Types of Switches

Types of Switches

Managed Switch
A managed switch allows a network administrator to configure features on the switch that will improve network performance. Managed Switches can also send alerts to the network administrator when problems arise. A managed switch is a valuable asset for troubleshooting problems within a network.

Unmanaged Switch
An Unmanaged Switch requires no network administrator and no configuration. It has only one purpose: To direct traffic.

Layer 2 Switches
Layer 2 switches use MAC address to determine the port each machine lives off.
Layer 2 switches can be either managed or unmanaged

Layer 3 Switches
Layer 3 switches are always “managed.” They basically perform the same function as a router. They can be configured to either route traffic based on MAC address or IP address.

Smart Switches
A smart switch is a great cost effective alternative to a fully managed switch. While still offering low cost and ease of use, it’s a step above an unmanaged switch in that it offers:

• VLAN Segmentation – The ability to break your network into smaller groups.
• Traffic Prioritization – The ability to let more important data be sent first.
• Link Aggregation – Lets you use multiple ports together to act as one large pipe.
• Port Mirroring – The ability to ”mirror” another ports traffic, which is useful when trying to troubleshoot network problems.

Ethernet Switch (OSI Layer 2) vs. IP Switch/ Router (OSI Layer 3)

Benefits of a Layer 3 Switch

A switch that works at the OSI layer 3 is also known as a router. A router directs traffic at layer 3 using IP addresses.

Here are some advantages of using layer 3 switches:

• Good in larger implementations where LAN segmentation is needed
• Routing decreases broadcast traffic (information that is sent to all computers on a network)
• Manageable

And, some disadvantages:

• Because this switch is manageable, it requires that the user have some knowledge to configure the device
• Costs a little more than an unmanaged layer 2 switch

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