Explore three major switch categories — unmanaged, lightly managed, and managed — and their strengths and weaknesses, along with use cases for each. This document can help guide selection of the best-fit switches for your application.
All industrial networks and components have specialized requirements, so selecting the right communications devices is paramount for optimizing your automation and control systems. In the age of Industry 4.0, digital connectivity is critical for every manufacturer, OEM machine builder, and end user throughout the industrial trades. A networking backbone forms the core of all connectivity, but not all networks are or should be created equal. There is an increasing need for operational technology (OT) digital systems to connect with each other, and also with more traditional corporate information technology (IT) infrastructure, creating additional capabilities as well as challenges.
For this and other reasons, there are a multitude of network switches and devices on the market, so users can select the exact components needed to meet their application requirements. However, with such a wide variety, choosing the right devices can be overwhelming. Selected components must support particular functions for each situation — such as access control and security capabilities, segmenting, routing, VLANs, and more — but an abundance of unnecessary features can needlessly inflate equipment costs and increase configuration challenges.
In this guide, we will explore three major switch categories — unmanaged, lightly managed, and managed — and their strengths and weaknesses, along with use cases for each. In addition to partnering with a knowledgeable resource, this document can help guide selection of the best-fit switches for your application.
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