Editorial, 23 Aug 2026. Specs from maker pages. Street from named snaps. We have not burned this chassis in. Affiliate tags are not live.
QNAP QSW-1108-8T-R2 vs TL-SG108S-M2: the 8-port QNAP tax
The five-port QNAP puck is a $109 skip. The eight-port refresh is the same argument at a bigger count: QNAP store $119.00 on SKU QSW-1108-8T-R2-US. The closet default is the TL-SG108S-M2 at about $55. Same eight 2.5G ports. Skip the logo.
QSW-1108-8T-R2: eight 2.5GbE RJ-45 (2.5G / 1G / 100M), unmanaged, fanless, 12 V / 1 A wall brick. Maker max 12 W. 4K MAC, 40 Gbps fabric, 20 Gbps non-blocking, 12K jumbo. Loop detect with a dedicated LED. 26 × 160 × 110 mm — QNAP says this R2 is 30% smaller than the last chassis. Two-year paper. This is not QSW-2104-2S (that one has two 10G SFP+ cages). It is also not the older non-R2 QSW-1108-8T listings still floating at specialty shops.
QNAP US store, 23 Aug 2026: $119.00, labeled in stock, with a 2–4 week lead-time note on the same card. Print the live tag. Do not invent an Amazon ASIN. NeutronUSA still lists the pre-R2 SKU around $245 — that is not this buy, and it is not a reason to wait.
The short list
| Box | What it is | Street, 23 Aug 2026 | Buy if |
|---|---|---|---|
| TP-Link TL-SG108S-M2 | 8× 2.5G, fanless, unmanaged, 40 Gbps, 9.11 W max. ASIN B0CMFX748Y. MFR TL-SG108S-M2 V2. | Amazon $54.99 (19 Aug snap) against $79.99 MRP. See the SG108S-M2 note. | You counted past five 2.5G hops. The 8-port default. |
| QNAP QSW-1108-8T-R2 | Same eight 2.5G, unmanaged, fanless, loop LED. 12 W max. 26 × 160 × 110 mm. SKU QSW-1108-8T-R2-US. | QNAP store $119.00, in stock with a 2–4 week lead on this fetch. Print the live tag. | Almost never. Loop LED and a QNAP badge are not worth ~$65 and a wait. |
| TRENDnet TEG-S380 | The other name-brand 8× 2.5G unmanaged. Fanless, 40 Gbps, lifetime paper, TAA/NDAA in US/CA. | TRENDnet store $87.99 this pass. Newegg cards $113–$158 — do not make those the buy. | The TP-Link is gone and you still want a named metal box. Not because the NAS is QNAP. |
Skip
Skip QSW-1108-8T-R2 because the NAS is QNAP. A switch does not have to match the NAS logo. Skip waiting two to four weeks for eight 2.5G ports. Skip the older non-R2 QSW-1108-8T when a shop still has it at $200+. Skip eBay lots. If you actually needed two 10G SFP+ cages, buy QSW-2104-2S. If you counted under six endpoints, the 5-port default is TL-SG105S-M2. We have not sat with a unit.
Sources
QNAP QSW-1108-8T-R2 hardware spec (8× 2.5GbE, unmanaged, fanless, 12 W max, 4K MAC, 40 Gbps / 20 Gbps non-blocking, 12K jumbo, 26 × 160 × 110 mm, 12 V / 1 A, 2-year). QNAP product page (loop detect, R2 30% smaller). QNAP store QSW-1108-8T-R2-US ($119.00, in stock, 2–4 week lead on the same card; fetched 23 Aug 2026). TP-Link TL-SG108S-M2. Amazon B0CMFX748Y, $54.99 on 19 Aug 2026 against $79.99 MRP. TRENDnet TEG-S380 V2 (store $87.99). Street moves. Print the live tag.