A switch is an important foundation element of your office network. It is a network device that allows other devices on the network to communicate and share information. You will have PCs, printers, NAS (network-attached storage) devices, servers, VoIP (Voice over Internet Protocol), etc. on your network and the switch ties these devices together into your network.

In your home, you don’t see a switch because the wireless router that you use is a combination of a wireless router, an access point, and a switch. We will talk about access points in the following section. So it may get a little confusing if you compare your home network with your office network. You just need to remember that the function of a switch is different than that of a router, which connects together different networks. For most businesses, the router connects your network with the internet while the switch connects different devices within your network.
 

How to choose a switch for your office network?

 

For small and medium businesses, there are three types of network switches to choose from. These types are based on configuration options and are as follows:

​

• Unmanaged Switch

An unmanaged switch is the simplest and most basic kind of switch. It’s simple because you can use it out of the box as it doesn’t need any configuration. Unmanaged switches are less expensive but lack advanced features. They are best for small offices that have simple networks.
 

• Managed Switch

A managed switch gives you control over the operation of the switch. You can configure your switch to decide how your network consumes an internet connection. You can configure the switch via a CLI (command line interface), SNMP (Simple Network Management Protocol), or a web interface.

 

For example, a managed switch allows you to set port bandwidth, and create or modify VLANs (Virtual Local Area Networks). Managed switches are more expensive and require some technical knowledge for using effectively. Another key advantage is that they can be managed remotely and hence are very useful for large offices and satellite locations.