Which is better? Using the switch in the router or using a separate switch

[kris44dad]

All other things being equal, which is likely to provide better file transfer speeds between wired PCs wirhin my home network?

1) Connecting all wired PCs to my Nighthawk AC1900 router
2) Connecting all PCs, and a router port to a gigabit switch, and only using the router for DHCP services and as the internet gateway.

Can the switches built into the router be slower then their off the shelf gigabit counterparts? Assume I don't need services like QoS from the router. I would however, use address reservation.

 

[RealBeast]

Unless you need more than the 4 ports on the Nighthawk, use them. They are as fast as any gigabit switch would be. HERE is a reputable review that shows the excellent routing performance of the R7000.

I've measured the LAN to LAN values at just over 880Mbps, which is fast as any unmanaged gigabit switch I've tested, and is right at the gigabit speed limit accounting for overhead.

If you have a particular need for fast than gigabit connections between computers/large storage arrays that are close together (under 5m apart) there are fairly reasonable options available, but only if your storage transfer speeds saturate gigabit already.