Linksys EG008W Gigabit 8-Port Workgroup Switch

Company: Linksys
Product: EG008W Gigabit Switch
Street Price: ~$175
Date Reviewed: July 31, 2003
Reviewed By: Jason Rabel

Introduction:

Many new computers these days include a gigabit capable network adapter, however most small networks are only 100Mb because of the high cost for a gigabit switch. Linksys has broken that barrier with both an 8 and 5 port gigabit switch that comes in well under $200! I'm not just talking about a single gigabit port either, every port on these switches are 10/100/1000 Mb capable! Today we are going to look at the 8 port version, the EG008W.

Specifications:

It is worth mentioning a couple things that aren't really listed in the specs. First, there is a fan inside, so noise can be an issue. Second, this switch does NOT support jumbo frames, so the connection will tend to get saturated well before full gigabit speeds are reached.

• Model Number: EG008W

• Standards: IEEE 802.3, 802.3u, 802.3x, 802.3ab

• Ports: 8 RJ-45 10/100/1000 Mbps ports, auto-sensing half/full duplex

  • All ports suppport auto MDI/MDI-X cable detection

• Cabling Type: Category 5e Recommended

• LEDs: Power, Link/Act, Speed, FDX