Based on manageability, switches can be divided into managed switches and unmanaged switches. The difference lies in their support for network management protocols such as SNMP and RMON. Managed switches facilitate network monitoring and traffic analysis, but their cost is relatively higher. Currently, major network equipment suppliers producing managed switches include Huawei, Cisco, and Feiyuxing. For medium to large-sized networks, managed switches should be selected at the aggregation layer, while the choice at the access layer depends on application needs. Core layer switches are all managed switches.
Based on whether switches can be stacked, switches can be divided into stackable switches and non-stackable switches. A primary purpose of stacking technology is to increase port density.
