An unmanaged switch offers some advantages over a managed switch such as redundant power inputs, an extended operating temperature range, and near-silent operation. However, an unmanaged switch also has limitations including no traffic control, poor security features, lack of support for protocols like SNMP, VLANs, trunking, and quality of service. A managed switch requires more expertise but provides more robust features for medium to large networks in enterprises and campus settings.

1. FeaturesIdealForDownsideOther
$
!
?
Even though unmanaged switches come with
more limited options, unmanaged switches
can offer redundant power inputs,
extended operating
temperatures, and a nearly
noise-free operation
among other
hardware
features.
CLI
Telnet
Secure Shell
VLAN
Port Mirroring
LAN Traffic Control
SNMP
$$$
Campus networks
Enterprises
Public Infrastructures
Medium to Large Scale Networks
Home
Soho
Small businesses
More expertise needed
SNMP
Plug and Play Relatively Inexpensive
Desktop or
rack mounted
Communicates
with all devices
QoS
VLAN
No traffic control
Poor Security Features
No SNMP Communication
Susceptible to loops
No (QoS) Quality of
Service support
No VLAN support
No Link Aggregation
or Trunking
More costly
Bridging table reveals
Mac addresses and
port associations
Error statistics
for each port
Packet transmit / receive
statistics for each port
Set duplex / speed
negotiation on
a per-port basis
PoE status and current
draw for each port
unmanagedvsmanaged?
Which one should I use?
unmanaged managed
VERSA
Technology