Building a reliable and robust network for your business means finding the correct parts and high-quality functioning processes that will help keep your business moving forward in both an effective and secure way. If you are in the process of looking for used server parts and refurbished network servers to help build your company, you’ll also want to understand the different facets of an effective network. Here, we take a look at network switches, what they are, what they do and everything you need to know to make a fully informed decision as you work through your business challenges and look for the right solutions.

What is a network switch?

A network switch is the connection between devices and a local area network (LAN). The network switch provides the means with which these devices communicate over the network – as you see with the communication between different computers and printers in an office space, for example. You can route and switch data between the different devices on the network. 

There is a difference between a network switch and an ethernet hub, with data only sent to devices that are designated, rather than through every output. This makes a network switch efficient.

Are there different types of network switches?

Managed and Unmanaged switches are the two types of network switches. The difference being the configuration capabilities to customise and optimise network traffic when looking at specific applications with a managed network switch. Managed network switches provide multiple ways to modify switch operations and you can manage, monitor and prioritise LAN traffic. Unmanaged switches are simple, plug-in and play, but with the limitation of no switch operation modification.

Other considerations for network switches

Do you need a managed switch – one of the biggest considerations when choosing a network switch is whether your application needs a managed switch or not. If there is the involvement of controlling network traffic, you’ll need everything that a managed switch provides you. This could be tasks where important data is given greater priority in your LAN, where there are many applications running at the same time that are bandwidth-intensive, or where you are looking to improve performance levels on a busy network. 

Number of network devices – you need to consider the number of devices that will be connected to your network. Make sure that the switch that you choose has enough Gigabit Ethernet ports to connect the devices, and if there is going to be a view to scale up in future, choose a switch that allows for effective growth on your network in the future.

Multiple network switches? – If you are planning on connecting multiple network switches, think about the types of switches that allow for this effectively. This is where working with a specialist supplier will help you understand the best way to do this without compromising on performance or functionality.

Whenever you are in the process of building or upgrading your business network, whether this is choosing the right type of network switch or refurbished servers, think about the quality of the supplier. A supplier with experience of network switches, used parts for servers and fully refurbished servers for sale in the UK, will have the knowledge to offer expert advice that could help you to significantly improve your business.

Danny Watson