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ServeTheHome.com recently put the budget-friendly XikeStor SKS7300-4X4T managed switch through its paces, uncovering both promising features and notable shortcomings in this $210 8-port (4x SFP+, 4x 10Gbase-T) networking device. While the compact desktop form factor and port diversity initially impressed, several operational challenges emerged during testing that potential buyers should consider.
The switch’s hardware design shows thoughtful touches like thermal pads for heat dissipation and a sturdy metal chassis, but reveals an unexpected internal fan that creates significant noise – measuring 42dBA in testing, making it unsuitable for quiet office environments. Performance testing showed respectable though not outstanding throughput, with 10Gbase-T ports consistently underperforming compared to their SFP+ counterparts. Power consumption remained reasonable at 7.6W idle, though jumped noticeably when activating copper ports.
Management capabilities proved surprisingly robust for the price point, offering VLAN support, link aggregation, QoS, and even sFlow monitoring through a web interface that defaults to Chinese but includes English translation. However, the review team encountered puzzling auto-negotiation issues where some 2.5GbE connections would only establish at 100Mbps links, and noted concerning security oversights like unchanged default admin credentials.
While the XikeStor SKS7300-4X4T presents an attractive value proposition for budget-conscious users needing both SFP+ and 10Gbase-T connectivity, ServeTheHome.com concludes that its noise issues, inconsistent port performance, and security shortcomings make it difficult to recommend despite its competitive price point. The review suggests that while the switch demonstrates what’s possible at this price tier, most users would be better served saving slightly more for established alternatives like MikroTik’s offerings that deliver more polished implementations of similar functionality.
For the full review, including detailed speed tests and coverage analysis, check out ServeTheHome’s complete evaluation.
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