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Managed Ethernet switches are technically superior to unmanaged Ethernet switches due to the “bells and whistles”, or additional features which they provide. However, it is important to note that managed Ethernet switches, with additional features, are more complex and require network administrators to be properly configured. Network administrators may choose to simplify by adding unmanaged Ethernet switches, which can play a vital role in their network.

From a technological stand point managed Ethernet switches are superior to unmanaged Ethernet switches, but at what price? More features often equates to more complexity and the need for skilled network administrators. Often a network will utilize a combination of managed and unmanaged Ethernet switches. As shown in figure 1. You can see where the network administrator is using managed Ethernet switches in the IDF, but they are using unmanaged Ethernet switches at the edge for departments and workgroups. This allows for the simplicity that an unmanaged Ethernet switch offers while still maintaining the control and management in the IDF Ethernet switches, so that they can meet all of their business requirements while keeping CAPEX and OPEX expenditures to a minimum.

Figure 1:

While there are many benefits to using managed Ethernet switches they are often overkill depending on the environment. Let me explain some basic differences between a managed and unmanaged Ethernet switch.

A managed Ethernet switch lets you take control of the switch and all the traffic moving through it while an unmanaged Ethernet switch simply allows Ethernet devices to communicate with one another. For example, when you connect your Ethernet devices (PC, network printer, etc) to an unmanaged switch they will communicate with each other automatically. There is no configuration of an unmanaged switch required which truly make unmanaged switches “Plug & Play” devices. The unmanaged Ethernet switches will use “auto-negotiation” to agree upon the communication parameters such as half-duplex or full-duplex mode, the transfer speed, i.e. 10Mbps, 100Mbps or 1000Mbps. These “auto-negotiation” items can be viewed from the status LEDs on the unmanaged Ethernet switch. These LEDs will also provide information regarding link status and activity.

A managed Ethernet switch does all of these items as well, but provides the flexibility of being able to adjust the communications parameters of each port on the switch to the setting you require. This gives you the option of configuring and monitoring the switch in a variety of ways. It also provides you with greater control over the switch and how data travels through it. However, in order to control a managed switch you must assign an IP address to it. Once the switch has an IP address configured you can use a variety of methods to view and configure the switch. One of the ways is through Simple Network Management Protocol (SNMP). With SNMP you can view a variety of statistics such as number of bytes/frames transmitted and received, errors generated, port status, etc. In addition to viewing statistics you can configure advance features such as Virtual Local Area Networks (VLANs), Quality of Service (QoS), bandwidth rate limiting, port mirroring, Link Aggregation Control Protocol (LACP), etc. Some of the other management methods for a managed Ethernet switch are telnet, Web-based GUI or a console port. All of these methods will provide the same control and statistics as SNMP does, but these additional options give the user the ability to select the management method that they prefer.

The bottom line is that you need to look at your network and determine if you need to manage and control every Ethernet switch or if you are able to take advantage of unmanaged Ethernet switches at the edge where you simply need to connect users without the additional management and configuration worries. While there are many additional features available from a managed Ethernet switch if you do not need them or utilize them in your network it could be costing you CAPEX and OPEX dollars.

View Transition Networks’ entire line of unmanaged and managed Ethernet switches for more information.

Keywords: 1000Mbps, 100Mbps, 10Mbps, administrator, auto-negotiation, bandwidth, CAPEX and OPEX, communication, connect, control, cost, Ethernet, Ethernet Switches, full-duplex mode, half-duplex, IDF, LEDs, Link Aggregation Control Protocol, link status, managed, network, Port Mirroring, Quality of Service, switch, Switch Sense, Switches, traffic, transfer speed, unmanaged, VLAN, Workgroup

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