A 16-port Ubiquiti network switch worth £300 that was about to be thrown away was taken in for repair due to faults affecting four ports and the PoE function. Inspection identified a damaged Broadcom BCM5911 controller, along with shorted MOSFETs and a diode.
The hard-to-find Broadcom chip was sourced from AliExpress for £1.84. Following the repair, which cost approximately £5 in total, the four ports were working again and were able to power a PoE camera.
Why it matters
This example shows how a few board-level faults in high-value networking hardware can render an entire device unusable. The difference between the approximately £5 component cost and the £300 value of the switch demonstrates that accurate diagnosis offers a tangible alternative to replacing the device or consigning it to electronic waste. The process is relevant both to those who maintain cameras and similar systems that use PoE and to device owners considering component-level repair. However, the limited availability of the critical controller also shows that repairability depends on access to spare parts as much as technical expertise. Since the reported result is limited to four ports and one PoE camera, the status of the device’s other functions and its long-term stability remains unclear.