Managed Switches

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When do you need a managed switch?

From desktop PCs, to printers and NAS enclosures, it's recommended for many devices to be connected to the internet via a wired ethernet cable for a strong, reliable and unwavering signal. While a router accepts tens of incoming Wi-Fi connections, you'll soon encounter a limit to how the number of physical ports for hooking up devices.

If you want to connect all an office's desktop PCs together for super-fast data transfer, for example, you'll want a networking switch. However, if you want to monitor what;s happening behind the scenes of your network and control it accordingly, you'll need a managed switch.

For those wanting a hands-on experience to observe, monitor and configure your network for peak operation, a managed switch is a good way of doing so. A managed switch can make a big impact, for a relatively small outlay.

What's the difference between an unmanaged and a managed switch?

With an abundance of ports, an unmanaged switch lets you connect up numerous device. As the name implies, however, they're not designed for the user to control. These switches are pre-loaded with a default configuration that can't be changed, which might not be suited to your needs. They don't have a dashboard GUI for checking the switch's traffic, either.

For a network that's tailor-fit for your specific operation, consider a managed switch. A managed switch exposes various features to the user, otherwise hidden on an unmanaged one. Such as being able to monitor and control the network's traffic through Quality of Service (Qos), Simple Network Management Protocol (SNMP), Virtual Local Area Networks (VLANs) and more.

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Beginners Guide to Home Networking