Introduction

When you decide to purchase a switch for your home network, it is generally not a tough task. You go for the most cost-effective network switch, from one of the top brands. However, when it comes to choosing a switch for business use, the decision-making process becomes a lot more complex.

A network switch is an essential component of your business’s IT infrastructure. Due to the large number of devices that are used in your organization – PCs, printers, networking devices, and more – your network might get strained, which may hamper the smooth running of your business processes. To keep your company systems operational, you might want to think about investing in a network switch that is suited to your distinct needs.

What are the different types of switches?

Today, there are a large number of alternatives to choose from, for essentially everything. Even with network switches, you get various types. There are switches that can be used specifically for small businesses, and then there are those that have a large number of ports and can handle numerous network-connected devices. Before we talk about which type of switch is right for you, let’s see what the different types of switches are –

Unmanaged Switches

Unmanaged switches are designed to be used for home networks and small businesses. They are cost-effective, and easy to use as they plug in instantly and don’t require any configuration. Since these are used in small spaces, they also require small cable connections.

Managed Switches

Managed switches can be used for businesses that have a well-established IT infrastructure. You can customize these switches to enable enhanced functionality of a large network. Along with features like high security, precision control, and complete network management, managed switches also provide scalability. This affects the cost of these switches, making them more expensive. There are two types of managed switches –

• Smart Switches – These are partially managed switches that consist of elementary network management features, and also provide some levels of security. Smart switches are used in fast and constant LANs.
• Enterprise-managed switches – These are fully managed switches, and they possess the ability to fix, copy, transform, and display various network configurations. Since enterprise-managed switches have many more features than smart switches, they are also more expensive. These switches can be used in organizations that require the usage of a large number of ports and nodes.

Modular Switches

Modular switches provide you with the flexibility to add expansion modules, as per the network requirements of your business. The expansion modules that you use can be application-specific, such as the inclusion of firewalls, or wireless connectivity. While modular switches provide flexibility, they are also costly.

Fixed-configuration Switches

Unlike modular switches, fixed-configuration switches have a set number of ports. This makes fixed-configuration switches more affordable than modular switches, yet they don’t provide any form of flexibility.

Which switch is right?

Now that you know the different kinds of switches available, you would want to choose the one that suits your business needs. There are certain crucial factors to consider before choosing rental IT equipment, like the size of your business, scalability options, performance, configurations, customization options, and cost. In the case of network switches, here are our two cents –

If you have a small business, with no immediate expansion needs, you can go for unmanaged switches. It will be cost-effective for you, and since there are very few devices, your switch can get the job done, efficiently. However, if your organization is expanding consistently, you might want to choose a modular switch. It allows you to customize your switches according to your needs, which will be helpful in the long run.

Pro tip:

If you’re still unsure about which network switch to choose for your business’s IT infrastructure, go for rental switches. Rental switches are scalable and flexible, and you have a large variety of options to choose from. When you choose to rent switches from trusted rental providers, like Rank Computers, you can procure high-quality equipment at a very reasonable cost. Besides that, you get 24/7 support and maintenance services for your rentals. IT rentals enable you to easily replace your outdated devices with updated ones, as and when you require them.