What's a network switch?

A basic network switch is pretty much a power strip for network devices. You can connect 1 connector on your router to 1 connector on your switch. You'll then get multiple network connections in return. That's useful if you want to connect multiple appliances to your network at home or at the office. You can't set up a basic switch. The switch is plug and play. With a switch at your house, you can provide every room with a network connection. Isn't that enough? You can easily place 2 or more switches next to each other.

A managed switch has advanced settings. This lets you prioritize certain internet traffic. At home, you can use this to prioritize gaming, for example. Thanks to this, you'll no longer experience lags. At the office, you can prioritize video meetings and internet calls. As a result, conversations will no longer be interrupted. You can divide the network into multiple virtual networks. Visitors can't access your network files, which is very safe. Advanced switches aren't plug and play. You can set these up if you have knowledge about networks.

More and more switches support Power over Ethernet, also called PoE. With this, you can't just transmit a network signal, but also power. This allows you to connect suitable appliances like security cameras or access points without a separate power adapter, which is very convenient. You just have to connect 1 cable, so you're more flexible. You don't need a socket near. Make sure to check if your appliance uses the right standard. Besides PoE, there's PoE+ and PoE++. These deliver more power to your appliance.