lThe connectivity of the IT infrastructure plays a major role in its performance. Having state-of-the-art servers is of little or no use to us if we don’t have a switch to meet our needs when managing network traffic. A very clear analogy is having a Ferrari but only having country roads and other unpaved roads. And this may seem like an extreme example, but in fact it is even conservative, because if we consider the network as the backbone of the infrastructure (and it is), the switch is its nerve center.

And what determines whether a switch is suitable for our needs? The truth is that there are several points that we need to consider. The answer to some of these is variable as it will depend on the scale of our network infrastructure, but there are also​​​​​​ others where the answer should always be yes. Among the former, the two most notable are the following:

• Number of ports: This value will of course vary depending on the number of devices you are going to connect to it. However, in this regard, it is advisable to estimate future needs, which may be higher than current needs, and make purchasing decisions based on this prediction.
• Transmission speed: To make this decision, you need to consider both the number of devices connected to the network and the optimal speed for data traffic and services used on the network. And as in the previous case, it is more than recommended to estimate for the future, especially if there are plans for growth and/or implementation of new facilities and services.

We have seen points where the resulting value varies depending on the infrastructure, but there are others that we see below that must always be present when selecting, If we want our new switch to be at the infrastructure level.

• Scalability: As we mentioned earlier, when calculating the number of ports and the speed of the switch, we need to make a future projection. However, there are many incomprehensible things that can affect it, so it will end up being very different from what we expected. Therefore, it is essential that our switch is a scalable solution and therefore able to adapt to changes, growth, etc.
• Management tools: information is power, so having a switch that provides us with all kinds of information about the network operation and that also has advanced management tools will give us a very extensive knowledge of our network operation and also the ability to use this knowledge to optimize the operation of the switch as much as possible.
• Safety: as the device responsible for network traffic, a switch with security tools and features translates into a higher level of protection for all data that flows through it.
• Quality of service: the optimization of network traffic, including at the moment the possibility of prioritizing that part of it that is preferential, will allow us to guarantee that everything works exactly as it should, and especially priority functions and services will always have optimal conditions.
• Energy efficiency: Energy-saving features not only allow us to reduce our carbon footprint, but also save on operating costs, which is always good news.

As you can see, there are several points to consider when choosing the perfect switch, but in return you will ensure that you have a solution that It will improve efficiency, adapt to what you need and also help you reduce costs. Want more information? In this case, we offer you a complete guide, completely free of charge, that will answer all your questions, for example:

• The keys to knowing which switch you should install in your business.
• How to determine if you need unmanaged, smart or managed switches.
• How to avoid bottlenecks in both cable and WiFi networks.
• What tools allow you to manage and improve the security of your network

We have prepared this complete guide in collaboration with D-Linknetwork experts aa more than a reliable supplier of enterprise switches, with solutions that adapt to everything we have in the free ebook. Don’t hesitate, download the ebook and find out how much a good switch can do for your network infrastructure.