TRENDnet TEG-S50g 5-Port Gigabit GREENnet Switch

TRENDnet has established itself as a global provider of networking and connectivity solutions for small and medium businesses and home users. With nearly three decades in the industry, the company has built a reputation for delivering reliable, cost-effective networking products that bridge the gap between performance and affordability.

Today, we’re taking a closer look at the TRENDnet TEG-S50g, a 5-port Gigabit GREENnet switch designed for the modern connected home or small office. This compact, unmanaged switch represents TRENDnet’s approach to combining essential functionality with energy efficiency in a minimal footprint. The TEG-S50g aims to provide a simple yet effective solution for expanding wired connectivity without unnecessary complications or configuration requirements.

Unboxing and Physical Design

The TEG-S50g comes in a blue gradient box highlighting the product’s key features – “Gigabit Ports,” “Mini Housing,” and “Fanless” design. Inside, you’ll find:

• The switch itself
• Power adapter
• Quick installation guide
• Rubber feet for desktop placement

The unit features a metal housing with a matte black finish that feels substantial and well-built, weighing just 0.112 kg (0.24 lbs). At 82.5 × 46.8 × 24mm (3.24 × 1.84 × 0.9 in.), it’s remarkably compact and can easily fit into any desktop setup or even your pocket. The fanless design ensures completely silent operation, making it perfect for quiet environments. To give you some perspective of the TEG-S50g’s size, here’s a side by side comparison with a standard credit card.

The front panel houses five Gigabit RJ-45 ports with LED indicators that convey port status, while the side contains a power connector with the Gigabit ports at the rear. The switch is also wall-mountable for greater installation flexibility.

Key Specifications

• 5 × Gigabit (10/100/1000Mbps) RJ-45 ports
• 10Gbps switching capacity
• 9KB jumbo frame support
• Auto-negotiation for each port
• Auto-MDI/MDIX on all ports
• 128KB RAM buffer
• 2K MAC address table entries
• Store-and-forward switching architecture
• Fanless design for silent operation
• Supports IEEE 802.3, 802.3u, 802.3x, and 802.3ab standards
• Embedded GREENnet technology for power savings

Performance Testing

One of the best use cases I found for the TEG-S50g was creating a solid backbone for my home network. By strategically placing a few of these switches around my house you can create a reliable wired network for most important devices without the reliance of Wi-Fi which can be inconsistent in performance.

While this review isn’t about the benefits of wired vs wireless networking, devices like gaming PCs, streaming boxes, and home office equipment will certainly benefit from having a wired connection directly to your router and the TRENDnet TEG-S50g will be one important cog in this wider solution given your router is most likely to have no more than 4-5 LAN ports.

Throughput

Using iperf3 tests between multiple devices, I consistently measured speeds very close to the full 1Gbps on each port. The switch’s 10Gbps switching capacity allowed data traffic to flow smoothly, eliminating bottlenecks even when all ports were active.

For testing we used a combination of OpenSpeedTest and iPerf 3 tools. Both devices were connected on the same switch with the uplink connected to a Synology router.

OpenSpeedTest Performance

iPerf 3 Performance

Heat and Power

Under full load, the switch remains cool thanks to its fanless design. There was no noticeable temperature increase even after 24 hours of continuous operation. The GREENnet technology automatically adjusts power consumption as needed, resulting in substantial energy savings without compromising performance.

Gaming and Streaming

Latency-sensitive applications like gaming showed no noticeable difference from a direct connection. I was able to stream HD content from my media server to multiple devices simultaneously without buffering or quality drops.

Home Office Use

For daily work tasks involving cloud storage, video conferencing, and remote desktop connections, the switch provided reliable performance without any hiccups. Its compact size and silent operation made it a perfect fit for my minimalist desk setup.

Power Consumption

The switch is remarkably power-efficient, with a maximum consumption of just 11.9W under full load. The embedded GREENnet technology provides cost savings by reducing power consumption, especially during periods of lower usage. The power adapter outputs 5V/1A and accepts a wide input range of 100-240V AC at 50/60Hz, making it suitable for use worldwide.

Easy Installation

One of the best features of the TEG-S50g is its truly plug-and-play nature. There’s no configuration needed—simply connect your network devices to the switch and you’re ready to go. It works right out of the box with no management requirement, making it perfect for users who want simplicity without sacrificing performance. One thing to note here is that the switch does require a cross over cable for its uplink.

The TEG-S50g is ideal for:

• Home users looking for a reliable, silent network switch
• Small offices needing to expand their network
• Anyone seeking a compact, wall-mountable networking solution

It’s less suitable for:

• Users requiring multi-gigabit speeds
• Networks needing PoE for devices like cameras or access points
• Larger networks requiring management features
• Applications demanding very high throughput

Conclusion

The TRENDnet TEG-S50g delivers exactly what it promises: reliable Gigabit connectivity in a well-built, silent package at an affordable price. At the time of writing the unit retails for around US$30. The combination of compact design, fanless operation, energy efficiency, and solid performance makes it an excellent choice for home and small office users.

For most home users and small offices still running primarily on Gigabit networks, the TEG-S50g represents excellent value and reliable performance in a small, silent package that works right out of the box.

Pros:

• Excellent build quality with compact metal housing
• Completely silent fanless operation
• Very compact size and wall-mountable
• Energy-efficient GREENnet technology
• Easy plug-and-play setup
• LED status indicators for each port
• Support for jumbo frames up to 9KB
• Affordable price point

Cons:

• Limited to Gigabit speeds (standard for this price range)
• No PoE support
• No management features (though this is by design for this model)
• Relatively small RAM buffer at 128KB