Managed Network Switch

Inside your network, a network switch can’t just be a highway for data between endpoints. A managed network switch is crucial for separating guest and production network traffic, and for segregating critical functions from other network devices to compartmentalize breaches.

When your business has an open “flat” network with no segmentation between different functions, there is a serious risk to critical IT infrastructure if just one part of your network is compromised. Beyond computers, servers, and printers, in modern IT environments there are many other network-connected devices such as thermostats, manufacturing tools, appliances, and even digital assistants such as Alexa or Echo. The pervasiveness of network enabled devices means that on a flat network, your business is only as secure as the weakest device. How secure is an inexpensive digital assistant or light switch? When guests connect their laptops to your wireless network, are their patches and antivirus software up to date?

A VLAN (Virtual Local Area Network) is a logical subgroup within a physical network that groups certain types of devices from other segments. This means that even if devices are connected to the same physical switch, your IT provider can implement security rules that compartmentalize non-essential devices from your critical IT infrastructure such as a server application or a shared drive with sensitive and proprietary information.

A managed network switch is also an invaluable diagnostic tool when one or multiple users experience network disruptions. A damaged cable or an unmanaged small switch that has failed downstream of your primary switch can be points of failure, and a managed network switch can help identify where the disruption occurred so that it can be resolved quickly and with minimal expense.