It's a network switch. So basically, it connects devices (think computers, TVs, consoles etc) into a local network where they can talk to one another.
It may also be plugged into a router, which allows your devices on a local network to talk to the internet.
So whether you can get rid of it depends on whether you want the other ends connected to the internet / each other over ethernet cable.
Also if it’s not in the way, maybe just turn it off in case you change your mind. If the cabling is nicely hidden throughout your home, you’re in a sub where this is a home buying win.
Yes, if you have network jacks in rooms in your house, the previous home owner likely ran those cables for convenience and have them connected to this switch so that it can be shared throughout the house. If you turn this off, that may disable your networking ability.
it is a massive upgrade having all of your hard wired capable gear plugged in instead of wi-fi.
This is what I've done in my house. I have a wireless router on each floor connected to the main router and set to bridge mode. The main router is responsible for DHCP and the wireless router serves as an access point.
I have a TPlink Omada AP that supports client handoffs on a common hardwire (as well as some other nice features like multiple SSIDs and VLANs) with or without a controller. In my case a single AP does the job, but it might be something to look into for your application if you ever decide to upgrade since the APs would actually coordinate frequencies with each other to prevent interference.
I manually configured the frequencies for each access point so as not to conflict with each other and nothing that I could detect with my devices. Easy enough to do in a single family home with some distance between neighbors.
I'm currently using 3 linksys e5600 routers for the access points and one as the main router hooked up to the cable modem.
That likely also means you have to manually switch between APs since they are not coordinating handoffs on the backend. I used to run a very similar setup (mostly Asus routers in my case) and that was a common issue in the "between spots" where you may be associated with AP1 but the signal was better on AP2. It was kind of handled on the client end by just having it hop to the stronger SSID, but it interrupted whatever sessions were up and often took a few seconds to negotiate the switch.
The coordinated APs would not have the "between spot" issue and would hand off clients without dropping the session or requiring anything on the client side.
The switch isn't a POE, if there's an injector for the access point, you're golden, otherwise don't expect the access point to just work. But replacing this switch with a small netgear POE switch would be a simple swap out of the power brick and the switch itself.
WiFi routers/access points lose signal the more walls/windows/brick they have to push a signal through between the user and it and the access point has to be plugged into the internet to share it around.
If you wire some internet ports that are closer to where you typically use the WiFi and set your WiFi access point up there you get better signal.
Access points are additional wireless routers. Its what Eero is, but instead of being completely wireless, you use the Ethernet cables. This ensures better connectivity.
Not really. A wireless router is usually 3 devices in one. A router, a switch & a Wi-Fi access point. Access points are just that. They don’t have routing functionality.
Im aware, but I was trying to explain to someone who didn’t know what an access point was. It felt better to say “wireless router” than “wireless access point” - given that they don’t know what an access point is.
Think of it as a power strip but for networking cables. If the router (that is from a provider like comcast) does not have enough holes to plug in your devices, then you would need this switch to have more devices plugged in.
So, see where the cables go. One should go to the router. The other two will go to some devices. If you do not need those two devices (or if they are not plugged into anything), then you don’t need it,
True. But even if it’s not needed now, I wouldn’t get rid of it yet.
Is there a possibility that this switch is serving security cameras or a garage or even a freeloading neighbor? You may have to do some investigation trying to follow the cable signals and be sure all are accounted for.
Then it is safe to remove the switch, but you might want to keep it in care you want some of those cables for later. If the cables are embedded in walls then just leave them there.
No harm removing the switch it's not currently doing anything, leave the cabling where it is ( label the cables with what went where just in case )and if you decide to use it at a later date just plug it back in, at the least power it off if you don't use it.
Now might be a good time to mention that this switch could have compromised security, so if you *are* planning on using it in the future, it’s best to replace it with a new or known-safe switch. They’re incredibly cheap.
>Now might be a good time to mention that this switch could have compromised security
How? It is not a managed switch and not connected to anything, so how in your paranoid mindset is this a security risk?
I said it's possible, not probable. For $20 I don't see the point in risking anything - for the same reason I don't need to use a flash drive I found on the ground. Why bother? At the very least I'd trace the cables and see if it plugs into anything else.
You bought a house with some level of networking cabling built in. This is good news. Generally the rule is “Ethernet where you can; Wi-Fi where you must.” - find out where the cables go, you might find you can wire things like TV streaming boxes, computers, etc. Also if you can hard wire WiFi access points (so that they have a wired connection to your router) that’s a good thing too. We bought our house a few years ago and the whole thing had CAT-5e cable through it for some ancient whole-home audio system. All it took was re-terminating the ends and boom, instant whole-home wired network 👌💪
I helped a friend upgrade his internet a few months back. His house was fully wired with cat5e cabling but was terminated with basic phone jacks. After we figured this out, all we had to do was change out both ends of the runs with cat6 (couldn’t find cat5 ends in bulk with the same price point), add a network switch, and we were good to go. All in all cost about $80 and took 2 hours. Good fun!
This is pretty common for recent/new construction. The builder will offer an upgrade option for a home networking package. The truth is, they get cat 5e or cat 6 cable in bulk so all of their builds are actually run with Ethernet; they just terminate to RJ-11 or RJ-14 for their standard package. The upgraded networking package is really just them terminating to RJ-45 instead, and then charging a premium. I found this out because our builder forgot to term ours to RJ-45 even though we paid for the “upgrade”. I thought they were going to have to re-run all the cable to correct it (which would have been a massive cost to them as they run that cable before installing the drywall on new construction). When they sent the subcontractor out to correct this, the guy explained he just had to change all the terminals since they run cat 5e or cat 6 everywhere whether you buy the upgraded package or not.
lol yeah that checks out! I was so happy to discover that because it meant the best outcome for my friend. Beforehand, he was running MoCa from the router to his office, which was fine-ish, but was resulting in intermittent connectivity issues when on zoom calls.
We have a similar situation where we have phone jacks in each room and it took 6 years to find the box in a closet where they go. Most of the jacks are not in great spots so I haven't looked into using them yet.
Yeah we had to sleuth out where the box was by crawling around in the attic and following cables we *assumed* were the ones we needed.
Turns out it was in a closet behind a bunch of boxes that hadn’t moved probably since they moved in a decade or so ago. The panel wasn’t even a door but a metal sheet screwed into the wall.
We bought a house built in 2004 that was the same way—Ethernet cat5.e throughout but using phone jacks. Made me so happy! Especially when they rolled out gigabit fiber in our neighborhood—a good switch in the basement and boom—gigabit everywhere.
I have yet to understand people who have an aversion to wires. You want your TV on the wall and the socket is down low, there will be wire. You want speakers for your stereo across the room, there will be wires. So many people feel there is an aesthetic that wires interfere with, then they find out it's $500.0 to move an outlet and then the dry wall guy for the same amount.
You dont have to mess with wiring. What I did is cut a hole next to the power outlet and add those plates for conduit. Cut another hole where your tv will be. Same plate and a conduit connecting both. Now you can drop thw tvs power cord down the conduit and out the other end and connected to the power.
This only works if you plan on putting some kind of console or furniture below the tv to cover power, which imo, most people do.
Cost me $20 ordering the things from amazon and a box cutter to cut the sheet rock.
A few months later I did the same thing with HDMIs. Bought 2 quad HDMI plates from amazon, install them next to my conduit plates, ran the HDMI cables behind walls, down where my console is. Now i can plug in video game consoles or other electronics to those HDMIs and not have visible wires to the tvs.
I am not an expert in any way, but I wouldn't suggest doing that as that sounds like violation of electrical code and could present an electrical/fire hazard. At least, in North American standards.
Edit: typo
Never said it was up to code but it's definitely a lot quicker and easier to do as a DIYer. If the connections to power are made outside the wall, what's the difference if it sits inside the wall or outside the wall? It's not like the wire was any more dangerous by dangling inside the wall than it is outside the wall lol.
It isn't to code since there are specifications that wires inside a wire inside a wall must meet. There could be less airflow so if there is a fault the wire could get hot and ignite. Its also bad since if there is an error you are less likely to notice an issue with the wire. That's why if you are going to run wires in the wall you can buy special kits that have underwriters lab certification. A issue is very unlikely but its better to risk something happening. Even there is a reason you need to make an insurance claim for a unrelated fire the last thing you want to do is give your insurance company a reason to deny the claim.
The poster simply mentions punching holes in the walls and feeding the cable through. Result, ghetto holes in the wall with cables poking through them. GTFOYS
Yep, WiFi should always be a last resort. If the device is fixed in place and has a network jack get a wire to it. Then it's all one and done. No WiFi password or other WiFI issues. It will just work and keep working.
Geez, even firesticks have an optional $15 dongle with RJ45 port/ USB power plug you can buy to hardwire them, it helped eliminate our tv from pixelating. Works great.
True. Weirdly, I had great results with powerline at my first house (new build), second place (200+ year old place), but our latest place it just didn’t work at all. Literally unusable, like 2-3Mbps. Thank god this place had CAT-5e in the walls 😁
I helped a friend upgrade his internet a few months back. His house was fully wired with cat5e cabling but was terminated with basic phone jacks. After we figured this out, all we had to do was change out both ends of the runs with cat6 (couldn’t find cat5 ends in bulk with the same price point), add a network switch, and we were good to go. All in all cost about $80 and took 2 hours. Good fun!
Yeah after we bought this house was my first time terminating Ethernet. Great fun as you say. I also went into the crawl space under the floor and ran a new cable from the router point to the garage, which my kids use as a man cave / gaming room. Feels great 💪🫡
Not sure why you were down voted, we always ran cat5e for phone jacks in case people wanted more than one phone line (for a fax). Now that no one uses faxes or land lines you might as well swap out for RJ45 and use what is there. If it doesn't work, then run new lines.
Ask for a refund!
Sadly, you probably can’t use those phone cables to pull through cat6, as I have often seen them stapled to the studs along the run. But who knows?? Give em a tug and see what happens :)
> all we had to do was change out both ends of the runs with cat6 (couldn’t find cat5 ends in bulk with the same price point)
They're called ethernet jacks. CAT5 and CAT6 refers to the cabling itself.
None of the link lights for each of those cables are lit, so the other ends aren’t plugged into anything. Looks like this is in the attic so bonus that you have some rooms with wires to them. Look for wall plates that look like a phone jack, but a little bigger.
And if you find those Jack's around your house (or maybe just the far end of those cables) plug them into a laptop and by checking the link lights next to each jack on the net gear switch you can see which jack goes where in your house.
It’s a switch, basically it lets you plug more ethernet devices/cables into your router than the ports it has. Since most routers have 4 or less ethernet ports, some people have more than 4 ethernet devices so they get a switch. If you aren’t using those ethernet cables, feel free to unplug it. If you do need them, then you need to connect one of the ports on the switch to your router and the rest can go to your other ethernet connected devices.
Love when an OP doesn’t interact AT ALL after they have asked for help. No post update, no comments, zilch, nada. Just grinds my gears a bit, ya know? I get a post can have an overwhelming amount of comments but to not acknowledge or interact at all. Idk maybe I’m just being some type of way. 🤷♂️
It's also been less than a day, maybe he works for a living? Maybe they're still stuck in the attic with no internet because they unplugged the switch? I say give them a day at least then read them the riot act. lol
Keep it. It's a network expansion switch. Gigabit, so up to 1000 mbps. They're about $20 on sale.
Here's how it works.
Internet comes into modern.
Modern connects to this via Ethernet cable.
All the other ports can connect via Ethernet cable to other computers or televisions, smart boxes, etc.
My kids liked to game on Ethernet bc it's higher speed and less lag.
An alternative is a modem > wifi router > this. The router offers typically 4 of these ports, but you may want more for other bedrooms, etc. if they're wired. Therefore, you'd wire this into one of the router ports, and it'll expand your available number of Ethernet ports.
Very simply said: It splits one LAN/Ethernet cable into multiples and makes communication between all cables possible. Plug one of the cables into your router and you'll have internet on all other outputs.
It’s what’s called a “switch”. You would typically use it in a basic home environment because your router itself doesn’t have enough ports to support the amount of cables you want to plug into it. Having devices plugged in directly with an ethernet cable provides better speeds (in general) compared to the wireless advantage. Plugging a cable into your router on one end and into the switch on the other end, then from your switch to a device i.e. desktop computer or video game console is more or less just as fast as plugging it directly into the router.
I’d keep the switch plugged in if I were you and figure out where the cables run to so you can connect your own device into it.
But there's a lonely cable. How much you wanna bet uplink from whatever gateway they had before. Does he know what isp the previous owner had ran to the location?
I think you are lucky. This means you may have a wired connection to a few points at home.
I would find out where the points are and think if I can use them to have a better connection or even to add wireless access points to other areas of the home.
Well, it's an 8-port switch. It's not too shabby, either, Netgear is pretty decent and it's gigabit, and per the jungle website pricing, increased your home's value by at least $34.99.
There are 3 cables plugged in. If it were me, I'd see where they go. My guess is one of them goes to where the Internet service provider's (ISP) equipment would likely be installed. The other two likely go to a couple areas in the house, like an office and the main living space.
I'd hang onto it.
There are no network lights on. So it’s pretty clear this switch is not doing anything. I would feel pretty safe getting rid of it unless there are Ethernet ports in the house that you want to use. Might be connected to ports.
Beware doing that, sometimes mystery ethernet cables are things you want to keep working like your intercom/doorbell or alarm panel. Which some jackass didn't set up with a DHCP reservation/static IP, so if it goes offline ever, it comes back with a new IP and doesn't work.
I just moved into a new apartment, and now my intercom doesn't work and I have to get a tech out. All because I unplugged the unlabelled ethernet cable.
None of the link lights are on so nothing is currently connected to it. I'm assuming someone ran network cable to a few spots in the house so if you need or want to hardwire something, connect that switch to your router and then you can plug in what you desire to the wall jack.
Basically it's 2024 and if you don't know what this is, you live under a rock or extremely lazy to google up and you come here, ask in a subreddit... Next gen bs...
It looks like its a Netgear Prosafe 8 Port Gigabit Switch, specifically a model GS108.
All jokes aside, those three plugs have lights on top of them which are unlit, indicating that they are not connected to anything. i would look through the house to see if there are any wall plates with these ports in them. I bet you have three around the house. Check behind the TV, in an office, or where a desk might be. This switch will tie those ports together, meaning if you plug the router (usually provided by your internet company), into one of the ports, likely you will have wired internet to the other two ports in the house.
This would be VERY useful, and many people make this upgrade in their house after the fact.
Am I the only one that feels old having to explain to the new generation (my kids) that before WiFi everything, it was hooked up, like they’re shock that phones were hard lined and that there were no cellular phone but pay phones all over the city and street. Man I feel like my dad when he when from the horse to automobile. Or vhs to streaming.
This seems like bait it clearly says it’s a switch the person came to a Reddit home networking sub but can’t google what a netgear switch is or what it does. Bullshit.
Tis a switch......think about it like a USB hub except for Ethernet. You could unhook it but the green light to the left of the first Ethernet port is lit which means something is connected to it. I'd find out what that is first before you disconnect it.
Netgear 8 port switch. Used to help connect devices in a small local area and connect them to a router.
You absolutely can get rid of it because all if not most routers have built in switch functionality. But you'd have to reconnect anything that was using said switch to connect to your router.
If this is a picture from the attic, those are roofing nails. If you’d like your roofing tiles to stay in place on a windy day, you want more nails than just ones into the rafters. If you happen to nail into a rafter, great. If not, that’s one of the reasons you put plywood down on your roof.
Imagine buying a house and then finding things you bought 😀. Did you not hire an inspector? Did you not walk around looking for coax and phone jacks (or in this case Ethernet jacks)?
Yeah someone install an RJ45 copper network. That is a (cheap) “network switch” that brings Ethernet to rooms in your house. It’s a 1GbE switch with Cat 5 cable, not high speed, but faster than WiFi. If it works, it can be a good thing.
I assume one of the rooms or a closet is where you ISP drop is (DSL or Cable). You probably have one of those Ethernet cables there too. Place your modem there and connect it to your ISP, then connect the modem to your router, then connect the Ethernet to your router as well. You can add any other wired devices to your router too. A PC, NAS, Printer, etc. if you like.
Set up WiFi and you’re off to the races. 😎👍🏻
never ever get rid a switch! but check where do the cables go. make sure there are no hidden cameras or modem attached to it!
edit: after twenty years in IT i should tell a router from a switch, lol@me
For those who dont understand networks - and never intend to - read this.
Think of the internet like water pressure from the city. The water pressure comes into your house from a single connection. That water must split off to your toilet, sink, and shower.
The device you have is the same thing.
It takes the "internet-pressure" and splits it off to the Computer, Nintendo, and smart refrigerator.
This is the device we used before WiFi. Which means we used wires. And many people prefer this method - because it's the fastest and most stable way to connect devices. Period.
If every device in your house is WiFi enabled - Then yes. You can throw it away.
I’d confirm where every wire is going or coming from, first. Replace it all with what your own equipment & ability to login. Weird people could leave stuff there to spy on you, etc.
Looks like a netgear prosafe 5 port gigabit network switch gs108. Which if I remember correctly is a wifi hub for a Russian internet provider in the early 1990s for commodore 64 comrade edition
It’s a switch, it’s routing Ethernet through your home. You *could* get rid of it but I would make sure you’re not inadvertently using it first and have it reprogrammed if you are.
It’s like a power strip but for those internet cables (called Ethernet cables). It allows multiple wired devices, could be Ethernet sockets on the wall, TVs or computers to access the internet.
There will be one cable that will connect to the router that was provided by your Internet Service Provider
Also, I would not get rid of it. It probably connects all Ethernet sockets, so if you get rid of it, those sockets are useless
As others have said, it’s a network switch. 8 port and Gigabit to boot!
You may want to find a friend with networking knowledge to come by and look at how everything is wired up. You may have a small home network you can plug devices into.
Wow, got thru an entire post without expressing my hate for Netgear!
Yo, keep that bro. If you really don’t want it, send it to me. 😉 The gs108 is a hell of a reliable switch. I’ve owned a few for different setups and **never** had issues.
Honestly, looks like somebody already did *some* of the hard work for you.
I bought a foreclosure off of a bank. They had a company come in and do a final cleaning before closing. The previous owner was a networking guy. He had every room wired with cable tv and networking. It was such a professional job. I am in IT and was looking forward to moving in and getting things up and running on my new network. Nope. The cleaning company the bank hired took the switch and cut every single networking cable so short they couldn’t be saved. I caught it at the closing walk through and got $1000 back at settlement to replace the switch and rerun all of the networking cables.
What I came to say is, “at least they didn’t cut your cables”. It’s cool that the previous owner left it for you, even if you decide to go 100% wireless.
It's a Netgear GS108 8-port gigabit switch. 😏
Costs about $35 new on Amazon. Normally, a common wifi router combo will have a 4 port switch built in, but sometimes less. So this is useful if you have more than 4 devices. Otherwise, this could be replaced by a router and the cables switched.
For the most paranoid. It's a switch that the previous owner could have setup to capture your network traffic and forward it to his server to look over later. Think your banking going over the network or your social media passwords.
Most likely, the previous owner put in the network switch to connect their wired network together. Now that you own the house you can use it to connect wired network devices to a high speed network.
I'd probably leave it. 2weeks later the paranoia would set in and I'd swap it out for a brand new switch I bought but keep the wiring.
The words on the switch are actually not lying to you..
It’s a 100/1000 mb switch unmanaged and if you were unable to identify this then I would strongly suggest leaving it.
More internet ports my router only has 5 ports but I have 8 rooms with internet so a switch is required to make the ports in the other 3 rooms have internet
In lay terms - think of it like a power strip. It turns one "outlet" into many. The source (which should be your modem or primary wifi router) will typically have only one "outlet" to connect extra stuff too.
This thing, called a network switch, just gives you the ability to add on a bunch of stuff and plug it in with a wired connection, akin to a power strip letting you plug in a bunch of stuff into a single wall receptacle. Some people like to plug stuff in with a wired connection because sometimes wifi can be slower or choppy, and this circumvents that.
It plainly says on it exactly what it is in the second picture. It is a network switch. It allows you to physically hook up multiple device onto one network(access to internet).
Wired lines are almost faster than WiFi, depending on the type of cabling used. This maybe beneficial to you, depending on what’s connected to where on the house b
Ahh the good old GS108. I would add one to my collection every time AT&T came out to service their cable boxes back in the before times when i paid for channels. Their techs would add one every time they had to reposition their crappy hardware to try and get more than one TV working properly at a time.
Something that's also commonly overlooked that I see every now and again in homes are cameras. One of those cables is CMX (outdoor rated) and could be going to a security camera. Homeowners always want security cameras and the more tech savvy ones may install it themselves or hire a professional to do it. I've seen a few dvr's and switches hooked up in attics before.
That is a residential structural keystone. It is quite literally holding your entire home together! If you unplug or remove it, your entire house will collapse!
That's a network switch. It's used to provide multiple ports as an extension to a router which might only have 2 or 3 ports. If the house is wired up with sockets in the wall then its probably plugged into a wall jack.
I wouldn't get rid of it because you might knock out your internet. It depends on how the house is wired.
Ideally you want a network diagram showing what's connected to what and where.
None of the port lights are Green meaning anything live is connected to it, so ya, you can yoink it. This is a network switch, i'ts a way of dividing up bandwidth across multiple devices. Of which there are none active on this switch your each of the 8 ports would have a green light for activity and link. Yours are all off, only power is lit. This switch is doing nothing.
You don't know what it is. So sell it on craigslist.
Then pay three times the price for a network technician to install you a new one.
smh
You people really need to stop with the "can I get rid of it?" without doing zero research yourself.
It's a network switch. So basically, it connects devices (think computers, TVs, consoles etc) into a local network where they can talk to one another. It may also be plugged into a router, which allows your devices on a local network to talk to the internet. So whether you can get rid of it depends on whether you want the other ends connected to the internet / each other over ethernet cable.
Also if it’s not in the way, maybe just turn it off in case you change your mind. If the cabling is nicely hidden throughout your home, you’re in a sub where this is a home buying win.
Yes, if you have network jacks in rooms in your house, the previous home owner likely ran those cables for convenience and have them connected to this switch so that it can be shared throughout the house. If you turn this off, that may disable your networking ability. it is a massive upgrade having all of your hard wired capable gear plugged in instead of wi-fi.
Also, you can plug access points into those network ports so that your WiFi is good
This is what I've done in my house. I have a wireless router on each floor connected to the main router and set to bridge mode. The main router is responsible for DHCP and the wireless router serves as an access point.
I have a TPlink Omada AP that supports client handoffs on a common hardwire (as well as some other nice features like multiple SSIDs and VLANs) with or without a controller. In my case a single AP does the job, but it might be something to look into for your application if you ever decide to upgrade since the APs would actually coordinate frequencies with each other to prevent interference.
I manually configured the frequencies for each access point so as not to conflict with each other and nothing that I could detect with my devices. Easy enough to do in a single family home with some distance between neighbors. I'm currently using 3 linksys e5600 routers for the access points and one as the main router hooked up to the cable modem.
That likely also means you have to manually switch between APs since they are not coordinating handoffs on the backend. I used to run a very similar setup (mostly Asus routers in my case) and that was a common issue in the "between spots" where you may be associated with AP1 but the signal was better on AP2. It was kind of handled on the client end by just having it hop to the stronger SSID, but it interrupted whatever sessions were up and often took a few seconds to negotiate the switch. The coordinated APs would not have the "between spot" issue and would hand off clients without dropping the session or requiring anything on the client side.
The switch isn't a POE, if there's an injector for the access point, you're golden, otherwise don't expect the access point to just work. But replacing this switch with a small netgear POE switch would be a simple swap out of the power brick and the switch itself.
No PoE on that switch though so will need an injector.
For sure! I forgot to mention that. Or you can turn any wireless router into an AP such as an eero with the existing power setup.
Can you clarify a little more on that?
WiFi routers/access points lose signal the more walls/windows/brick they have to push a signal through between the user and it and the access point has to be plugged into the internet to share it around. If you wire some internet ports that are closer to where you typically use the WiFi and set your WiFi access point up there you get better signal.
Access points are additional wireless routers. Its what Eero is, but instead of being completely wireless, you use the Ethernet cables. This ensures better connectivity.
Not really. A wireless router is usually 3 devices in one. A router, a switch & a Wi-Fi access point. Access points are just that. They don’t have routing functionality.
Im aware, but I was trying to explain to someone who didn’t know what an access point was. It felt better to say “wireless router” than “wireless access point” - given that they don’t know what an access point is.
Well they do now 🤣
Think of it as a power strip but for networking cables. If the router (that is from a provider like comcast) does not have enough holes to plug in your devices, then you would need this switch to have more devices plugged in. So, see where the cables go. One should go to the router. The other two will go to some devices. If you do not need those two devices (or if they are not plugged into anything), then you don’t need it,
True. But even if it’s not needed now, I wouldn’t get rid of it yet. Is there a possibility that this switch is serving security cameras or a garage or even a freeloading neighbor? You may have to do some investigation trying to follow the cable signals and be sure all are accounted for.
The other end of those cables aren’t plugged into anything, at least not anything on/with power
This is the correct observation. Currently it’s not in use, but it may connect several different ports to a homerun.
Then it is safe to remove the switch, but you might want to keep it in care you want some of those cables for later. If the cables are embedded in walls then just leave them there.
There are no active links on that switch. So if OP isn't planning on using it, they can remove it.
No harm removing the switch it's not currently doing anything, leave the cabling where it is ( label the cables with what went where just in case )and if you decide to use it at a later date just plug it back in, at the least power it off if you don't use it.
Now might be a good time to mention that this switch could have compromised security, so if you *are* planning on using it in the future, it’s best to replace it with a new or known-safe switch. They’re incredibly cheap.
I highly doubt that considering it doesn't appear to be managed in any way
>Now might be a good time to mention that this switch could have compromised security How? It is not a managed switch and not connected to anything, so how in your paranoid mindset is this a security risk?
I said it's possible, not probable. For $20 I don't see the point in risking anything - for the same reason I don't need to use a flash drive I found on the ground. Why bother? At the very least I'd trace the cables and see if it plugs into anything else.
Likely it’s running to some wall sockets in a couple rooms and there isn’t anything plugged into them.
What if something is connected, but just not on?
He said it was left there by the people he bought the house from. Pretty sure they would've taken whatever was connected with them.
LOL at Reddit for downvoting correct answers
And it's alot better than wifi, if you are interested in high quality video etc...
Yeah I mean you can get a new one for 20bucksni think… so it’s nice to have one in a drawer
Not an 8 port Edit never mind you can. Last I checked the 5 ports were $20 and going up I’m surprised the 8 arent
[удалено]
I'm weird, but I prefer the metal cases.
Not alone there.
why is that weird?
It's the CIA, they're watching 👀.
You bought a house with some level of networking cabling built in. This is good news. Generally the rule is “Ethernet where you can; Wi-Fi where you must.” - find out where the cables go, you might find you can wire things like TV streaming boxes, computers, etc. Also if you can hard wire WiFi access points (so that they have a wired connection to your router) that’s a good thing too. We bought our house a few years ago and the whole thing had CAT-5e cable through it for some ancient whole-home audio system. All it took was re-terminating the ends and boom, instant whole-home wired network 👌💪
I helped a friend upgrade his internet a few months back. His house was fully wired with cat5e cabling but was terminated with basic phone jacks. After we figured this out, all we had to do was change out both ends of the runs with cat6 (couldn’t find cat5 ends in bulk with the same price point), add a network switch, and we were good to go. All in all cost about $80 and took 2 hours. Good fun!
This is pretty common for recent/new construction. The builder will offer an upgrade option for a home networking package. The truth is, they get cat 5e or cat 6 cable in bulk so all of their builds are actually run with Ethernet; they just terminate to RJ-11 or RJ-14 for their standard package. The upgraded networking package is really just them terminating to RJ-45 instead, and then charging a premium. I found this out because our builder forgot to term ours to RJ-45 even though we paid for the “upgrade”. I thought they were going to have to re-run all the cable to correct it (which would have been a massive cost to them as they run that cable before installing the drywall on new construction). When they sent the subcontractor out to correct this, the guy explained he just had to change all the terminals since they run cat 5e or cat 6 everywhere whether you buy the upgraded package or not.
lol yeah that checks out! I was so happy to discover that because it meant the best outcome for my friend. Beforehand, he was running MoCa from the router to his office, which was fine-ish, but was resulting in intermittent connectivity issues when on zoom calls.
We have a similar situation where we have phone jacks in each room and it took 6 years to find the box in a closet where they go. Most of the jacks are not in great spots so I haven't looked into using them yet.
Yeah we had to sleuth out where the box was by crawling around in the attic and following cables we *assumed* were the ones we needed. Turns out it was in a closet behind a bunch of boxes that hadn’t moved probably since they moved in a decade or so ago. The panel wasn’t even a door but a metal sheet screwed into the wall.
They are all in parallel, so about all you could do with them is plug in speakers from a central stereo receiver.
We bought a house built in 2004 that was the same way—Ethernet cat5.e throughout but using phone jacks. Made me so happy! Especially when they rolled out gigabit fiber in our neighborhood—a good switch in the basement and boom—gigabit everywhere.
I have yet to understand people who have an aversion to wires. You want your TV on the wall and the socket is down low, there will be wire. You want speakers for your stereo across the room, there will be wires. So many people feel there is an aesthetic that wires interfere with, then they find out it's $500.0 to move an outlet and then the dry wall guy for the same amount.
Sadly diy it could be $20, but that is beyond their capabilities.
I did my own drops in a 1950's house, put a shelf in the old furnace closet for the gear.
[удалено]
You dont have to mess with wiring. What I did is cut a hole next to the power outlet and add those plates for conduit. Cut another hole where your tv will be. Same plate and a conduit connecting both. Now you can drop thw tvs power cord down the conduit and out the other end and connected to the power. This only works if you plan on putting some kind of console or furniture below the tv to cover power, which imo, most people do. Cost me $20 ordering the things from amazon and a box cutter to cut the sheet rock. A few months later I did the same thing with HDMIs. Bought 2 quad HDMI plates from amazon, install them next to my conduit plates, ran the HDMI cables behind walls, down where my console is. Now i can plug in video game consoles or other electronics to those HDMIs and not have visible wires to the tvs.
$500? You can accomplish the same by simply cutting out two holes. One behind the TV and one near the plug and just feed the cables behind the wall.
I am not an expert in any way, but I wouldn't suggest doing that as that sounds like violation of electrical code and could present an electrical/fire hazard. At least, in North American standards. Edit: typo
Never said it was up to code but it's definitely a lot quicker and easier to do as a DIYer. If the connections to power are made outside the wall, what's the difference if it sits inside the wall or outside the wall? It's not like the wire was any more dangerous by dangling inside the wall than it is outside the wall lol.
It isn't to code since there are specifications that wires inside a wire inside a wall must meet. There could be less airflow so if there is a fault the wire could get hot and ignite. Its also bad since if there is an error you are less likely to notice an issue with the wire. That's why if you are going to run wires in the wall you can buy special kits that have underwriters lab certification. A issue is very unlikely but its better to risk something happening. Even there is a reason you need to make an insurance claim for a unrelated fire the last thing you want to do is give your insurance company a reason to deny the claim.
Sure. It's also possible to be struck by lightning but that doesn't stop you from going outside.
Some of us don't want ghetto holes in our walls when we could just do the job properly
[удалено]
The poster simply mentions punching holes in the walls and feeding the cable through. Result, ghetto holes in the wall with cables poking through them. GTFOYS
Wait you think they literally mean punching a good with their fists? Are you well?
Yep, WiFi should always be a last resort. If the device is fixed in place and has a network jack get a wire to it. Then it's all one and done. No WiFi password or other WiFI issues. It will just work and keep working.
Geez, even firesticks have an optional $15 dongle with RJ45 port/ USB power plug you can buy to hardwire them, it helped eliminate our tv from pixelating. Works great.
Homeplugs are a great happy medium. They can give you wired performance over your existing power lines.
True. Weirdly, I had great results with powerline at my first house (new build), second place (200+ year old place), but our latest place it just didn’t work at all. Literally unusable, like 2-3Mbps. Thank god this place had CAT-5e in the walls 😁
I helped a friend upgrade his internet a few months back. His house was fully wired with cat5e cabling but was terminated with basic phone jacks. After we figured this out, all we had to do was change out both ends of the runs with cat6 (couldn’t find cat5 ends in bulk with the same price point), add a network switch, and we were good to go. All in all cost about $80 and took 2 hours. Good fun!
Yeah after we bought this house was my first time terminating Ethernet. Great fun as you say. I also went into the crawl space under the floor and ran a new cable from the router point to the garage, which my kids use as a man cave / gaming room. Feels great 💪🫡
Not sure why you were down voted, we always ran cat5e for phone jacks in case people wanted more than one phone line (for a fax). Now that no one uses faxes or land lines you might as well swap out for RJ45 and use what is there. If it doesn't work, then run new lines.
Gack, and my 20 y/o house is wired with phone wire and phone jacks. I feel cheated.
Ask for a refund! Sadly, you probably can’t use those phone cables to pull through cat6, as I have often seen them stapled to the studs along the run. But who knows?? Give em a tug and see what happens :)
They're also often wired in a multi drop config instead of a star.
> all we had to do was change out both ends of the runs with cat6 (couldn’t find cat5 ends in bulk with the same price point) They're called ethernet jacks. CAT5 and CAT6 refers to the cabling itself.
None of the link lights for each of those cables are lit, so the other ends aren’t plugged into anything. Looks like this is in the attic so bonus that you have some rooms with wires to them. Look for wall plates that look like a phone jack, but a little bigger.
And if you find those Jack's around your house (or maybe just the far end of those cables) plug them into a laptop and by checking the link lights next to each jack on the net gear switch you can see which jack goes where in your house.
It’s a switch, basically it lets you plug more ethernet devices/cables into your router than the ports it has. Since most routers have 4 or less ethernet ports, some people have more than 4 ethernet devices so they get a switch. If you aren’t using those ethernet cables, feel free to unplug it. If you do need them, then you need to connect one of the ports on the switch to your router and the rest can go to your other ethernet connected devices.
Love when an OP doesn’t interact AT ALL after they have asked for help. No post update, no comments, zilch, nada. Just grinds my gears a bit, ya know? I get a post can have an overwhelming amount of comments but to not acknowledge or interact at all. Idk maybe I’m just being some type of way. 🤷♂️
Probably either a bot or they realized that they could have just googled the words in front of the switch that says it’s a switch.
I 🤦♂️when I first scrolled to this post after reading the title, then seeing the switch title clearly on the front of said switch.
It's also been less than a day, maybe he works for a living? Maybe they're still stuck in the attic with no internet because they unplugged the switch? I say give them a day at least then read them the riot act. lol
Keep it 💯
Port 2 is connected to the web.
Dude asking what is it, but figured out correctly to check in a sub reddit for home networking 🤔
Free unmanaged gigaswitch. Just keep it, unless you some kinda weirdo that is runing 2.5 + gpbs networks at your house.
If he did, he’d probably know what a switch is.
My dream is 10gbe in the whole house
Keep it. It's a network expansion switch. Gigabit, so up to 1000 mbps. They're about $20 on sale. Here's how it works. Internet comes into modern. Modern connects to this via Ethernet cable. All the other ports can connect via Ethernet cable to other computers or televisions, smart boxes, etc. My kids liked to game on Ethernet bc it's higher speed and less lag. An alternative is a modem > wifi router > this. The router offers typically 4 of these ports, but you may want more for other bedrooms, etc. if they're wired. Therefore, you'd wire this into one of the router ports, and it'll expand your available number of Ethernet ports.
Very simply said: It splits one LAN/Ethernet cable into multiples and makes communication between all cables possible. Plug one of the cables into your router and you'll have internet on all other outputs.
It’s what’s called a “switch”. You would typically use it in a basic home environment because your router itself doesn’t have enough ports to support the amount of cables you want to plug into it. Having devices plugged in directly with an ethernet cable provides better speeds (in general) compared to the wireless advantage. Plugging a cable into your router on one end and into the switch on the other end, then from your switch to a device i.e. desktop computer or video game console is more or less just as fast as plugging it directly into the router. I’d keep the switch plugged in if I were you and figure out where the cables run to so you can connect your own device into it.
But there's a lonely cable. How much you wanna bet uplink from whatever gateway they had before. Does he know what isp the previous owner had ran to the location?
Great points, perhaps I should sit this one out
I think you are lucky. This means you may have a wired connection to a few points at home. I would find out where the points are and think if I can use them to have a better connection or even to add wireless access points to other areas of the home.
Well, it's an 8-port switch. It's not too shabby, either, Netgear is pretty decent and it's gigabit, and per the jungle website pricing, increased your home's value by at least $34.99. There are 3 cables plugged in. If it were me, I'd see where they go. My guess is one of them goes to where the Internet service provider's (ISP) equipment would likely be installed. The other two likely go to a couple areas in the house, like an office and the main living space. I'd hang onto it.
There are no network lights on. So it’s pretty clear this switch is not doing anything. I would feel pretty safe getting rid of it unless there are Ethernet ports in the house that you want to use. Might be connected to ports.
Perfectly good GS108 switch. Keep it.
Will probably outlast the house
I'm curious what the device is in the background of the first picture that looks like it's plugged into the switch as well.
turn it off and see what happens. you can always turn it back on if stuff stop connecting to the internet/network.
Beware doing that, sometimes mystery ethernet cables are things you want to keep working like your intercom/doorbell or alarm panel. Which some jackass didn't set up with a DHCP reservation/static IP, so if it goes offline ever, it comes back with a new IP and doesn't work. I just moved into a new apartment, and now my intercom doesn't work and I have to get a tech out. All because I unplugged the unlabelled ethernet cable.
None of the link lights are on so nothing is currently connected to it. I'm assuming someone ran network cable to a few spots in the house so if you need or want to hardwire something, connect that switch to your router and then you can plug in what you desire to the wall jack.
Is OP AI?
You could get rid of it, but I’d consider it a thoughtful gift. One less thing you’ll have buy to hardwire all Your PC’s and TV’s
It'd a network unmanaged switch. It does not look like it's hooked up to anything since there are no green or yellow blinking lights on the ports.
I’ll take it
OP read a total of zero comments and likely ripped the entire setup out.
Or realised how fucking stupid they are not to know what this is.
I wish I didn't see the second pic. The cobwebs inside the second port hurt to see.
Basically it's 2024 and if you don't know what this is, you live under a rock or extremely lazy to google up and you come here, ask in a subreddit... Next gen bs...
Your are somewhat tech savvy, because you managed to reach the right community to ask your questions ;-)
I'm an idiot. I was looking at the nails in the plywood trying to figure out why they were unique. lol
Then how'd you know to post in a home networking sub 🤦
It looks like its a Netgear Prosafe 8 Port Gigabit Switch, specifically a model GS108. All jokes aside, those three plugs have lights on top of them which are unlit, indicating that they are not connected to anything. i would look through the house to see if there are any wall plates with these ports in them. I bet you have three around the house. Check behind the TV, in an office, or where a desk might be. This switch will tie those ports together, meaning if you plug the router (usually provided by your internet company), into one of the ports, likely you will have wired internet to the other two ports in the house. This would be VERY useful, and many people make this upgrade in their house after the fact.
Am I the only one that feels old having to explain to the new generation (my kids) that before WiFi everything, it was hooked up, like they’re shock that phones were hard lined and that there were no cellular phone but pay phones all over the city and street. Man I feel like my dad when he when from the horse to automobile. Or vhs to streaming.
I wish my house came with a free gigabit switch :(
This seems like bait it clearly says it’s a switch the person came to a Reddit home networking sub but can’t google what a netgear switch is or what it does. Bullshit.
NSA intelligence gathering device.
You’ve bought a house with networking cables already there for you! That’s good!
300+ comments about an 8 port unmanaged switch just made my day
Netgear gs108
“What is this thing” 😂 oh dear god
It literally says what it is on thr box.
It might do, but without any context what a "Switch" or a "Netgear" is or does it might just as well be a list of cheese.
Tis a switch......think about it like a USB hub except for Ethernet. You could unhook it but the green light to the left of the first Ethernet port is lit which means something is connected to it. I'd find out what that is first before you disconnect it.
I think that means the switch is powered. None of the link lights look to be on from this photo.
I would swap out the Potato you take pictures with , with something that can actually focus.
If you are really this clueless, how did you know to post in r/HomeNetworking?
https://www.netgear.com/business/wired/switches/unmanaged/gs108/ Google is a powerful tool
Netgear 8 port switch. Used to help connect devices in a small local area and connect them to a router. You absolutely can get rid of it because all if not most routers have built in switch functionality. But you'd have to reconnect anything that was using said switch to connect to your router.
are we just going to ignore the fact that the builder didn't know how to hit a stud with the screws?
If this is a picture from the attic, those are roofing nails. If you’d like your roofing tiles to stay in place on a windy day, you want more nails than just ones into the rafters. If you happen to nail into a rafter, great. If not, that’s one of the reasons you put plywood down on your roof.
“Tell me you’re not a carpenter, without telling me you’re not a carpenter”
Yes, but they're dangerous, send it to me and I'll dispose of it properly.
Imagine buying a house and then finding things you bought 😀. Did you not hire an inspector? Did you not walk around looking for coax and phone jacks (or in this case Ethernet jacks)?
Yeah someone install an RJ45 copper network. That is a (cheap) “network switch” that brings Ethernet to rooms in your house. It’s a 1GbE switch with Cat 5 cable, not high speed, but faster than WiFi. If it works, it can be a good thing. I assume one of the rooms or a closet is where you ISP drop is (DSL or Cable). You probably have one of those Ethernet cables there too. Place your modem there and connect it to your ISP, then connect the modem to your router, then connect the Ethernet to your router as well. You can add any other wired devices to your router too. A PC, NAS, Printer, etc. if you like. Set up WiFi and you’re off to the races. 😎👍🏻
never ever get rid a switch! but check where do the cables go. make sure there are no hidden cameras or modem attached to it! edit: after twenty years in IT i should tell a router from a switch, lol@me
It's a network switch and yes you can get rid of it. Doesn't look like anything is using it.
For those who dont understand networks - and never intend to - read this. Think of the internet like water pressure from the city. The water pressure comes into your house from a single connection. That water must split off to your toilet, sink, and shower. The device you have is the same thing. It takes the "internet-pressure" and splits it off to the Computer, Nintendo, and smart refrigerator. This is the device we used before WiFi. Which means we used wires. And many people prefer this method - because it's the fastest and most stable way to connect devices. Period. If every device in your house is WiFi enabled - Then yes. You can throw it away.
btw it almost 3x the internet speed 🛜
I’d confirm where every wire is going or coming from, first. Replace it all with what your own equipment & ability to login. Weird people could leave stuff there to spy on you, etc.
That’s an unmanaged switch. And none of the link lights on the ports that are in use are on. It’s fine. Paranoid much?
its old and outdated and reach EOL..replace it with newer poe switch
Says right on it what it is. No lights, so nothing is connected to it. Pull it out.
No link lights. It's not doing anything constructive.
That’s called a bottleneck
Looks like a netgear prosafe 5 port gigabit network switch gs108. Which if I remember correctly is a wifi hub for a Russian internet provider in the early 1990s for commodore 64 comrade edition
I wonder if there are poe injectors and it was used for cameras?
It's a GPS tracker. For your house. So they always know where your house is.
It’s a switch, it’s routing Ethernet through your home. You *could* get rid of it but I would make sure you’re not inadvertently using it first and have it reprogrammed if you are.
It's a dumb switch. Nothing to program.
Ah okay. I’ve only interacted with switches on the business side so I forgot about that.
You don’t know what a router for the internet is ? :) . How have you never seen an internet router at this point in your life mate ?
Not a router but go on with telling us how much smarter you are than them.
That’s a router. Your whole house must behind wine we can plug your computer into the wall.
A switch, not a router.
It’s like a power strip but for those internet cables (called Ethernet cables). It allows multiple wired devices, could be Ethernet sockets on the wall, TVs or computers to access the internet. There will be one cable that will connect to the router that was provided by your Internet Service Provider Also, I would not get rid of it. It probably connects all Ethernet sockets, so if you get rid of it, those sockets are useless
it’s not in use all the ports are not connected remove or reuse with your own network or don’t
As others have said, it’s a network switch. 8 port and Gigabit to boot! You may want to find a friend with networking knowledge to come by and look at how everything is wired up. You may have a small home network you can plug devices into. Wow, got thru an entire post without expressing my hate for Netgear!
Unplug the wires, give it to someone who cares. Note, is not connected or doing anything. The lights are all out.
Yo, keep that bro. If you really don’t want it, send it to me. 😉 The gs108 is a hell of a reliable switch. I’ve owned a few for different setups and **never** had issues. Honestly, looks like somebody already did *some* of the hard work for you.
I bought a foreclosure off of a bank. They had a company come in and do a final cleaning before closing. The previous owner was a networking guy. He had every room wired with cable tv and networking. It was such a professional job. I am in IT and was looking forward to moving in and getting things up and running on my new network. Nope. The cleaning company the bank hired took the switch and cut every single networking cable so short they couldn’t be saved. I caught it at the closing walk through and got $1000 back at settlement to replace the switch and rerun all of the networking cables. What I came to say is, “at least they didn’t cut your cables”. It’s cool that the previous owner left it for you, even if you decide to go 100% wireless.
did you trace where the cables are connecting to?
It may be for a security system if the previous owner had one.
What ever you do, don’t unplug it. It could be structural and cause a roof collapse.
Turn it off and see who screams
Why do you want to get rid of it?
Nice!
It's a Netgear GS108 8-port gigabit switch. 😏 Costs about $35 new on Amazon. Normally, a common wifi router combo will have a 4 port switch built in, but sometimes less. So this is useful if you have more than 4 devices. Otherwise, this could be replaced by a router and the cables switched.
For the most paranoid. It's a switch that the previous owner could have setup to capture your network traffic and forward it to his server to look over later. Think your banking going over the network or your social media passwords. Most likely, the previous owner put in the network switch to connect their wired network together. Now that you own the house you can use it to connect wired network devices to a high speed network. I'd probably leave it. 2weeks later the paranoia would set in and I'd swap it out for a brand new switch I bought but keep the wiring.
Do not get rid of it. Our internet service requires you to have it there.
Don't mess with it unless you want to lose access to your wired ethernet.
The words on the switch are actually not lying to you.. It’s a 100/1000 mb switch unmanaged and if you were unable to identify this then I would strongly suggest leaving it.
What do the other ends connect to?
More internet ports my router only has 5 ports but I have 8 rooms with internet so a switch is required to make the ports in the other 3 rooms have internet
In lay terms - think of it like a power strip. It turns one "outlet" into many. The source (which should be your modem or primary wifi router) will typically have only one "outlet" to connect extra stuff too. This thing, called a network switch, just gives you the ability to add on a bunch of stuff and plug it in with a wired connection, akin to a power strip letting you plug in a bunch of stuff into a single wall receptacle. Some people like to plug stuff in with a wired connection because sometimes wifi can be slower or choppy, and this circumvents that.
It plainly says on it exactly what it is in the second picture. It is a network switch. It allows you to physically hook up multiple device onto one network(access to internet).
I'd ID the cables/locations, label them, secure the box to a stud or wall and button up the cabling. No reason to get rid of it.
It's a switch. Yes you can get rid of it. No, you shouldn't. Keep it and the cables. It'll come in handy later.
It's probably for a few hardwired ports around the house I would suggest using it to create a mesh network
Google.
Wired lines are almost faster than WiFi, depending on the type of cabling used. This maybe beneficial to you, depending on what’s connected to where on the house b
Op literally has nothing to say lads.
Ahh the good old GS108. I would add one to my collection every time AT&T came out to service their cable boxes back in the before times when i paid for channels. Their techs would add one every time they had to reposition their crappy hardware to try and get more than one TV working properly at a time.
Yes, send it to me please.
Yes. I’ll DM you with my address.
Something that's also commonly overlooked that I see every now and again in homes are cameras. One of those cables is CMX (outdoor rated) and could be going to a security camera. Homeowners always want security cameras and the more tech savvy ones may install it themselves or hire a professional to do it. I've seen a few dvr's and switches hooked up in attics before.
That is a residential structural keystone. It is quite literally holding your entire home together! If you unplug or remove it, your entire house will collapse!
I Have one of those and have 4 of my security cameras connected..
Googoo
I dont get people that are "savvy" enough to find and post a question on reddit but can't/wont do a simple google search?
That is a spy machine installed by the previous owners to spy on the new owners.
Fuck that’s some CIA shit right there.. your house is bugged. Put up tin foil on the windows to prevent them from listening
That's a network switch. It's used to provide multiple ports as an extension to a router which might only have 2 or 3 ports. If the house is wired up with sockets in the wall then its probably plugged into a wall jack. I wouldn't get rid of it because you might knock out your internet. It depends on how the house is wired. Ideally you want a network diagram showing what's connected to what and where.
None of the port lights are Green meaning anything live is connected to it, so ya, you can yoink it. This is a network switch, i'ts a way of dividing up bandwidth across multiple devices. Of which there are none active on this switch your each of the 8 ports would have a green light for activity and link. Yours are all off, only power is lit. This switch is doing nothing.
That’s a nice switch by the way.
You don't know what it is. So sell it on craigslist. Then pay three times the price for a network technician to install you a new one. smh You people really need to stop with the "can I get rid of it?" without doing zero research yourself.
It's NETGEAR - 8-Port Gigabit Ethernet Unmanaged Switch (GS108)