In this article, we’re going to look at what is the best 8-Port PoE Switch.
There are many different types of switches, but consumers generally start out with a 10/100/1000Mbps unmanaged switch. As time goes on, you might find that you’d like to power devices that require a PoE, upgrade to 10GbE, or even start creating VLANs with a managed switch. All of these are examples of why you might want to or need to upgrade to a new switch.
There are other examples as well, but the key point is that you generally find that the switch that you own might need to be upgraded if you’re looking to do something more than connect devices. We will look at what is the best 8-port PoE switch below.
To be clear, there are tons of options that you can purchase in the switch category and we’ll be looking at “what is the best 8-port PoE switch” in terms of my personal favorites for varying price ranges.
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What is the Best 8-Port PoE Switch?
There are many different options that you can purchase, but there are two key questions that you need to answer when purchasing a PoE switch:
Do I need PoE, PoE+, or PoE++?
The main difference between PoE, PoE+, and PoE++ is the total amount of power that can be delivered to the devices that will be connecting to the switch.
The PoE information below is for educational purposes only. Don’t get overwhelmed – all you need to do is read the specifications for the device that you’d like to power (phone, access point, camera, etc.) to determine if it requires PoE, PoE+, or PoE++.
- PoE (IEEE 802.3af): 15.4 watt maximum over ethernet.
- PoE+ (IEEE 802.3at): 25.5 watt maximum over ethernet.
- PoE++ (IEEE 802.3bt)
- Type 3: 51-watt maximum over ethernet.
- Type 4: 71-watt maximum over ethernet.
To be clear, PoE++ is generally not supported on consumer-grade 8-port switches, so you’ll need to upgrade to a higher-end switch or purchase a PoE++ injector if you require that.
How much total power do I need?
Each switch that you purchase will have a maximum amount of power that it can deliver to the devices that will be connecting to it. In this scenario, higher is better, but that simple statement isn’t the complete story.
If you’ll be using low-powered devices, this is less of a concern than if you’ll be using a mix of higher-powered and lower-powered devices.
The key takeaway is that the switch’s total wattage must be less than the total wattage that the devices will draw. You’ll have to assess that based on the devices you’d like to connect.
Now that we answered both questions, we will look at what is the best 8-port PoE switch.
Best 8-Port PoE Switches
The devices below are from least expensive to most expensive.
Aumox SG308P
This device is an unmanaged switch, meaning that it cannot be customized and is strictly used as a plug-and-play device.
The Aumox SG308P has 8 x 1GbE ports and has PoE+ capabilities for all ports with a 120W maximum power budget (30W max for an individual port). This is an extremely powerful device at a great price point, however, it comes from a brand that few have most likely heard of. That’s not to say it’s a bad device as it’s a great device for the price, but something to mention.
Click here to purchase the Aumox SG308P on Amazon
KEY TAKEAWAYS
- 8 x 1GbE ports
- 8 x PoE/PoE+
- Total PoE Power Budget: 120W
TP-LINK TL-SG1008P V4
This device is a managed switch, meaning that it can be customized to act as more than a simple switch.
The TP-Link TL-SG1008P V4 has 8 x 1GbE ports and has PoE+ capabilities, but only for 4 of the 8 ports with a total power budget of 64W.
Click here to purchase the TP-Link TL-SG1008P V4 on Amazon
KEY TAKEAWAYS
- 8 x 1GbE ports
- 4 x PoE/PoE+
- Total PoE Power Budget: 64W
- Limited Lifetime Protection
NETGEAR GS108PEv3
This device is a managed switch, meaning that it can be customized to act as more than a simple plug-and-play switch.
The NETGEAR GS108PEv3 has 8 x 1GbE ports and has 4 x PoE capabilities with a total power budget of 53W. The main draw with this switch is that it’s a managed switch with a limited lifetime warranty from a trusted brand, but if you need PoE+ capabilities, check out the TP-Link TL-SG1008P V4 above.
Click here to purchase the NETGEAR GS108PEv3 on Amazon
KEY TAKEAWAYS
- 8 x 1GbE ports
- 4 x PoE
- Total PoE Power Budget: 53W
- Limited Lifetime Protection
TP-LINK TL-SG1008MP V2
This device is an unmanaged switch, meaning that it cannot be customized and is strictly used as a plug-and-play device.
The TP-LINK TL-SG1008MP V2 has 8 x 1GbE ports and has PoE+ capabilities for all ports with a total power budget of 153W. If you need a lot of power in an 8-port switch, this is the one.
Click here to purchase the TP-LINK TL-SG1008MP V2 on Amazon
KEY TAKEAWAYS
- 8 x 1GbE ports
- 8 x PoE/PoE+
- Total PoE Power Budget: 153W
- Limited Lifetime Protection
NETGEAR GS308PP
This device is an unmanaged switch, meaning that it cannot be customized and is strictly used as a plug-and-play device.
The NETGEAR GS308PP has 8 x 1GbE ports and has PoE+ capabilities with a total power budget of 83W. I’d recommend looking at the TP-LINK TL-SG1008MP above if you’re interested in 8 x PoE+ ports as the total power budget is significantly higher (153W), but this is a good device for the money.
Click here to purchase the NETGEAR GS308PP on Amazon
KEY TAKEAWAYS
- 8 x 1GbE ports
- 8 x PoE/PoE+
- Total PoE Power Budget: 83W
- Desktop/wall mount
Conclusion – What is the Best 8-Port PoE Switch?
After looking at what is the best 8-port PoE switch, these are my personal favorites that I think most consumers will be happy with. There are tons of different options in this category, but I tried to narrow it down to three choices that most users would be very happy with.
I always suggest doing your own research on what is the best 8-port PoE switch, as you might find that an individual item is a much better fit for you, but this is a general baseline.
Thanks so much for checking out the article on what is the best 8-port PoE switch!
