Here in what has come to be the digital era, any business, and it doesn’t matter how large or how small, needs to have a fast and reliable data network, and ethernet is the key. Having an ethernet network in place allows your employees to communicate with each other more efficiently and swiftly, as well as connecting your business to the worldwide network so your business can share data and information with other companies. Modern businesses rely heavily on IT infrastructure, if your IT network collapses, your business comes to a standstill. Ethernet provides the safest, fastest and most reliable connections available, but people still have questions regarding its use. One question that we often hear is what is an ethernet switch?
An ethernet switch creates networks and uses multiple ports to communicate between devices in the LAN (local area network). The use of ethernet switching differs from routers, which connect networks using only a single LAN and WAN (wide area network) port. Ethernet switching connects all the wired devices such as routers, computers, printers, laptops and servers to a LAN. Having multiple ethernet switching ports facilitates faster connectivity and provides smoother access across many devices at the same time. Correctly installed, integrated, and managed ethernet switches provide a large number of advantages:
- Increased available bandwidth and improved performance on the network.
- Network downtime is greatly reduced due to the increased reliability.
- The overall corporate network is protected with more robust security.
- Forward compatibility by planning for future expansion using modular switches and right-sizing IT infrastructure.
- Strain on individual computing devices is relieved, saving wear and tear.
- Remote management and consolidated wiring lowers IT capex and opex costs.
The majority of today’s corporate networks support a combination of wired and wireless technologies, with ethernet switching playing an important role in the wired infrastructure. A great many different IT devices can connect to a LAN or WAN network via the use of an ethernet switch, enabling administrators to monitor traffic, control inter-machine communications, manage user access securely, and troubleshoot rapidly.
These switches are available in a wide variety of options, enabling organizations to easily implement a right-sized solution for their network. The selection ranges from basic unmanaged network switches that offer easy-to-use plug-and-play connectivity, to highly feature-rich gigabit ethernet switches that are capable of performing at much higher speeds than any wireless options.