Network switch prices have come down significantly, so most businesses and homes are likely to have a new or used replacement switch (or even router) somewhere in a box or drawer, which can be used in case of emergency, if the network fails. There is however a simpler solution, which doesn't require power and costs
something like 0.30 USD
.
This one dollar accessory can be used to connect two network cables temporarily, until the switch is fixed or replaced. In most cases you have to rethink the connections a bit, so you connect the two most important parts of the network, which cannot be down for more than a few minutes. In some cases you can even use a few of these connectors to completely take the place of a switch, if you have more cables coming from other parts of the network.
I wouldn't recommend using such connectors as a permanent solution, as most of them can affect signal strength.
This is how it looks on the inside. As you can see the two connectors are wired together using multi-strand wires, which can reduce signal quality, also reducing the maximum cable length or network speed. This is why I don't recommend using them as a permanent solution, but if you do the necessary bandwidth and cable test, and they look OK, then there's no reason not to use them long term.
