Best small switches for a homelab
Managed switches with VLANs and 10 GbE that fit on a desk or in a 10-inch rack.
Editorial opinionReviewed Oct 29, 2026
A homelab switch carries VLANs to the router and Proxmox, bonds links to the NAS and has a fast uplink. These are the small ones that do it, from a cheap first VLAN switch to a full RouterOS box.
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#1 · Best overall
MikroTik CRS310-8G+2S+IN
Highly recommended- Ports
- 2 × SFP+ + 8 × 2.5 GbE
- PoE
- No
- Max power
- 21 W
- Great fit for
- 2.5 GbE network · VLANs · Homelab core · 10-inch rack
from $219 (list price)
Editorial opinionOverall 8.7/108 × 2.5 GbE, 2 × SFP+, LACP and Layer 3, in a 10-inch rack with MikroTik's kit.
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#2 · Best 10 GbE on copper
MikroTik CRS304-4XG-IN
Highly recommended- Ports
- 4 × 10 GbE + 1 × 1 GbE
- PoE
- No
- Max power
- 21 W
- Great fit for
- 2.5 GbE network · 10 GbE · VLANs
from $199 (list price)
Editorial opinionOverall 8.6/10Four 10 GbE RJ45 ports, fanless.
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#3 · Best 10 GbE on SFP+
MikroTik CRS305-1G-4S+IN
Highly recommended- Ports
- 4 × SFP+ + 1 × 1 GbE
- PoE
- No
- Max power
- 18 W
- Great fit for
- 10 GbE · VLANs
from $149 (list price)
Editorial opinionOverall 8.4/10Four SFP+ cages, fanless, $149.
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#4 · Best budget
MikroTik CSS610-8G-2S+IN
Good budget option- Ports
- 2 × SFP+ + 8 × 1 GbE
- PoE
- No
- Max power
- 11 W
- Great fit for
- 10-inch rack · Silent
from $119 (list price)
Editorial opinionOverall 7.8/10Eight gigabit ports and two SFP+ for $119.
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#5 · Your first VLAN switch
TP-Link TL-SG108E
Highly recommended- Ports
- 8 × 1 GbE
- PoE
- No
- Max power
- 2.7 W
- Great fit for
- Silent
No reference price: check the store
Editorial opinionOverall 8.2/10VLANs for the price of an unmanaged switch.
How we chose
- 802.1Q VLANs, and link aggregation for the core switch.
- 10 GbE for the NAS or the server, where possible.
- Size: on a desk or in a 10-inch rack.