The difference between unmanaged, managed, and Web-smart switches
With regard to management options, the three primary classes of switches are unmanaged, managed, and Web smart. Which you choose depends largely on the size of your network and how much control you need over that network.
Unmanaged switches are basic plug-and-play switches with no remote configuration, management, or monitoring options, although many can be locally monitored and configured via LED indicators and DIP switches. These inexpensive switches are typically used in small networks or to add temporary workgroups to larger networks.
Managed switches support Simple Network Management Protocol (SNMP) via embedded agents and have a command line interface (CLI) that can be accessed via serial console, Telnet, and Secure Shell. These switches can often be configured and managed as groups. More recent managed switches may also support a Web interface for management through a Web browser.
These high-end switches enable network managers to remotely access a wide range of capabilities including:
SNMP monitoring.
Enabling and disabling individual ports or port Auto MDI/MDI-X.
Port bandwidth and duplex control.
IP address management.
MAC address filtering.
Spanning Tree.
Port mirroring to monitor network traffic.
Prioritization of ports for quality of service (QoS).
VLAN settings.
802.1X network access control.
IGMP snooping.
Link aggregation or trunking.
Managed switches, with their extensive management capabilities, are at home in large enterprise networks where network administrators need to monitor and control a large number of network devices.
Web-smart switches—sometimes called smart switches or Web-managed switches—have become a popular option for mid-sized networks that require management. They offer access to switch management features such as port monitoring, link aggregation, and VPN through a simple Web interface via an embedded Web browser. What these switches generally do not have is SNMP management capabilities or a CLI. Web-smart switches must usually be managed individually rather than in groups.
Although the management features found in a Web-smart switch are less extensive than those found in a fully managed switch, these switches are becoming smarter with many now offering many of the features of a fully managed switch.