Managed switches and unmanaged switches differ in various ways, including control and cost. Managed switches support more granular control, yet unmanaged switches have lower prices.

Let's first consider Unmanaged Switches. They are simple, easy to use, and connect your Ethernet devices so that everything magically communicates. This is indeed how an Ethernet unmanaged switch is supposed to operate. It should just work... but what if it doesn't? Unmanaged switches do not provide any sort of monitoring, alerts or alarms. They just take data in and send it back out. Using an unmanaged switch is much like driving a car without a dashboard. You will probably get to your destination, but how much gas do you have left, is your engine overheating, how fast are you going...? In simple applications where there are a few Ethernet devices and one to three switches TOTAL, unmanaged switches are often the best choice and will be the most economical. A general rule is if you have more than three Ethernet switches, you should consider a managed switch.

The five key differences between managed switches and unmanaged switches are the following:

1. performance

2. features

3. cost

4. security

Managed switches provide a lot of value in a network. First, they can let you know the status of the network. If an abnormal condition occurs, a managed switch can send you a message telling you so. This includes things like high bandwidth consumption, unexpected port connection, and even power supply failure. Additionally, a managed switch can implement redundancy. This can be critical if an Ethernet cable gets cut, unplugged, or plugged into the wrong port, or even if the switch is powered down. Managed switches are intelligent enough to find another path to the destination, or even block communications that should not be occurring on a specific port in order to prevent serious network issues.

Some Managed switches have extra features that have real-world value. One example is PoE (Power over Ethernet) monitoring. If you are using PoE Cameras or other PoE devices, a managed switch can monitor them to ensure they are functioning, and if not, a managed switch can automatically reset the power on that port and reboot the device, thus saving a service call.

While this is just a simple explanation of some of the differences between Managed vs Unmanaged switches. We hope that this short article can help you make a decision that is best for your networking needs.

How to choose between a managed and unmanaged switch

As mentioned, managed switches are more expensive than unmanaged switches, as they require software patches, updates and -- often -- a skilled professional for implementation. That said, complex networks that consist of servers, wireless access points, PCs and IoT devices often necessitate the configuration options found on managed switches.

Small businesses with several dozen connected devices can likely get away with deploying an unmanaged switch. The capabilities found in managed switches likely won't be used, as a single flat network can easily handle the level of traffic a small network generates. Thus, a managed switch's extra cost will likely not add any additional value for the business.

An organization may require a managed switch if the business begins to approach hundreds of devices. In this case, the ability to break up the LAN into multiple broadcast domains using VLANs can ensure the network performs optimally. Additionally, larger businesses will likely have an IT network professional on staff who can configure advanced performance, security and monitoring features.