What To Look for When Buying a Network Switch
Before buying a network switch it is important to know what you’re looking for and even more importantly, what you’re trying to avoid.
Network switches are an integral part of every network system and are what hold the system together. This means it’s crucial that the model you select is a good fit for your network and that it has all the features that you need.
The top 5 things to consider when buying a network switch are:
- Number of users
- Network needs
- Managed vs. unmanaged
- Powering additional devices
- Multiple network switches
In the rest of this article, you’ll learn about why each of these factors is important and what some of your different options are when it comes to network switches.
1. Number of Users
One of the first things that you need to consider when purchasing a network switch is how many people you will need to connect to it. Every network switch has a different capacity and it’s important to purchase a model that meets your needs.
You’ll want to make sure that there are enough ports in your network switch for the number of devices that you’ll need to connect. Utilizing multiple ports allows data transfer to move more quickly without having to upgrade your internet further.
If you buy a network switch without enough ports or with too slow of a transfer speed it will end up slowing your work process down.
2. Network Needs
The second thing that you’ll want to have in mind is the network needs of your users. There are two main types of ethernet that you need to be aware of, Fast Ethernet and Gigabit Ethernet. Out of the two, Gigabit Ethernet is significantly faster than Fast Ethernet. It can transfer data packets roughly 100 times faster than Fast Ethernet.
Due to this speed, Gigabit Ethernet has become the more popular option as it allows data transfer between systems to occur much more rapidly. However, this extra speed will come at a premium, and devices equipped with Gigabit Ethernet are usually significantly more expensive.
If your company simply does not have the high-speed internet that Gigabit Ethernet promises, Fast Ethernet can still be a great option and many companies still choose to use it.
Choosing Fast Ethernet will also save you a lot of money on your initial purchase which can be good for companies that are just starting out and don’t have a lot of extra funds to invest in their network systems.
3. Managed vs. Unmanaged
When you go to purchase a network switch you’ll notice that there are two main categories of network switches, managed and unmanaged.
The names are fairly self-explanatory. An unmanaged network switch does not have options for configuration. You simply plug it into your system and it starts to work. This is great for those who do not need a lot of customization or are not experienced enough to customize their own network switch.
In contrast, a managed network switch allows you to manage and configure the setting of your device. The benefit of this is that it allows the user to have much more control over how the network switch is working. However, the downside is that it can make the network switch more difficult to maintain.
For example, with a managed network switch you can reconfigure the channels to give the most important priority and the fastest data transfer speed. With an unmanaged network switch, you are unable to do this and all channels will be given the same priority.
The benefit of being able to reconfigure the channels is that if there is one particularly important system, you’ll be able to prioritize that system within the network switch. The downside to this is that you will be responsible for monitoring the efficiency of the system and checking for errors which is difficult if you don’t have experience.
4. Powering Additional Devices
Another thing that you should consider when selecting your network switch is whether or not you will need to power other devices via ports in the network switch. This capability of delivering power via the ethernet cable connecting the two devices is known as PoE.
If you are planning on connecting many devices to your network switch it may be worth it to consider purchasing a network switch with PoE capabilities. This can be especially useful if you are working in a space that does not have multiple power outlets so you can connect every individual device.
5. Multiple Network Switches
The last thing you’ll want to think about when purchasing your network switch is whether or not you’ll need it to connect to other network switches in the future. If you plan on expanding or think you may expand in the future you should look for a stackable network switch.
Stackable network switches are designed to connect with each other to create one giant network switch. They can all be configured and controlled together which will decrease the amount of time that you have to put into maintaining the system.
If you choose to use standalone network switches then you will not be able to connect multiple and manage them as one. Instead, you’ll have to go in and configure every network switch and manage each individually.
Final Thoughts
Several key factors are important to consider when investing in a network switch for your company.
The first is the number of users and the speed that your network needs. Network switches are manufactured with different numbers of ports and you must get a network switch with enough ports for all the devices that you’ll need to connect.
Some of the other important factors to consider are if you want a managed or unmanaged network switch as well as if it needs to be stackable. Managed network switches allow for more customization while unmanaged switches offer more low-maintenance upkeep.
A stackable network switch can connect to other switches and be managed as one device. This is important if you think that you will want to scale your network system in the future.
