Office networks 101: What is a network switch?

Organisations and businesses are looking to maximise their network, not only through the traditional networking uses, but now also through the use of:

• Applications that require bandwidth speed, as many switch and progress to cloud computing applications;
• Networked media devices that require streaming capabilities;
• Phone systems; and
• Wireless access points.

The efficient streaming of information is becoming increasingly crucial in the business environment and is one of the key aspects to consider when looking at network configurations.

One of the best pieces of advice when looking at hardware requirements in technology is to think of the future, and specifically, in terms of what and where your requirements, and in this case, your networking requirements will be in 4 years' time.

So, for the uninitated, what is a network switch?

A network switch is a device that enables you to join multiple network devices together in one local area network (LAN). A network switch is different to a network hub, as it is capable of looking at data packets as they go through the network, and knowing where the data packets should go and where the data packets have come from. This means that a network switch will conserve network bandwidth put the bandwidth where it is most needed and perform better than a network hub.

What do you look for in a network switch?

First, look at the users and networked devices in your office or business environment.

Second, how does your organisation or business use the network?

Third, how are you going to manage the network switch?

Finally, consider the brand of switch that you will be buying. When it comes to buying technology, there are certain brands that stand above the rest for reliability and innovation. Remember that with networking, it’s all about the reliability and speed of the bandwidth that can be moved and the reliability of the product delivering that bandwidth.

Featured product from our donation/discount programme for nonprofits: Cisco 24-Port Gigabit Ethernet Switch

Also read: How can the Cisco 24-Port Gigabit Ethernet Switch help your office network?