Security & smart building
In short
Best overall: TP-Link Omada EAP650-DESKTOP wireless access point 2976 Mbit/s White Power over Ethernet (PoE), £124.99 at Back to the Office. Best value: StarTech.com 5-Port Unmanaged Industrial Network Switch, 100/1000 Ethernet, DIN Rail/Wall-Mountable, Rugged IP30 Gigabit Switch, -40F-167F, 9~60V DC, TAA Compliant, £83.99. Premium pick: DrayTek 2767ax VDSL 2.5G + AX3000 wireless router Gigabit Ethernet Dual-band (2.4 GHz / 5 GHz) White, £234.99.
Across the 666 matching listings we screened from 1 UK suppliers, most cost £92–£412 and the middle price is £211. Prices checked 27 October 2026.
Reliable Wi-Fi in a small office, shared house or guest house usually means a decent router plus access points or mesh, joined by a switch. This shortlist compares routers, access points and switches from UK supplier feeds, so you can see the market spread from single-box setups to PoE kit.
Network guides explain coverage well. Below we add the parts small operators miss: separating staff, guest and tenant traffic, and what UK product security law means for the kit you buy.
| # | Product | From | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Best overall TP-Link Omada EAP650-DESKTOP wireless access point 2976 Mbit/s White… | £124.99 | Details |
| 2 | ASUS RT-BE58 Go wireless router 2.5 Gigabit Ethernet Dual-band (2.4… | £126.99 | Details |
| 3 | NETGEAR GS524-300EUS network switch Unmanaged Gigabit Ethernet… | £109.99 | Details |
| 4 | Zyxel LTE3301-PLUS wireless router Gigabit Ethernet Dual-band (2.4… | £155.99 | Details |
| 5 | Premium pick DrayTek 2767ax VDSL 2.5G + AX3000 wireless router Gigabit Ethernet… | £234.99 | Details |
| 6 | Best value StarTech.com 5-Port Unmanaged Industrial Network Switch, 100/1000… | £83.99 | Details |
| 7 | StarTech.com Industrial Single Port Gigabit PoE Extender - 60W… | £163.99 | Details |
| 8 | D-Link DAP-E3620 wireless access point 2882 Mbit/s White Power over… | £121.99 | Details |
1 · Best overall
TP-Link · Sold by Back to the Office
Blazing-Fast AX3000 WiFi 6 Speeds: 574 Mbps on 2.4 GHz and 2402 Mbps on 5GHz totals 2976 Mbps WiFi speeds. †. Multiple Gigabit Ports: Connect multiple devices with 4× Gigabit Ethernet Ports.
2
Asus · Sold by Back to the Office
Dual-band WiFi 7 speeds up to 3600 Mbps with MLO and 4K-QAM.. Tri-mode connectivity for travel, work and home with 4G/5G mobile tethering and public WiFi mode.. Comprehensive VPN features work with up to 30 service providers, with site-to-site VPN support..
3
Netgear · Sold by Back to the Office
16 or 24 ports deliver up to 2000Mbps of dedicated, non-blocking bandwidth per port. Instant Plug-N-Play connectivity with Auto-negotiation and Auto MDI/MDI-X. Easily combine new or existing 10- 100- and 1000Mbps devices within your network.
4
Zyxel · Sold by Back to the Office
LTE-A Category 6 with data rates of up to 300/50 Mbps* (Download/Upload). Connection failover between both WAN interfaces. Supports seamless switching between 4G and 3G. AC1200 2.4/5GHz dual-band concurrent WiFi.
5 · Premium pick
Draytek · Sold by Back to the Office
VDSL2 or 2.5Gb Ethernet Router with Failover. 1x 2.5 Gigabit RJ-45 switchable WAN/LAN Port. 3x Gigabit RJ-45 LAN Ports. In total 4 (3+1) LAN ports (1 is the WAN/LAN switchable). Up to 2.3Gbps Firewall Throughput. Up to 300Mbps IPsec VPN Throughput.
6 · Best value
StarTech.com · Sold by Back to the Office
UNMANAGED 5-PORT GIGABIT SWITCH: Expand network connectivity with simple plug-and-play setup; 5x 10/100/1000Mbps RJ45 ports; Auto-negotiates speed; Level 4 ESD Protection; 3-Pin Terminal Block Power Input (9-60V DC); Fanless silent design; TAA Compliant.
7
StarTech.com · Sold by Back to the Office
100M EXTENSION: Extend a PSE source (up to 95W) by 100m using this Gigabit PoE Extender; power PoE devices like cameras & access points; 4 extenders can be cascaded to extend up to 400m using CAT 5e/6.
8
D-Link · Sold by Back to the Office
Affordable Wi-Fi 7 upgrade for everyday business use. BE3600 dual-band Wi-Fi for modern teams and offices. Reliable performance in environments. 2.5GbE uplink for faster end-to-end connectivity. Simple PoE+ deployment with one-cable setup.
Compare the Cloud suggests a good single router or a two-unit mesh for offices under 100 sq m, and mesh or business access points for larger spaces. Mesh is easier to set up and extend. Access points on a central controller add features such as centralised management, at more cost and set-up effort.
Access points can be powered over the network cable using Power over Ethernet (PoE), so you need a PoE switch or injector. Check the switch's total PoE budget covers every access point and camera you plan to add. Concrete and metal block signal, so thick-walled buildings need more access points.
Compare the Cloud recommends a guest network with client isolation, so visitors cannot reach office devices. In an HMO or serviced building, go further: put tenants or guests on their own network, keep CCTV, door entry and smart heating on another, and keep office or management devices on a third.
Change the default admin credentials, use WPA2 or WPA3, switch off WPS and keep firmware updated. Change shared passwords when a tenant or member of staff leaves.
Since 29 April 2024, UK law requires consumer connectable products to have no universal or easily guessed default passwords, a published way to report security issues, and a stated minimum period of security updates. GOV.UK's guidance describes this as protecting consumers and does not say whether kit sold only to businesses is covered.
For business-grade routers and access points, check the vendor's published support and firmware policy before buying, as an unsupported router is a security risk. The NCSC's Small Business Guide gives free, plain-English steps for securing a small organisation.
On our shortlist, the TP-Link Omada EAP650-DESKTOP wireless access point 2976 Mbit/s White Power over Ethernet (PoE) is the best overall pick at £124.99 from Back to the Office. For a tighter budget, the StarTech.com 5-Port Unmanaged Industrial Network Switch, 100/1000 Ethernet, DIN Rail/Wall-Mountable, Rugged IP30 Gigabit Switch, -40F-167F, 9~60V DC, TAA Compliant (£83.99) is our best-value choice.
Most of the 666 UK listings we screened sit between £92 and £412, with a middle price of £211. Trade suppliers often show prices before VAT, so add 20% if you can't reclaim it.
A VAT-registered business can usually reclaim the VAT on equipment bought for business use, as long as it holds a valid VAT invoice from the supplier. Ask the seller for one at checkout.
The picks here come from Back to the Office. Most UK trade suppliers offer next-day delivery and VAT invoices; some offer credit accounts for regular orders.
Mesh suits small offices that want simple set-up. Access points on a controller suit larger offices or buildings that need central management and more control.
If the access points are PoE powered and have no plug-in adaptor, yes, or a PoE injector per access point. Check the switch's total PoE budget.
Yes. A separate guest or tenant network with client isolation stops users reaching your office devices, cameras or smart controls.
The regime covers consumer connectable products, and GOV.UK does not say whether business-only kit is included. Check the manufacturer's stated security update period either way.