Number of Ports: Because a managed switch is made to connect all of your devices on a given network, you would want to have multiple ports for connecting multiple devices at once. Thus, while managed switches ideal for home usage may have 5 or 8 ports, larger units can even come with up to 24 ports making them great for industrial and large-scale applications. Speed: Apart from having multiple ports, you would also want your network switch and its ports to support a high networking speed. This is to ensure that all of the devices in your network are able to transfer data quickly. Thankfully, almost all managed switches are rated for gigabit speeds which should be plenty for most users and networks. Mounting: Whether you are using your managed switch at your home or at a server site, mounting or installing your managed switch securely is quite important. Starting with home switches, they are ideal for desk usage or for mounting on the wall. As for larger switches, they use standard rack mounting solutions with standard rack size support.
Other than these features, you still need to keep multiple things in mind before buying a managed switch. Hence, all the different managed switches present here have all their details and factors well explained, along with an extensive “Buying Guide” so that you can go with the best managed switches by the time you make it to the end of this article.
Best Managed Switches 2023
Best Managed Switches Reviews
1. NETGEAR 5-Port Managed Switche
Check Price On Staples Netgear is a highly popular brand of networking devices that are generally ideal for home usage, which are generally quite affordable, including its managed switch given here. The Netgear GS105Ev2 managed switch is present at the 1st position in this list since this can be a great entry-level option for many. Being an entry-level managed switch, you get a total of 5 ports with this network switch. Coming to the performance of this managed switch, it offers gigabit speeds which is quite good for the price. When combined with its IEEE8023az compatibility and other handy features, you can expect good performance from it. Unlike other budget-managed switches out there, you get a lifetime warranty with this one which makes it one of the best options for long-term usage. Best Features:
Features a total of 5 ports Rated for gigabit speeds Comes with a lifetime warranty
Pros:
Quite an affordable managed switch Decent performance numbers Excellent for long term usage with a long warranty
Cons:
Not ideal for large scale networks
2. TRENDnet 8-Port Managed Switche
Check Price On Walmart While Trendnet is a fairly small brand of networking devices like a managed switch, its offerings can still be a great option if you are looking for something versatile made for managed switch. Trendnet TEG-S80ES managed switch is present at the 2nd position in this listicle as it offers an excellent value for money. While this managed switch is primarily made for home usage, you do get 8 ports with it, which is quite great. Even with its fairly entry-level price tag, you still get gigabit speeds with all these ports. You also get features like RSTP, VLAN, IGMP, QoS, snooping, loopback detection, and much more with this switch. And despite being a fairly small brand of networking devices, you still get a lifetime warranty. Best Features:
Features a total of 8 ports Rated for gigabit speeds Comes with a lifetime warranty
Pros:
High value for money managed switch Various network management features Decent number of ports for home usage
Cons:
Management console is a bit basic
3. Ubiquiti 8 Port Managed Switche
Check Price On Staples Ubiquiti is a highly popular brand of networking devices that is primarily known for industrial usage but also offers a few basic and smaller units ideal for home-usage. This Ubiquiti UniFi US-8 managed switch is present at the 3rd position in this article because it is a great feature-rich option for many. With this managed switch, you get a total of 8 ports where two of them support PoE passthrough which can be handy in many cases. To ensure that this managed switch offers enough performance, Ubiquiti has rated it for gigabit ethernet. This is combined along with its switching capacity of 16 Gbps which is pretty high. Although, despite its premium price tag, you only get a 1-year long warranty with it. Best Features:
Features a total of 8 ports Rated for gigabit speeds Comes with a 1-year warranty
Pros:
Supports PoE passthrough High switching capacity Fairly compact for using at your home
Cons:
A bit on the expensive side
4. Mikrotik 24 port Managed Switche
Check Price On eBay Mikrotik is primarily known for high-end networking devices that can be a great option for high-end networks, including its managed switch given here. The Mikrotik CSS326-24G-2S+RM managed switch is one of the best options for industrial usage, thanks to its large size and a large number of ports. To be exact, you will find a total of 24 ports with this managed switch making it perfect to be used with servers as it even fits perfectly in a server rack. Other than supporting gigabit speeds for all its ethernet ports, you also get 2 SFP+ ports with this switch for even better connectivity. Since this switch is made for heavy-duty usage, you get standard features like 802.1Q VLAN support, port isolation, broadcast storm control, port mirroring, SNMP v1, and more. Although, despite being ideal for heavy-duty usage, it only comes with a 1-year long warranty. Best Features:
Features a total of 24 ports Rated for gigabit speeds Comes with a 1-year warranty
Pros:
Excellent value for money Superb performance with 24+2 ports Standard mounting size for using with server racks
Cons:
Warranty period could have been longer
5. BV-Tech 9 Port Managed Switche
You can also consider BV-Tech and its offerings if you are looking for something made for large-scale networks. This 9-port SW801 has 8 PoE ports along with 1 uplink port that offers an excellent value for money, as it can be handy in various situations. The ethernet ports of this managed switch are quite slow and limited to just 100 Mbps speeds. That being said, you do get 120W PoE support with it, which is always come in handy. It features PD detection that detects the required PoE power for your device automatically and protects the non-PoE equipment from damage. With its lightweight rugged metal housing design, the switch port is safe to use in any environment. Also, it has LED indicators that quickly troubleshoot the ports with data and PoE lights. It is built to have high heat tolerances that make the switch offer reliable power without any sound. Being such a premium managed switch, it includes a 1-year long warranty on the product against any manufacturing defects. Also, it offers a 30-day refund policy and provides lifetime tech support to get rid of your queries. Best Features:
Features a total of 9 ports Rated for 100 Mbps speeds Comes with a 1-year warranty
Pros:
Features PoE support at up to 120 watts Support a decent number of ports Fairly compact to use at your home
Cons:
Poor networking speeds The built quality and longevity would have been better.
6. D-Link 5 Port Managed Switche
Check Price On Walmart D-Link is another brand of networking devices known for offering consumer-grade options that can be a great option for using at your home since they are quite affordable. This D-Link DGS-1100-05V2 managed switch is the cheapest option listed here, making it the perfect choice for those who are on a tight budget. Since this is an entry-level managed switch model, you only get a total of 5 ports with it which is to be expected. Thankfully, you do get full gigabit speeds with this network switch which is quite great considering that it features 802.1Q VLAN, QoS, bandwidth limiting, IGMP, static MAC, storm control, and much more. Despite being the most affordable option given here, it still features a lifetime warranty making it perfect for long-term usage. Best Features:
Features a total of 5 ports Rated for gigabit speeds Comes with a lifetime warranty
Pros:
Highly affordable managed switch Excellent performance numbers for the price Long warranty period for peace of mind
Cons:
Only viable for home usage and small networks
7. Cisco28-Port Managed Switche
Check Price On Walmart Cisco is one of the most popular brands out there when you are talking about networking devices and tools since it offers all kinds of options that generally offer excellent performance. The Cisco Systems SG350-28-K9-NA managed switch is one of the best options out there for large-scale networks. Starting with its ports, you will find a total of 24 primary ethernet ports with additional SFP+ ports resulting in a total of 28 ports. As for the performance of its primary ports, all of them are rated for gigabit speeds which is to be expected at its premium price tag. Thanks to its QoS support and SSL encryption, this switch can be a great option to be used with servers. And because this is such a premium managed switch from a highly reputable brand like Cisco, you get a 5-year long warranty with it. Best Features:
Features a total of 24 ports Rated for gigabit speeds Comes with a 5-year warranty
Pros:
Perfect for large size networks Quite high networking speeds A large number of ports, including SFP+ ports
Cons:
Highly expensive managed switch
Buying Guide for the Best Managed Switches
You can find a wide variety of network devices out there, which can be an important part of any given network. And when you are talking about wired networks in particular, then having a high-performance switch that can properly manage your network is quite important. Since these are so important, we have already provided some of the best managed switches up above in this listicle. For allowing you to device and pick the right one, all these various managed switches also have their important features and specifications. And those of you who wish to know even more can also check out this detailed buying guide for the best-managed switches:
Number of Ports
As you know, a network switch is designed for connecting all of your network devices together; you are going to need a lot of connectivity ports in your switch for the same. Due to this, you can find all kinds of sizes regarding the number of ports offered by a given managed switch. Starting with smaller managed switches made for home usage, they generally offer 5 ports or 8 ports in total. On the other hand, larger managed switches made for industrial usage and large-scale networks, they can even offer up to 24 ports making it a great option for many.
Speed
While having a lot of ports in your managed switch can be a great option, they will be useless if they do not offer high transfer speeds. Fortunately, almost all managed switches are rated for gigabit speeds. And in most cases, this should be more than enough for most users in terms of network performance.
Mounting
When it comes to setting up a network, you might also want to mount your network switch securely. For the same, it is always a great idea to check the mounting options offered by your managed switch. Even though basic managed switches made to be used at your home are to be used on top of a desk or to be mounted on the wall, industrial switches are completely different. Instead, they rely on standard server racks with single or double rack sizes for easily and securely mounting your managed switches in your server rack with ease.
Network Management
Just per the name, a managed switch is supposed to automatically manage your network, you should look for its network management software features. This includes support for things like 802.1Q VLAN, IGMP shooting, bandwidth limiting, broadcast storm control, static MAC, QoS, RSTP, and much more. Other than having such multiple features, you should also look for easy-to-use web management access methods for easily configuring your network switch with ease.
Warranty
Whenever you are buying any kind of network devices like switches, you would want them to be highly reliable. And other than handling your network well, a given managed switch should also last for a long time. To ensure the same, you can consider checking the warranty included with your managed switch. Other than the usual 1-year long warranty included with most managed switches, a few reliable options also come with a 5-year warranty and even a lifetime warranty which is great for your peace of mind.
Conclusion
If you are interested in creating a large-scale wired network at your home or workplace, you are going to need a network switch for the same. And if you would also want this network to be easily manageable, then going with something like a managed switch can be a great idea. In fact, we have already discussed a few of the best managed switches earlier in this listicle. To help you in choosing the right one, these different managed switches also have their important features and specifications given alongside a complete buying guide. As per all these different factors and detailed information, here are some of our favorite picks for the best managed switches:
Being the most affordable managed switch given above, the D-Link 5 Port Managed Switche makes for a great pick for home users. While it may only have a total of 5 ports, all of them support gigabit speeds. But the best thing about this managed switch is that it features a lifetime warranty making it perfect for long-term usage. You also get handy features like static MAC, storm control, IGMP shooting, 802.1Q VLAN support, QoS, bandwidth limiting, and much more. The TRENDnet 8-Port Managed Switche also makes for a great option for home usage. Even though it has a justified price tag, you get a total of 8 ports with this switch which is quite decent. To ensure that this switch stays functional for as long as possible, it comes included with a lifetime warranty. Since this network switch is ideal for home usage, you get a handy web based managed interface for using its features like RSTP, VLAN, IGMP snooping, QoS, and much more. While it may be a bit on the expensive side, the Mikrotik 24 port Managed Switche managed switch makes for a great value for money option for industrial usage. For starters, you get a total of 24 ports with this managed switch along with 2 SFP+ ports for even better connectivity for your network. While it may only have a 1 year long warranty, you do get handy features like 802.1Q VLAN support, broadcast storm control, port mirroring, SNMP v1, etc.
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