$49.99 | Tenda 8-Port Unmanaged Ethernet Switch w/ 8x 2.5G GE/2x 2.5G SFP w/ NAS Support at Amazon

Xamindar

Jul 16, 2026 4:14 PM

3.8K Comments

Joined Oct 2006

XamindarJul 16, 2026 4:14 PM

3.8K Comments

Never heard of a 2.5g sfp slot before. Are there even any sfp out there that runs at 2.5?

1

Simpuhl

Jul 16, 2026 4:30 PM

983 Comments

Joined Oct 2013

SimpuhlJul 16, 2026 4:30 PM

983 Comments

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Quote from Xamindar

:

Never heard of a 2.5g sfp slot before. Are there even any sfp out there that runs at 2.5?

Same here, I had to look it up because I was curious. It turns out 2.5G SFP slots are incredibly rare and an absolute compatibility minefield.

Almost all modern multi-gig SFP equipment is built around 1Gbps (SFP) or 10Gbps (SFP+) architectures. Because these cages are strictly capped at 2.5Gbps, standard 10G copper transceivers or DAC cables won't even link up or talk to the switch fabric.

Finding transceiver modules that natively support a hard 2.5Gbps sync inside an SFP slot is a nightmare. Even if you manage to find a specialized module, it completely defeats the purpose of an SFP uplink. You end up paying an 'SFP adapter tax' just to get the exact same speed that's already built natively into the copper ports next to it.

If anyone is looking for a cheap multi-gig setup with a proper backbone pipeline, you are much better off ignoring this and looking at the white-label unmanaged switches on Amazon (like YuanLey or GiGaPlus). For around $111, they give you the same 8 x 2.5G ports but include two native 10Gb RJ45 copper ports built right into the motherboard. They plug right into existing house Cat6 wiring, run cooler, and don't require hunting down weird, rare adapters.

8

3

desynergy

Jul 16, 2026 7:26 PM

4.7K Comments

Joined Jul 2012

desynergyJul 16, 2026 7:26 PM

4.7K Comments

Quote from Xamindar

:

Never heard of a 2.5g sfp slot before. Are there even any sfp out there that runs at 2.5?

It's "newish". Usually 1 and 10 are the standard, but since fiber companies are rolling out 2.5Gb fiber service, I'm not surprised to seeing these pop up. We should be seeing 5g next.

1

lostmyoldsdaccount

Jul 17, 2026 1:15 PM

351 Comments

Joined Aug 2023

lostmyoldsdaccountJul 17, 2026 1:15 PM

351 Comments

Tenda products have malware. Stay away.

1

3

zyberwoof

Jul 20, 2026 5:56 PM

1.1K Comments

Joined Jun 2006

zyberwoofJul 20, 2026 5:56 PM

1.1K Comments

Quote from Simpuhl

:

Same here, I had to look it up because I was curious. It turns out 2.5G SFP slots are incredibly rare and an absolute compatibility minefield.

Almost all modern multi-gig SFP equipment is built around 1Gbps (SFP) or 10Gbps (SFP+) architectures. Because these cages are strictly capped at 2.5Gbps, standard 10G copper transceivers or DAC cables won't even link up or talk to the switch fabric.

Finding transceiver modules that natively support a hard 2.5Gbps sync inside an SFP slot is a nightmare. Even if you manage to find a specialized module, it completely defeats the purpose of an SFP uplink. You end up paying an 'SFP adapter tax' just to get the exact same speed that's already built natively into the copper ports next to it.

If anyone is looking for a cheap multi-gig setup with a proper backbone pipeline, you are much better off ignoring this and looking at the white-label unmanaged switches on Amazon (like YuanLey or GiGaPlus). For around $111, they give you the same 8 x 2.5G ports but include two native 10Gb RJ45 copper ports built right into the motherboard. They plug right into existing house Cat6 wiring, run cooler, and don't require hunting down weird, rare adapters.

I'm not disagreeing with you at all. I wouldn't purchase this, as the price seems high. I'd find an 8x2.5 copper + 1x10 SFP+ switch. But here are a few reasons I think someone could benefit from SFP+ ports like these:

You have old Datacenter gear and want to use an included SFP+ port, even if it is 1 Gbps.
You've got a newer modem or router for your home that includes 2.5 Gbps SFP+.
You'd like to run data to a separate building where fiber is preferable to copper.
You'd like to reduce the risk of a lightning strike impacting multiple systems. (Power surges can travel over copper.)

To reiterate, I don't think this deal is great. If I'm going to be annoyed by SFP+ ports in my prosumer home lab, I'd like them to be 10+ Gbps.

Simpuhl

Jul 23, 2026 6:17 PM

983 Comments

Joined Oct 2013

SimpuhlJul 23, 2026 6:17 PM

983 Comments

Quote from zyberwoof

:

I'm not disagreeing with you at all. I wouldn't purchase this, as the price seems high. I'd find an 8x2.5 copper + 1x10 SFP+ switch. But here are a few reasons I think someone could benefit from SFP+ ports like these:

You have old Datacenter gear and want to use an included SFP+ port, even if it is 1 Gbps.
You've got a newer modem or router for your home that includes 2.5 Gbps SFP+.
You'd like to run data to a separate building where fiber is preferable to copper.
You'd like to reduce the risk of a lightning strike impacting multiple systems. (Power surges can travel over copper.)

To reiterate, I don't think this deal is great. If I'm going to be annoyed by SFP+ ports in my prosumer home lab, I'd like them to be 10+ Gbps.

That's fair, but I was looking at this strictly from a consumer/home-lab perspective anyway. No actual business is sourcing critical infrastructure gear on Slickdeals or buying white-label brands off Amazon, they use enterprise vendors. For the average home user looking for a cheap multi-gig setup, the Amazon alternatives just make way more sense than dealing with a 2.5G SFP compatibility nightmare.

1

$49.99 | Tenda 8-Port Unmanaged Ethernet Switch w/ 8x 2.5G GE/2x 2.5G SFP w/ NAS Support at Amazon

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