We are all familiar with switches, but do you know about managed switches? What is a managed switch? Managed switch products provide a variety of network management methods such as console-based (Console), web-based and Telnet remote login to the network. Network managers can monitor the working status and network health of the switch locally or remotely in real time, and manage the working status and operating mode of all switching ports globally. So, what is the difference between this managed switch and an unmanaged switch?
1. Managed Ethernet switch
Benefits of managed Ethernet switches
1. The backplane bandwidth is large and the data forwarding speed is faster.
2. Flexible networking, application of large and medium-sized network access layer.
3. The port provided is flexible, and different interface forms such as SFP, GE, fast Ethernet, Ethernet, etc. are selected according to the application of the network.
4. Support VLAN division, users can divide areas for different applications, effectively control and manage the network. Progress suppresses the broadcast storm.
5. The data throughput of the networkable switch is large, the packet loss rate is small, and the latency is low.
6. Data information flow can be controlled based on source, destination and network segment.
7. Link aggregation allows switches and switches and switches and servers to be bound together through multiple Ethernet ports to achieve load balancing.
8. With the protection function of ARP, progress to reduce the ARP spoofing of the network.
9. Binding with MAC address.
10. The port mirroring function can copy the traffic and status of one port to another port of the switch for supervision.
11. Support DHCP function.
12. Access control list It can control IP packets, such as restricting its traffic, entering and exiting, and providing QoS.
13. It has good security performance: the switch can filter MAC addresses, lock MAC addresses, and build static MAC forwarding tables.
14. Able to support IEEE802.1Q and VLAN based on port technology. The GVRP (GARP, VLAN Registration Protocol) and GMRP (GARP Multicast Registration Protocol) involved in IEEE802.1QVLAN are also widely supported.
15. With SNMP function, it can achieve good management and control of the network.
16. Easy to expand, flexible application, can be managed by network management software, can also be accessed remotely through its own access control. Increase network security and control.
2. Unmanaged switches
Disadvantages of unmanaged switches:
1. Non-managed industrial switches have limited functions and are suitable for small networks.
2. ARP protection is not supported, ARP attacks are not viruses, so almost all antivirus software is helpless; But it’s better than a virus—because it can slow down communications, bring down networks, or leak information.
3. MAC address binding is not supported.
4. VLAN division is not supported, and end users connected to non-managed switches are in the same broadcast domain, and broadcast storms will break out, which cannot be protected and suppressed. The entire network is congested, blocked, flooded, and the entire network is paralyzed.
5. Flow-based control is not supported.
6. The reliability of data transmission is poor, and the phenomenon of packet loss is serious.
7. Single assembly, can not be applied in large and medium-sized networks, there are great limitations to network upgrade and expansion.
8. Inconvenient management, hardware failure rate is relatively large.
Advantages of unmanaged switches:
1. Cheap price and cost saving.
2. The number of ports is dense.
3. Flexible user use.
The unmanaged switch is simple to use, but it cannot be configured, the managed type has a web management page, and you can log in to the web management page through IP to configure the switch (assign port VLANs, set port rates, etc.).
Simply put, managed switches are more powerful than unmanaged switches. It typically provides Simple Network Management Protocol (SNMP) for monitoring connection status, STP, other advanced performance like QOS, and VLANs. These characteristics vary by vendor and model. Managed switches are much more expensive and more time-consuming to configure than unmanaged switches. So when we choose, we can choose according to our actual situation.
