Ubiquiti Switch UniFi Flex Mini 2.5G short review

In this blog post you will learn everything about the 2.5 GbE - 2.5 Gbit/s Ubiquiti Switch UniFi Flex Mini 2.5G: Intended use, scope of delivery, power consumption, performance and how it compares.

Ubiquiti recently introduced a new 2.5 Gbit/s switch, the UniFi Flex Mini 2.5G. This was particularly interesting for us because it is very inexpensive at around 60 euros, can be operated via PoE and at the same time promises low power consumption.

We use the switch to connect three Proxmox nodes at 2.5 Gbit/s.

First impression

The UniFi Flex Mini 2.5G is very reminiscent of the UniFi Flex Mini (1 Gbit/s). In the UniFi Flex Mini 2.5G, the USB-C port for power supply has moved from the back to the front.

The PoE-In port has moved from the left side of the Ethernet ports to the right side and is now located right next to the USB-C port.

The quality of workmanship is high and leaves no room for complaints, the only criticism is the lack of an option for wall mounting.

Scope of delivery

In addition to the switch, a quick start guide and a USB-C power adapter with 5 V and 1 A are included in the delivery.

Power supply

The UniFi Flex Mini 2.5G can be operated directly via PoE, so connecting the included power supply is not necessary.

The power adapter is a USB-C power adapter with 5 V and 1 A, but apparently not in standard configuration, as it was recognized by most Android smartphones, but it was not possible to charge an iPhone with it.

Power consumption

The switch's consumption was measured with various configurations via PoE. The power consumption via PoE is approximately 1 watt higher than the value measured with a USB-C power meter.

Ports in use	2.5Gbit ports	1Gbit ports	Power consumption (W)
4	3	1	4.64
3	2	1	3.84
3	1	2	3.52
3	0	3	3.31
2	1	1	3.14
2	0	2	2.90
1	0	1	2.36

The power consumption is very low for a 2.5 Gbit/s switch. Comparable larger UniFi switches consumed 15-20 watts, even without 2.5 Gbit/s devices connected. I see this as a major advantage of the UniFi Flex Mini 2.5G, as you only have to invest around 5 watts to connect up to 5 devices at 2.5 Gbit/s.

Performance

The data transfer was measured with iPerf3 and achieved a stable data transfer rate of 2.41 Gbit/s on lightly loaded systems.

Conclusion

With the UniFi Flex Mini 2.5G, Ubiquiti offers a cost-effective entry into the 2.5 Gbit/s network. In this case, not only the purchase price is cost-effective, but also the ongoing operating costs due to the low power consumption. The switch achieves the expected transmission rates and is therefore ideal for setting up small networks with 2.5 Gbit/s.