Home Ethernet network

Yup. There were all sorts of caveats in the past (max number of switches, bandwidth allocation with multiple devices, etc), but modern switches (anything from about the last 10 years) have overcome them and they're pretty much just plug and play now. Plugging in a switch to get more ethernet ports is now pretty much like plugging in a power strip to get more power outlets..

The only remaining caveat I can think of is that data transmission speed is still limited by a single cable connecting switches or a switch to the router. That is, if you have devices A, B, C, D connected to a single gigabit switch, then A can transfer a file to B at 1 Gbps, while at the same time C transmits a file to D at 1 Gbps. Even though the max speed of a port is 1 Gbps, the ports operate independently so the switch can handle 2 Gbps total simultaneous traffic on different ports just fine.

However, if you have devices A and C connected to the router, the switch connected to the router, and devices B and D connected to the switch, then the same A-to-B and C-to-D transfer would result in their combined speed being limited to 1 Gbps, since both their transmissions have to go over the single cable connecting the router to the switch.

This is more a problem for businesses though, as the situation would rarely come up in a home use case. It does mean though that it is better to buy a single big switch with enough ports for all your rooms, than it is to daisy-chain multiple small switches together. Each time you plug multiple small switches together, you are limiting the max combined speed of all devices trying to communicate between different switches to 1 Gbps.

One small advantage of using a switch is if you've got an older router which is only capable of Fast Ethernet (100 Mbps). Instead of replacing the router with a Gigabit router (typically $100+), you can just buy a cheap $25 Gigabit switch (1000 Mbps) and plug that into the router. Then make sure to plug all your devices into the switch. Nothing but the switch should be plugged into the router. All your devices will then be able to communicate with each other at Gigabit speeds. So if you're trying to copy movie files from your desktop to your laptop before a trip (and the laptop is plugged into ethernet), they'll transfer at 1 Gbps. Only your Internet traffic will be limited by the router's Fast Ethernet to 100 Mbps.