What is a Managed Switch?
With a managed switch you can manage each individual ethernet port on the switch. It allows you to configure settings like the link speed, VLAN, QoS, port mirroring, etc per ethernet port.
Besides managing the ports you can also manage and monitor the switch self. Most managed switches allow you to readout throughput, port utilization, etc with the help of SNMP protocols.
Truly managed switches are designed for enterprises and data centers. They are quite expensive but come with features like serial interface, CLI, logical stacking, and network security features.
Smart Switch vs Managed Switch
Smart switches are managed switches only with fewer features. They can be managed through your browser and offer only a subset of the features of a truly managed switch. But that is more than enough for most networks.
Most managed switches that you buy as a consumer fall in the catagory of a smart switch.
What is an Unmanaged Switch?
An unmanaged switch can’t be configured at all. They are simply plug-and-play devices designed to extend the number of ethernet ports in your home or small office networks. You can’t log in on an unmanaged switch or readout any port utilization or throughput of the device. Unmanaged switches are basically dumb devices.
| Managed | Smart | Unmanaged | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Configurable | Yes | Partial | No |
| VLAN | Yes | Yes | No |
| QoS | Yes | Yes | No |
| Monitoring (SNMP) | Yes | No | No |
| Port Mirroring | Yes | No | No |
| Spanning Tree Protocol | Yes | No | No |
| Port Aggregation | Yes | No | No |
| Pricing | Expensive | Affordable | Cheap |
Cloud REBOOT 