D-Link DGS-2208 8-Port 10/100/1000 Desktop Switch

This is an unmanaged switch, which means that you can not configure Virtual Local Area Networks (VLANS) or Quality of Service (QoS) - though QoS is supported through the implementation of 802.1p, but all the attached devices must support 802.1p in order to use it. Since there is no configuration, all you have to do is plug it into power and plug your devices into it. It really is that simple for any unmanaged switch. It will automatically allow all your devices to talk to each other at the physical layer. Of course, your applications must be configured right to talk to each other, but these unmanaged devices make building the infrastructure a snap.

In answer to a previously posted review, I tested this device in the following way:

-Port 1 connected to my desktop computer with a Gigabit network interface card (NIC)
-Port 2 connected to a 10/100 switch which was connected to a gigabit ethernet storage device
-Port 3 connected to a second DGS-2208...Read more

This is the best unmanaged switch I've been able to find. Unmanaged means that the unit does not have an ethernet interface that can be used to prioritize traffic flow. Unmanaged switches are by far the most common type, and for most residential applications will do the job for significantly less money.

The switch operates at full speed, and I haven't had any signs of 100 Mbp/s devices causing it to slow down other devices. I checked this, and it operates each device plugged into it at full speed regardless of the speed of the other devices. Some people say it does slow down, so perhaps there are multiple revisions out there. The two that I have were purchased in August 2007 and do not have a problem with this.

The ports are well spaced, and it is easy to plug in and remove cables, even ones with plastic overmolded snagless heads. I've had other switches in the past that had the ports so close together that I started leaving every other port open just...Read more

Hi guys/girls,

I noticed that the first review for this item quoted what I had written in a review on Newegg so I thought I'd clear up some discrepancies between what users have been writing in recent reviews compared to earlier ones.

From what I understand of this product, hardware version 2 has no problems in a mixed network. However, from my testing when I bought the DGS-2208 and from D-Link's E-mail support, hardware version 1 shunts all ports to the lowest active connection.

My initial testing had been done between two computers, one with a raid0 array on a gaming machine and the other a file server with raid1. Both machines had their software firewalls removed and the connections between the two computers and the DGS-2208 used Category 6 cables. Both machines have EXPI9300PT Intel Nics. Transfer speeds were between 600Mbit/s - 700Mbit/s, per iperf.

Adding a connection to a dns caching machine that had a rl8139 chipset nic or...Read more