How to choose the right network switch for your IT team

Choosing a network switch that works for your IT department is vital as it connects different devices on the same network, such as computers, printers, servers, wireless access points, and more.

When investing in one, failing to consider factors such as what type of network switch to pick, its energy efficiency, number of ports, and security may result in poor network performance and security vulnerabilities.

The backbone of any network, a well-chosen switch ensures smooth data flow, enhanced security, and scalability as your business grows. But with so many options on the market, how do you decide which one is best for your IT team? 

To assist with that, we have written this guide, which examines the key factors to consider when buying a network switch. We’ve also reviewed the best network switches and carefully examined each switch we suggest to ensure our recommendations are unbiased.

7 key considerations when choosing a network switch

Before we review the best network switches, let’s examine what to look for when buying one.

IT departments should consider the number of available ports, type of network switch, PoE, available security features, and more.

Number of ports (and their speed)

Choosing a network switch starts with the question of how many connected devices your network switch needs to support. You may want to connect computers, tablets, wireless devices, servers, Wi-Fi routers, printers, and other IoT devices.

Most business switches have 8, 16, 24, or 48 ports that can be deployed within a network infrastructure.

You should consider not only the number of ports but also their speed. The four speeds are fast ethernet (10/100 Mbps), gigabit ethernet (1 Gbps), 10 gigabit ethernet (10 Gbps), and 100 gigabit ethernet (100 Gbps.

If you need to handle large files or heavy data traffic, a minimum of gigabit ethernet switches are essential. Large organizations with high-performance environments may want to opt for the ten-gigabit ethernet.

Type of network switch (managed vs. unmanaged)

There are two main types of network switches available:

• Unmanaged switches: Designed to be plug-and-play with no configuration. Most suitable for small businesses and home usage.
• Managed switches: Ideal for large networks, offering maximum customization and flexibility.

The question of whether to invest in a managed or unmanaged switch comes down to your specific needs. Enterprises benefit most from managed switches because they can handle environments with a variety of segments and high-performance requirements.

The key features of managed switches include PoE+ support, robust security protocols, VLAN support, remote maintenance, and Quality of Service (QoS). 

Businesses with mid-level requirements might also want to look into smart switches. These switches provide greater control than unmanaged switches without the complexity of fully managed switches.

Layer 2 vs. layer 3 switches

Understanding the difference between Layer 2 and Layer 3 switches is important when investing in a switch.

To summarize, each serves a specific purpose:

• Layer 2 switches: Operates at the data link layer of the OSI model, using MAC addresses to forward traffic between devices within the same local network. Cost-effective and ideal for simple LANs.
• Layer 3 switches: Layer 3 switches operate at the network layer, using IP addresses to direct traffic and facilitate communication between different subnets. A necessity for networks with complex routing requirements and multiple VLANs.

Layer 3 and Layer 2 switches (source)

Layer 3 switches are often more expensive and require more advanced configuration to set up and manage, yet they offer the most customization.

Power over Ethernet (PoE)

The question of whether you need Power over Ethernet (PoE) will depend on what kind of devices you want to connect and how much PoE budget they require. PoE devices include wireless access points, VoIP phones, and IP cameras.

How PoE switch works (source)

There are switches available that support PoE on all ports, and there are switches that have PoE available on a limited number of ports. Switches that support PoE cost more, so they aren’t necessarily a good investment for IT teams that don’t need them.

As for the PoE budget, VoIP phones and wireless access points use the least amount of power, while IP cameras require significantly more power. Knowing which PoE devices you use helps to determine how much PoE budget you need.

Switching capacity and forwarding rate

In addition to port speed, make sure your network switch is equipped with enough switching capacity and forwarding rate to handle all connected devices simultaneously.

Here are the two things explained:

• Switching capacity refers to the maximum amount of data that a switch can handle at any given time.
• The forwarding rate indicates how many packets a switch can process per second.

A high switching capacity and forwarding rate are important for enterprises with heavy bandwidth demands. Not only should the capacity meet your current needs, but also provide scalability for future growth.

Security features

Network security should be a high priority for IT departments when buying network switches. This is particularly true since 75% of security professionals have seen an increase in attacks in 2023, according to CFO.

To prevent security incidents, choose network switches that support the following security features:

• Port security
• Access Control Lists (ACLs)
• VLAN segmentation
• 802.1X Authentication
• MAC address filtering
• Storm control

In addition, the modern cloud-managed network switches support a variety of ITSM and IoT monitoring systems for real-time threat detection and monitoring. This proactive approach to monitoring is the best way for enterprises to secure their network switches.

Energy efficiency

Network switches don’t have a fixed power consumption rate. Instead, their power costs are determined by the following factors:

• The number of ports
• The type of switch
• Data rate speed
• Amount of usage of the switch
• Whether the ports are PoE or not

To reduce energy consumption, more manufacturers are offering energy-saving network switches with minimal power consumption. The main energy-saving features include throttling of unused ports, automatic shutdown, and dynamic power adjustment based on network traffic.

Especially for larger environments, energy-saving network switches can make a significant impact on reducing operational costs.

The 10 best network switches for IT departments

We have divided the best network switches for IT departments into ten different categories:

1. Best overall network switch
2. Best budget network switch
3. Best network switch for large enterprises
4. Best network switch for remote offices
5. Best high-performance network switch
6. Best network switch for scalability
7. Best PoE network switch
8. Best network switch for small businesses
9. Best network switch for energy efficiency
10. Best network switch for security

1. Best overall network switch (TP-Link TL-SG3428X)

TP-Link TL-SG3428X is our choice for the best overall network switch and a reliable solution for enterprise-level IT departments and ISP networks. The 24-port managed gigabit switch offers robust security, centralized management, and high performance at an affordable price. For the most demanding hardware, it has 4 x 10 gigabyte slots available.

The TL-SG3428X model doesn’t have Power over Ethernet (PoE) ports available. If you require PoE ports, we recommend looking into TL-SG3428XMP, which is another model from TP-Link. The PoE support does come at an extra cost though.

2. Best budget network switch for IT departments (TP-Link TL-SX3008)

Another model from TP-Link, TL-SX3008 enables high-bandwidth connectivity through eight 10 gigabyte ports. This 8-port switch offers high reliability, cloud access, and security for enterprise IT departments at an affordable price of $239.99.The security features include cloud monitoring, IP-MAC port binding, DoS defend, and 802.1X radius authentication. 

The switch supports enterprise-level L2+ features, including 802.1Q VLAN, port mirroring, link aggregation control protocol, and 802.3x Flow Control. TP-Link has an Omada app for centralized management of all connected devices.

3. Best network switch for large enterprises (Netgear MSM4362)

Enterprise-level IT departments require a network switch with high port density, advanced Layer 2 and Layer 3 features, robust security protocols, and high throughput capacity. Netgear MSM4362 is one the best solutions for large organizations requiring these capabilities.

Netgear MSM4362 comes with 44 2.5G and 4 10G/Multi-gig ports and four 25GBASE-X SFP28 uplinks. Additionally, it features a 550W internal power supply, offering a 194W PoE budget. The PoE budget has the capacity to reach 3,314W and the redundant PoE budget can reach 1,794W. 

The Layer 3 features include static, policy-based, and dynamic routing.

4. Best network switch for remote offices (Juniper EX9250)

Juniper EX9250 line of switches are ideal for remote offices due to their compact size and scalability. While they’re compact, they offer scalability to support growing network demands by providing high port density and flexible configuration options.

The EX9250 line is designed to enable a self-driving network feature, which allows faults and anomalies to be detected and corrected before they affect services. The self-driving feature uses automation, which is ideal for remote environments where IT staff may not be physically present to address issues immediately.

5. Best high-performance network switch (Netgear M4500 Series)

Netgear M4500 series switches provide high performance with two model options: one with 32 ports that support 100G, 50G, and 40G speeds, and another with 48 ports that support 10G and 25G speeds. The M4500 series rackmount switches are pre-configured for AV-over-IP installations.

The M4500-48XF8C model ensures high reliability with two redundant 750W modular power supplies and six modular fan trays. In addition to reliability, it offers security features, including access control lists (ACLs), port security, and 802.1X authentication.

6. Best network switch for scalability (Cisco Catalyst 9200 Series)

With full PoE+ capability, strong security features, power and fan redundancy, stacking bandwidth up to 160 Gbps, and Layer 3 support, the Cisco Catalyst 9200 Series switches series are made for enterprises that require scalability.

Cisco Catalyst 9200 Series switches are built for switch stacking, making it possible to manage and control up to 384 ports from a single management and control system.

To keep network devices secure, these switches include AES-128 MACsec encryption, policy-based segmentation, and real-time performance and health monitoring.

7. Best PoE network switch (Linksys LGS352MPC)

Linksys LGS352MPC is designed to power PoE devices, such as surveillance cameras, door access control systems, VoIP phones, access points, and other demanding applications. It comes with 48 PoE+ ports and a total power budget of 740W, making it capable of supporting high-powered devices

If you need fewer ports, there are 8 and 24-port models available for the same switch.

Linksys LGS352MPC provides network security through port authentication, advanced DHCP snooping, and IP-MAC binding. There are QoS features available to prioritize traffic for an optimal user experience.

Linksys LGS352MPC provides enough PoE budget for most IT departments, but large organizations might want to look into Juniper EX4400-48MXP switches, which provide up to 3600W of PoE budget.

8. Best network switch for small businesses (Cisco Catalyst 1200 series)

Small businesses and one-man IT departments can benefit from Cisco Catalyst 1200 series switches, which offer high network performance at an affordable price. There are many models available and they offer 8-48 ports of gigabit ethernet connectivity, 10 gigabit ethernet uplinks, and PoE+ support.

The switch easily connects with existing video, data, wireless, voice, and connected networking devices. Cisco offers an app for automatic deployment, monitoring, and lifecycle management of the switches.

The available app integrates with the leading MSP software and RMM tools.

9. Best network switch for energy efficiency (GREENnet TEG-S24Dg)

GREENnet TEG-S24Dg meets the needs of IT departments seeking relatively high bandwidth performance, easy set-up, and a 70% power consumption reduction.

The technology behind GREENnet reduces power usage when the Ethernet port is not in use, the connected device is off, or the device is in power-saving mode. The switch uses a fanless design, which further reduces energy consumption.

TEG-S24Dg has 24 ports with outputs of 10/100/1000Mbps and a total switching capacity of 48Gbps. This may not be enough for larger organizations that require higher bandwidth and scalability to support more devices.

10. Best network switch for security (TP-Link TL-SG3452XP)

IT departments looking for a secure network switch at a reasonable price should consider TP-Link’s TL-SG3452XP. Its advanced security features include 802.1Q VLAN, port security, DoS defend, storm control, DHCP snooping, and IP-MAC port binding. 

Additionally, the Omada app allows you to monitor your network health in real-time, so you can detect threats early on.

Enterprises looking for a high-performance network switch with robust security should also consider Catalyst 9200 Switches, which we previously reviewed. The Catalyst 9200 switch series is known for having strong security features.

How can IT departments secure their network switches?

Network switches play an important role in modern computer networks, but they are not immune from security threats. Some of the most common threats to security are unauthorized access, VLAN hopping, and a lack of monitoring and logging.

To mitigate these security risks, IT teams should update firmware regularly, backup switch configurations, implement strict access controls, and monitor network activity.

The best way to do these tasks is to use IoT monitoring software, such as Atera. With Atera, IT departments can automate firmware updates, track real-time network performance, set up proactive alerts for anomalies, and much more.
If you’re interested in using Atera for your IT department, you can take advantage of the available 30-day free trial. Or, contact our sales team for a custom demo.