D-Link’s 8-port gigabit switch (D-Link DGS-1008G 8-Port Gigabit Desktop Switch) is a great product. It’s a breeze to install – just plug in power and your ethernet cables and you now have a gigabit-capable network that works with gigabit or slower devices with no need to configure anything. This worked great to give me faster access to files shared over the network and my NAS (review of that coming soon). The LEDs on the switch easily tell you which ports are connected at gigabit speeds with a green light and which are fast ethernet (100Mbps) or slower with an amber light while flashing to indicate traffic.
I bought this switch to add gigabit capability to my network once I added a NAS. It worked great to do that but it interferes with one of my other “requirements”. I really like the idea of always having access to files on my computer or NAS no matter where I am but I don’t like the idea of having a higher electric bill and leaving the computer on all the time. Both my computers and the NAS support Wake-On-LAN and it works great when plugged into the router (Using DD-WRT remote administration of the router to send WoL from any browser or LogMeIn‘s Wake abilities) but it doesn’t work at all once I move the devices to the switch. This means I can have WoL by plugging into the router but only 100Mbps speed or no WoL and gigabit speeds. Unfortunately, this means the switch doesn’t accomplish what I purchased it for.
The switch is part of D-Link’s “green” line of products. Normally, I’m all for energy savings of any kind but I can save far more electricity using wake-on-LAN and shutting off my computer than this switch can save by turning off a port when it’s not in use. I’ll probably hold onto the gigabit switch since it works great and is a breeze to install but I’m left looking for either a gigabit router that supports DD-WRT or remote administration/WoL or a different gigabit switch that doesn’t have these interfering green “features”. The fact that they exist means even more product research is required before the next purchase.
Overall, the switch has a great look to it and a low profile. Of course, it looks better before all the cables are plugged into it but it’s also very functional and a breeze to setup. Unfortunately, it doesn’t fit my needs perfectly because of the WoL issue detailed above but other than that, it has been a solid switch that has sped up large file transfers and increased the number of ports available for networking. If you’re looking to expand your networking or upgrade to gigabit speeds and WoL doesn’t matter, the D-Link DGS-1008G 8-Port Gigabit Desktop Switch is a very affordable, solid option.