D-Link DES-1008C is now available at Mascom International for KSh 2,350, brand new and sealed, with eight Fast Ethernet ports running at 10 or 100 Mbps. Depending on the shipment, the same switch reaches our shelves under the code DES-1008A, which matches it on port count, speed and plug-and-play operation. The D-Link DES-1008C links up to eight wired devices, from computers and printers to a fibre router, through one compact box that needs no configuration. Collect yours at Old Mutual Building, First Floor Room 4, Kimathi Street, Nairobi CBD, or order it for countrywide delivery.
Built for small shops, cyber cafes, school computer labs and small offices, the D-Link DES-1008C solves a common problem: a router with too few LAN ports and more devices than sockets. A shop running a Lipa na M-Pesa till PC, a stock computer and a network printer can wire all three and still have five ports spare. Teachers setting up a lab can connect seven pupil PCs to one internet line, with the eighth port feeding the router. Small offices get a stable cable link at every desk, free of the Wi-Fi drops that interrupt online forms halfway through.
Where many Nairobi electronics stalls sell unbranded switches with no paperwork, Mascom International stocks the D-Link DES-1008C with a written 12-month warranty and a walk-in store you can return to. At KSh 2,350 it works out to about KSh 294 per port, against KSh 600 per port on the gigabit DGS-F108. Customers across Nairobi tell us the D-Link DES-1008C is the one piece of equipment they forget about once it is plugged in, which is exactly the point. Pay on arrival anywhere in Kenya, or test the D-Link DES-1008C in store before you buy.
Common Questions About the D-Link DES-1008C
Is the D-Link DES-1008C the same switch as the DES-1008A?
For everyday use, yes: the D-Link DES-1008C and DES-1008A are the same class of eight-port 10/100 unmanaged desktop switch. Both plug into power, accept any standard Ethernet cable and start switching without configuration. The two codes are different hardware revisions, so energy-saving details and casing can differ slightly between them. Mascom International supplies whichever code is in the current shipment at the same KSh 2,350 price. If your installation or tender paperwork needs one specific code, message +254 708 852 521 on WhatsApp before you order and we will confirm the unit.
Is the D-Link DES-1008C worth KSh 2,350 for a small shop in Kenya?
Yes, the D-Link DES-1008C costs less per port than both the five-port DES-1005C and the gigabit DGS-F108 at Mascom International. At KSh 2,350 you pay about KSh 294 per port, against KSh 420 per port on the DES-1005C at KSh 2,100. The extra KSh 250 buys three more ports, enough for a second till, a CCTV recorder or a staff laptop. Its peak draw of 1.55 watts adds up to roughly 1.1 kWh a month, so the running cost barely registers on your KPLC token purchases.
D-Link DES-1008C vs DGS-F108: which one should you buy?
Choose the D-Link DES-1008C if your internet line and devices run at 100 Mbps or less, and the DGS-F108 if you regularly move large files between computers on the same network. In theory, a 1GB file takes about 80 seconds to cross the DES-1008C and about 8 seconds on a gigabit switch. For till payments, browsing, printing and online forms, that gap never shows. For a design studio sharing video, or an office backing up to a network storage drive, the extra KSh 2,450 for the DGS-F108 earns its keep.
How does the D-Link DES-1008C cope with power cuts, heat and dust in Kenya?
The D-Link DES-1008C restarts on its own when KPLC power returns, and it loses nothing because it stores no settings. Its tiny power draw means even a small UPS keeps the switch and your router running through an outage. D-Link rates it for 0 to 40 degrees Celsius, which covers a warm Mombasa shopfront or a tin-roofed classroom in Kitui, provided it sits out of direct sun. Keep it off the floor and away from open doorways, because dust settling on any electronics shortens its working life.
How do you connect the D-Link DES-1008C to a Safaricom or Zuku fibre router?
Run one Ethernet cable from any LAN port on your Safaricom Home Fibre, Zuku or Faiba router to any port on the D-Link DES-1008C, then plug your computers into the remaining seven ports. There is no special uplink port to find, because Auto MDI/MDIX lets every port accept either cable type. Your router keeps handing out addresses, so each computer gets online exactly as it would if plugged straight into the router. The link and activity lights confirm each connection within seconds, which makes tracing a loose cable quick.
Can a cyber cafe or school computer lab run on the D-Link DES-1008C?
Yes, a cyber cafe or school lab with up to seven computers runs comfortably on one D-Link DES-1008C, with the eighth port feeding the router. Each port gets its own full-duplex 100 Mbps link, so a customer filing a KRA iTax return does not slow the neighbour filling an eCitizen form. Bigger rooms can chain two switches with one cable between them, giving thirteen computer seats. Labs growing well past that should move to a higher port-count switch, and Mascom International can advise on current options over WhatsApp.
Who should buy the D-Link DES-1008C, and who should skip it?
Buy the D-Link DES-1008C if you run a small shop, cyber cafe, school lab or office with five to seven wired devices and an internet line under 100 Mbps. Skip it if you share large files daily, since the gigabit DGS-F108 moves them ten times faster. Skip it too if you only need three or four ports, because the DES-1005C saves you KSh 250. Installers powering IP cameras through the cable need a PoE model like the DGS-F1210-18PS-E, and laptop-only offices are better served by the DWR-111 wireless router.
Does the D-Link DES-1008C need any software, passwords or setup?
No, the D-Link DES-1008C is unmanaged, which means it has no software, no login page and no password to forget or leak. You plug in the power adapter, connect the cables and it starts passing traffic immediately. That simplicity suits shop owners and teachers who have no IT staff on call. The trade-off is that you cannot separate staff and customer traffic or cap bandwidth per port. Offices that need those controls should look at a managed switch such as the DGS-1210-28P, which Mascom International also stocks.
Technical Specifications
Switching Performance and Throughput
- Eight 10/100 Mbps RJ45 ports let up to eight computers, printers or routers share one wired network at the same time.
- 1.6 Gbps switching capacity covers all eight ports at a full 100 Mbps in both directions at once, so traffic never queues.
- Forwarding rate of 148,800 packets per second per port keeps small transfers, such as payment confirmations, moving without noticeable delay.
- Store-and-forward switching checks every data frame for errors before passing it on, so corrupted packets never reach your computers.
- A 2,000-entry MAC address table remembers every connected device, far more than eight ports need even with a second switch chained on.
- The 96 KB packet buffer absorbs short bursts of traffic, such as several PCs printing together, without dropping data.
Standards and Device Compatibility
- IEEE 802.3 10BASE-T and 802.3u 100BASE-TX support means it works with any wired Ethernet computer, printer, router or recorder.
- Auto MDI/MDIX on every port accepts straight-through or crossover cables, removing the need to check cable type before connecting.
- Auto-sensing ports detect whether each device runs at 10 or 100 Mbps and set the speed without any user input.
- IEEE 802.3x flow control briefly pauses a sending device when a port is busy, which prevents lost data during heavy use.
- Gigabit computers and routers connect normally and simply run at 100 Mbps through this switch, so mixed equipment works together fine.
- Works with any router or fibre modem that has a spare LAN port, whatever your internet provider or package.
Energy Use and Power Supply
- The DES-1008C draws no more than 1.55 watts, about 1.1 kWh a month when left running around the clock.
- IEEE 802.3az Energy-Efficient Ethernet on the DES-1008C lowers power on idle links during quiet hours and closed-shop nights.
- Ports with no device attached drop into standby automatically, so unused sockets draw almost no power at all.
- Power per port adjusts to cable length, saving energy on the short desk-to-desk cable runs common in small offices.
- An external DC 5V 0.55A adapter plugs into a side jack, so a failed adapter swaps out without replacing the switch.
- Such a low draw means a small UPS keeps the switch and your router online through short power interruptions.
Status Lights and Monitoring
- Each port carries a Link, Activity and Speed indicator, so you see at a glance which computers are connected and working.
- A dedicated power LED confirms the switch is on, the first thing to check when a whole room loses its connection.
- A dark port light points straight to a loose cable or a switched-off device, cutting troubleshooting down to seconds.
- Blinking activity lights show live traffic, helping you spot which computer is downloading heavily during busy trading hours.
- With no management page to learn, staff with no networking training can read its status from the lights alone.
Build and Placement
- A compact 131 x 54 x 21 mm body fits beside a till, under a monitor or on a narrow classroom shelf.
- At just 74.8 grams, it can be secured with cable ties or mounting tape wherever desk space runs short.
- Runs silently with no cooling fan, which suits classrooms, reception desks and offices where background noise distracts people.
- Rated for 0 to 40 degrees Celsius operation, so it handles warm shopfronts and classrooms when kept out of direct sun.
- Rated for 10 to 90 percent non-condensing humidity, keeping it dependable in humid coastal premises as long as it stays dry.
- CE Class B certification confirms low electromagnetic interference, so it sits safely beside tills, printers and mobile phones.
Inclusions and Setup
- Ships with the switch, an external power adapter and a quick installation guide, everything needed apart from Ethernet cables.
- Plug-and-play operation means setup takes only as long as connecting the cables, with no driver or app to install.
- No configuration is stored inside, so replacing a unit is a straight swap with no settings to copy across.
- The unmanaged design has no login, which removes the risk of a default password being left unchanged on your network.
- Supplied as the DES-1008C or DES-1008A depending on shipment, so confirm the code on WhatsApp if your records require one.
Package Contents
The D-Link DES-1008C box holds everything required to get your devices talking on day one, apart from the network cables themselves.
- D-Link DES-1008C or DES-1008A eight-port desktop switch
- External DC power adapter
- Quick installation guide
Ethernet patch cables are not included in the box. Tell Mascom International how many devices you are connecting and roughly how far each one sits from the switch, and we will help you work out the cable lengths to order alongside it.
Warranty
The D-Link DES-1008C carries a 12-month Mascom International warranty on manufacturing defects under normal use. The same cover applies in full when your order ships as the DES-1008A. Keep your receipt, because the warranty period runs from the date of purchase. Our Nairobi CBD service desk handles every warranty claim directly, so you deal with the store that sold you the switch.
Where to Buy the D-Link DES-1008C in Kenya
The D-Link DES-1008C is in stock at Mascom International, Old Mutual Building, First Floor Room 4, Kimathi Street, Nairobi CBD. Walk in Monday through Saturday, 9:00 AM to 7:00 PM, and our team will power up a unit so you can watch the port lights respond before you pay. Casing finish follows whichever code, DES-1008C or DES-1008A, is in the current shipment.
Order through any of the following:
- Phone/WhatsApp: +254 708 852 521
- Email: info@mascomintl.com
- Website: www.mascomintl.com
Pay-on-arrival delivery covers all 47 Kenyan counties, so you pay only once the switch is in your hands. Nairobi and its environs receive same-day delivery. Nakuru, Eldoret, Kakamega, Kisii, Mombasa and every other major city and town receive it within 1 business day. Mandera, Wajir, Marsabit, Lamu, Tana River, and Turkana receive delivery within 2-3 business days.
The switch is backed by the 12-month warranty above. Shop owners, cyber cafe operators and school bursars across Kenya buy their networking gear from Mascom International because the specifications are stated honestly, the price is current, and a real store stands behind every sale.
