What Is the Difference Between Managed and Unmanaged Switches?

When choosing switches, we often encounter the dilemma of whether to choose a managed or an unmanaged switch. Typically, managed switches offer more powerful functions than unmanaged switches, providing Simple Network Management Protocol for monitoring connection status, STP, advanced performance of various types of QoS, and VLANs. However, among different network switch oem, managed switches are much more expensive than unmanaged ones. So, how should we choose when selecting? Today, let's review the advantages and disadvantages of these two types of switches to help everyone have a clear understanding.

1. Advantages of Unmanaged Switches

Disadvantages of Unmanaged Switches:

• Unmanaged switches such as 1G unmanaged oem ethernet switch, have limited functions and are only suitable for small networks;

• Do not support ARP protection, vulnerable to virus attacks; Do not support MAC address binding, do not support VLAN division, networks are prone to broadcast storms;

• Do not support traffic-based control;
  

• Poor reliability in data transmission, prone to packet loss;
  

• Single assembly, large limitations on network upgrading and expansion;
  

• Inconvenient management, higher hardware failure rate.
  

Advantages of Unmanaged Switches:

• Low price, cost-saving;
  

• Dense port numbers;
  

• Flexible for users
  

2. Advantages and Disadvantages of Managed Switches

Advantages of Managed Switches:

• Large backplane bandwidth, fast data forwarding speed;
  

• Flexible networking, applicable to access layers of medium and large networks;
  

• Offers flexible ports, choosing different interface forms according to network application;
  

• Supports VLAN division, allowing targeted control over the network; Managed switches have low data loss rate and latency rate;
  

• Can control data information flow based on destination and network segment;
  

• Link aggregation allows switches, such as core switch and access switch, to bind multiple Ethernet ports together between switches and between switches and servers;
  

• Has ARP protection function, reducing network ARP spoofing, has MAC address binding function;
  

• Port mirroring function can replicate the traffic and status of one port to another port on the switch;
  

• Supports DHCP function;
  

• Access control list can control IP packets;
  

• Has better security performance;
  

• Has SNMP function, better management and control over the retention process;
  

• Easy to expand, flexible application, can be managed through network management software, or remotely accessed through its own access control, increasing network security and controllability.
  

Disadvantages of Managed Switches: None

In summary, unmanaged switches are simple to use, but can't be configured; managed switches have a web management page that can be accessed through IP to login to the web management page to configure the switch (assign VLAN ports, set port rates, etc.).