Now that I’ve had Google Fiber for a couple of months, and have an idea of how I want to initially rearrange my home network, I decided to purchase a gigabit switch.
I buy a lot from Amazon.com, and, for me, the choice came down to two switches: The TRENDnet 8-Port Unmanaged Gigabit GREENnet Standard Switch (8 x 10/100/1000Mbps) and The NETGEAR GS105 ProSafe 5-Port Gigabit Ethernet Desktop Switch – 10/100/1000 Mbps.
Prior to Google Fiber, I used Netgear for most of my home networking needs, and have been satisfied with their products, but, for this purchase, I decided to try the TRENDnet switch. The user reviews for both switches were very good, but since I knew I would be making another switch purchase in the future, I chose TRENDnet this time, and will probably buy the Netgear switch next time.
After receiving the TRENDnet switch, I can say that I am happy with the choice. The TRENDnet gigabit switch felt as solid as my old Netgear 10/100 switch, and the power cord could easily reach my powerstrip (the cord is at least 4.5 ft).
I had decided to use this switch in the same room as the Google Fiber Network box, and, after connecting it to the network box, I tested it first with my computer that had the fastest Google Fiber connection speed, my MacBook Pro 13 in laptop (mid 2009).
When connected to the TRENDnet switch, I achieved approx. the same 720 -740 mbps download/upload speed as when the Macbook is connected directly to the network box. So, my first impression is all positive, and I will update if anything changes.
