Managed vs Unmanaged Switches: A Simple Guide

Unmanaged switches are plug-and-play — perfect for small offices with a handful of devices and simple needs. No configuration, no monitoring, no VLANs.

Managed switches give you control: VLANs to segment traffic, QoS to prioritize critical applications, PoE management for cameras and phones, and monitoring to spot problems early.

As a rule of thumb: if you have more than 20 devices, run VoIP, or host servers, invest in managed switches. The visibility alone pays for the difference in price.