Info on the

Netgear GS605

5-port Gigabit
Ethernet Switch

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Introduction and Documentation :

In the 2006 to 2010 timeframe, I bought a couple of ethernet switch boxes for my home computer network.

We have wired ethernet in our house --- which I think is more reliable and faster than wireless ethernet. In several rooms of our house, we have an ethernet socket on the wall.

In each of those rooms, we have multiple devices (at least one computer and at least one printer) that we might want to connect to the home ethernet simultaneously. For example, we may want to share a printer on the home network --- and we may want to connect more than one computer in a room to the Internet without having to disconnect and re-connect ethernet cables.

I first bought a Dynex model DX-ESW8 8-port 10/100M fast ethernet switch (from the local BestBuy store), and I was using it in a room where I had 3 desktop computers and one printer connected to the switch box. But one day, I found that my connection to the Internet, from my main desktop computer, was dead --- after months of experiencing intermittently bad internet response times. (I know now that it was the fault of this switch.)

It turned out that the switch box was 'fried'. I thought it was a faulty switch box. I ordered another switch box --- a Netgear GS605 5-port Gigabit ethernet switch --- from J&R on 13 Sep 2010.

But within a few weeks of connecting that switch to the several devices, I found that that switch was dead --- when I lost my Internet connection on my main desktop computer, again.

I suspect there may be a bad socket on the UPS (Uninterruptible Power Supply) to which the 2 failed switches were connected. (Or, perhaps, the D-Link print server on the printer caused the failures.) However ... see the ethernet switch reviews at the bottom of this page.

I may try to track down the cause someday, but for now, I am making do without using ethernet switches. I am not using the network-attached printer, nor 2 of the desktop computers in that room.

In any case, I am using this web page as a collection point for information on the Netgear GS605 switch.

There was no CD in the box --- just a small, 5 page installation brochure. So there was no manual in digital (PDF) form delivered with the switch.

However, following is information that I have gleaned from the Internet.

Here is/was a Netgear web page for the GS605 5-port Gigabit ethernet switch.

If that link goes dead, you can try navigating the Netgear web site at netgear.com.

If you want additional information on the Netgear ethernet switches, you can try a WEB SEARCH on keywords such as "netgear" ethernet switch. You can add a model identifier.

Reviews and reliablity:

Here are 1-star (out of 5) reviews at amazon.com --- for a Netgear GS605NA switch. (Amazon did not have but 1 review of the GS605 --- not enough to depend on.)

A sample review of 2012 Mar 5:
"I purchased over 100 of these [GS605NA] switches and they have a very high failure rate. I have already had most of them fail and have had to throw them away. The NetGear Prosafe switches are very reliable."

In looking at the 1-star reviews of some other switches in the less than $50 range, I find that there are a disturbing number of reports like this --- even though the overall-average rating may be 4-star. Too many reports of intermittent reduction of response times, gross slow downs in disk access (batch data transfers), and too many total failures.

I think I will avoid ethernet switches unless absolutely necessary --- and, if needed, then look for a switch with relatively few 1-star reviews.

Bottom of this page of info on
the Netgear GS605 5-port Gigabit ethernet switch.

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Page was created 2012 Mar 25.

Page was changed 2019 Jan 09.
(Added css and javascript to try to handle text-size for smartphones, esp. in portrait orientation.)