Welcome to the ultimate buyer's guide for unmanaged Ethernet switches! In this comprehensive guide, we will help clear up any confusion surrounding these essential networking devices. Whether you are a tech novice or a seasoned professional, our expert advice will assist you in making an informed decision. So without further ado, let's dive straight into the world of unmanaged Ethernet switches! Benefits of Unmanaged Ethernet Switches:

Your home router only comes with so many ethernet ports, so NETGEAR’s Gigabit Ethernet Desktop Switch stands in as an excellent option to expand that capacity. This small and compact switch can fit in neatly with your home’s other computer gear; unlike other options, this one doesn’t stand out as a bulky metal box. Additionally, it is easy to use thanks to its plug-and-play operation that doesn’t require the use of an external computer. A: Both Ethernet hubs and switches are networking devices designed to connect multiple computers to a network. Typically though, a switch is used to connect the various network segments, such as PCs, gaming consoles, etc., whereas hubs are usually used to connect multiple Ethernet devices together and make them act as a single segment. Due to this difference, switches are capable of performing better than a hub, by selectively forwarding data to the network segments that actually need it. Unmanaged switches are an affordable solution for SOHO and SMBs. It works on a plug-and-play basis, which is very convenient, and you don't need any technicians or professionals to help you set up and maintain your Network.The average internet user relies almost entirely on Wi-Fi. All of their devices, including computers and TVs, access the internet wirelessly. And this arrangement is usually just fine. Wireless connectivity is faster and more reliable than ever before. But what if you want more than four Ethernet ports? If that's the case, you need to use a network switch---a small box that adds Ethernet ports to your router. It's basically the networking equivalent of a power strip.

A: No. An Ethernet switch doesn’t reduce speed, and it will most likely improve the overall performance of your network. Hardwiring your devices into a switch can reduce interference and signal loss, which are two of the main issues of Wi-Fi connections. Although you’ll be using the same speed, the overall performance of your network will likely improve, which can be important for companies but also hard-core gamers. Q: What is the difference between an Ethernet hub and switch? Actually, unmanaged switches have no concept of virtual LANs (VLANs). Thus, all devices belong to the same broadcast domain. If all of the things plugged into an unmanaged switch are on the same VLAN then you can do that. However, if you have a mix of VLANs on a switch, it needs to be managed. Quality of service - Quality of Service – or QoS – is another important feature you should consider. It lets you manipulate network traffic so that your switch can forward it in a manner consistent with the behavior required by the application generating the traffic. Thanks to this feature, your wired network will be able to differentiate traffic and prioritize it. If you’re looking for an alternative networking option, then NETGEAR might have what you are looking for with its Gigabit Ethernet Network Switch range. All switches feature a silent, fanless design, making them great for noise-sensitive environments. They can fit in most areas as well, thanks to their versatile mounting options — place them on a desk surface or mount them directly to the wall. This is definitely among the best network switch’s that we have tried. This switch has five-gigabit ports, so you can connect multiple devices.Its smart features do shine through for streamers and gamers, with gaming, streaming, and uplink taking up the first three ports by default. The link aggregation feature is also very cool, allowing two ethernet ports to be linked to provide double the bandwidth. Whilst this takes up ports fast, it’s perfect for small gaming/streaming households. The overall speed of each switch was also one of the most critical factors; every switch on our list features up to 100Mbps transfer speeds, with most selections able to attain even faster gigabit speeds — perfect for busy networks. Lastly, we provided options with power over ethernet (PoE) functionality so that you can easily supply power to supported devices on your network without the need for a power cable. Best Ethernet Switch Buyer’s Guide Features Unless you’re planning to use the Ethernet switch as the primary hub for all your devices, odds are you won’t need a 16-port or 24-port switch. However, such a device could be needed if you’re building an office network.

An unmanaged switch is simple, connecting Ethernet devices with a fixed configuration that you cannot make any changes to, often used for small networks or to add temporary groups of systems to a larger network. A managed switch, on the other hand, also allows you to manage, configure, and monitor the settings of your LAN, including controls over LAN traffic, prioritizing certain channels, and create new virtual LANs to keep smaller groups of devices segregated and to better manage their traffic. Managed switches also offer redundancy features that duplicate and recovery data in the event of a device or network failure. When it comes to ports, we ensured that even the smallest switch in our roundup could give you an additional five ports; however, we also included switches that can accommodate up to a jaw-dropping forty-eight devices so that you can find the best option for your network. The mounting style was also a consideration as all options can be used neatly on a desk, with our top selections also featuring wall-mounting options for more flexibility. KVM Switch: Used to manage multiple PCs from a single unit. This is more for large-scale companies that use this kind of switch to maintain server rooms. It can also be used by home users for various uses. For example, sharing a display between a desktop and Xbox. We looked at the strength of connection and general performance compared to the price, as our main factor when deciding which gigabit switches were best. Special features such as link aggregation and temperature control were also considered when weighing up which model would be best for specific needs.An eight-port switch is typically preferred by gamers who want to connect more than one computer – plus gaming consoles and other devices – to the network. A managed switch is a device that can be configured and properly managed to offer a more tailored experience to those who will be utilizing the box. These not only offer tools and the means to monitor the network, but also control over traffic. Managed switches are very much like Virtual Private Servers where you'll be in charge of setting everything up, managing the device and take responsibility for any configurations that cause downtime. The second question will be whether or not you want Power over Ethernet (PoE) or not. This depends on what sort of devices you are going to connect and how much PoE budget they will need. You can get switches that have PoE on all ports and others that only have it on a set number of connections. But usually, it’s a straight choice – with or without PoE. You’ll always pay a little more for a switch with PoE.