~£66 ex-VAT, it’s solid value if you specifically want a simple gigabit access switch for phones, PCs, printers, basic NAS connections, and similar everyday kit—no fuss, no learning curve, and usually no drama.

I wouldn’t bother if you’re expecting anything beyond plain switching. Because it’s unmanaged, you can’t do traffic controls, VLAN segmentation, link aggregation, or any of the “tidy up my network” features that matter once you start growing or you need network separation. Also, if you’re connecting a high-traffic backbone (like multiple servers hammering a NAS), you’ll want to be sure you’re buying enough ports and the right model tier—this is best as a straightforward edge switch, not a “core” heart of the network.

**Who should buy:** small UK workplaces, home offices, and teams that want dependable gigabit connectivity without management overhead. **Who shouldn’t:** anyone needing VLANs/advanced control, or anyone treating the switch as a performance-critical core rather than an edge distribution point.