TP-Link LS1005G, Litewave 5 Port Gigabit Ethernet Unmanaged Switch $9.99

Hooktonfonnix

Jul 29, 2026 4:22 PM

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Joined Aug 2020

HooktonfonnixJul 29, 2026 4:22 PM

55 Comments

I've been waiting on a deal for a small network switch for my new house. Thanks!

2

palmoyas

Jul 29, 2026 8:30 PM

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Joined Dec 2016

palmoyasJul 29, 2026 8:30 PM

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I grabbed the 8 port for $14.99.

5

artcab

Pro

Jul 30, 2026 1:17 AM

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artcab

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Jul 30, 2026 1:17 AM

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Quote from palmoyas

:

I grabbed the 8 port for $14.99.

Smart move IMO - 5 ports fill up fast, considering you'll populate 3 ports right out of the box. Better to have the headroom of the 8 port. I've helped out a couple folks with their SOHO setups, and the 5 ports usuallty end up in the e-cycle pile.

bootymonger

Jul 30, 2026 1:53 PM

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Joined Sep 2014

bootymongerJul 30, 2026 1:53 PM

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Our community has rated this post as helpful. If you agree, why not thank bootymonger

Depending on your needs, don't forget that you can usually set an old unused wifi router to AP mode (with wifi disabled if you don't need it) and use that as a quick 5-port switch (WAN becomes another normal port in AP mode).

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palmoyas

Jul 30, 2026 5:44 PM

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Joined Dec 2016

palmoyasJul 30, 2026 5:44 PM

979 Comments

Quote from bootymonger

:

Depending on your needs, don't forget that you can usually set an old unused wifi router to AP mode (with wifi disabled if you don't need it) and use that as a quick 5-port switch (WAN becomes another normal port in AP mode).

Didn't know this!

1

kevinbh93

Jul 30, 2026 11:17 PM

148 Comments

Joined Nov 2007

kevinbh93Jul 30, 2026 11:17 PM

148 Comments

Quote from artcab

:

Smart move IMO - 5 ports fill up fast, considering you'll populate 3 ports right out of the box. Better to have the headroom of the 8 port. I've helped out a couple folks with their SOHO setups, and the 5 ports usuallty end up in the e-cycle pile.

Why three ports right out of the box? I understand saying two since you'll have one for connection to the rest of the network and then a second one for the component you're expanding to. What's the third?

artcab

Pro

Jul 30, 2026 11:42 PM

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artcab

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Jul 30, 2026 11:42 PM

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Quote from kevinbh93

:

Why three ports right out of the box? I understand saying two since you'll have one for connection to the rest of the network and then a second one for the component you're expanding to. What's the third?

The third is the uplink to the rest of the wired network.

kevinbh93

Jul 30, 2026 11:45 PM

148 Comments

Joined Nov 2007

kevinbh93Jul 30, 2026 11:45 PM

148 Comments

Quote from artcab

:

The third is the uplink to the rest of the wired network.

I already covered that one. It was the first one I mentioned. That activates the other four ports for connection. So, you could say two because you're only expanding it because you have something to connect to it. What's the third?

artcab

Pro

Jul 31, 2026 12:33 AM

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artcab

Pro

Jul 31, 2026 12:33 AM

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Quote from kevinbh93

:

I already covered that one. It was the first one I mentioned. That activates the other four ports for connection. So, you could say two because you're only expanding it because you have something to connect to it. What's the third?

As an example, I have a network cable connected to the back of my PC on my desk. I want to add a network printer next to that PC, and it's not practical to run an additional cable back to the switch or router that the PC's cable is connected to - I buy an unmanaged switch, put it on my desk, plug in the cable that was previously plugged in to my PC to the uplink port on the switch (in fact ANY port on the back of the switch, as even these unmanaged switches can figure out which of their ports is the uplink), and then use a patch cable to connect the PC to any of the other unoccupied ports, and another patch cable to connect the network printer to any of the other unoccupied ports. 3 ports - one for the uplink, one each for the PC and printer.

An unmanaged switch that's uplinked to the remainder of the network on one port and only has one additional device plugged in to it (like a PC) on another port (2 ports in use) is an unnecessary use of a switch, consuming unnecessary power as it's plugged in, and adding additional unneeded network overhead - the "uplink" cable can simply be plugged in to the back of the PC, no need for a switch.

Last edited by artcab July 30, 2026 at 06:20 PM.

kevinbh93

Jul 31, 2026 2:52 PM

148 Comments

Joined Nov 2007

kevinbh93Jul 31, 2026 2:52 PM

148 Comments

Quote from artcab

:

As an example, I have a network cable connected to the back of my PC on my desk. I want to add a network printer next to that PC, and it's not practical to run an additional cable back to the switch or router that the PC's cable is connected to - I buy an unmanaged switch, put it on my desk, plug in the cable that was previously plugged in to my PC to the uplink port on the switch (in fact ANY port on the back of the switch, as even these unmanaged switches can figure out which of their ports is the uplink), and then use a patch cable to connect the PC to any of the other unoccupied ports, and another patch cable to connect the network printer to any of the other unoccupied ports. 3 ports - one for the uplink, one each for the PC and printer.

An unmanaged switch that's uplinked to the remainder of the network on one port and only has one additional device plugged in to it (like a PC) on another port (2 ports in use) is an unnecessary use of a switch, consuming unnecessary power as it's plugged in, and adding additional unneeded network overhead - the "uplink" cable can simply be plugged in to the back of the PC, no need for a switch.

I can see where you're coming from.

1

hy_tek

Aug 1, 2026 2:02 AM

4.7K Comments

Joined May 2007

hy_tekAug 1, 2026 2:02 AM

4.7K Comments

Bought the one with the metal case and connection indicator lights for $13 in another deal here. Much nicer unit.

enzolt

Aug 1, 2026 4:52 AM

799 Comments

Joined Dec 2007

enzoltAug 1, 2026 4:52 AM

799 Comments

Quote from hy_tek

:

Bought the one with the metal case and connection indicator lights for $13 in another deal here. Much nicer unit.

Link?

make_moneys

Aug 2, 2026 5:11 PM

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Joined Jan 2009

make_moneysAug 2, 2026 5:11 PM

7.8K Comments

Quote from bootymonger

:

Depending on your needs, don't forget that you can usually set an old unused wifi router to AP mode (with wifi disabled if you don't need it) and use that as a quick 5-port switch (WAN becomes another normal port in AP mode).

How's the latency on a repurposed router? It might be higher than a barebone switch . These things have minimal latency because they're driverless

Last edited by make_moneys August 2, 2026 at 10:16 AM.

bootymonger

Aug 2, 2026 6:57 PM

2K Comments

Joined Sep 2014

bootymongerAug 2, 2026 6:57 PM

2K Comments

Quote from make_moneys

:

How's the latency on a repurposed router? It might be higher than a barebone switch . These things have minimal latency because they're driverless

Depends on how old the router is, I suppose, but it's generally a non-issue, like 1ms or less since we're talking about wired connections. In AP mode the router turns off most of the stuff that might cause latency and it pretty much becomes an unmanaged switch. Even in router mode the wired connection hardly adds any latency (unless it's a cheap/old underpowered router trying to do too much, perhaps). If it's a gigabit router from the last 15 years or whatever, it probably won't add much latency. If it's like 20+ years old and only 100 Mbps, maybe it will. If you're using it as a wireless AP/bridge, that's a different story, but even then it's probably fine especially if you're just using it for streaming, browsing, etc. The other other issue is it might be less efficient in terms of power consumption and on a long enough timeline it might use more in electricity cost than this $10 switch. 2 watts takes like 2-4 years to cost $10 depending on your power cost. If this is 4 watts less than whatever AP mode router you have, then "pays for itself in power savings" will obviously be sooner. Of course, by then a chicken sandwich combo will probably cost $20 (if it doesn't already), so it's all relative.

TP-Link LS1005G, Litewave 5 Port Gigabit Ethernet Unmanaged Switch $9.99

$9.99

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