Switches

What is a switch? Switches are devices designed for professional applications with high bandwidth, where a reliable data connection is required. Switches are a key element of the network infrastructure, they are used in homes, offices and large enterprises where they connect computers, servers and other devices.

A switch is a device that controls LAN traffic by forwarding input data to the correct output according to ports and MAC addresses. Switches that support active or passive PoE. The active POE standard IEEE 802.3 af/at/bt, allows both data transmission and power supply of devices that are connected to the network via an Ethernet cable. Passive PoE is not compatible with IEEE802.3af, 802.3at and 802.3bt standards, so the device can be powered, for example, by a PoE injector. In essence, a switch acts as a traffic manager for data within a local network, ensuring that information is efficiently routed to its intended destination.

A router is an active network device in computer networks that uses a process called routing to forward datagrams towards their destination according to their IP addresses. The router uses a routing table that contains the most advantageous paths to certain destinations and routing metrics connected to these paths. The router interconnects individual networks and allows access to the Internet. Routers can be wired and wireless. An Ethernet router typically connects to a wired WAN (ISP) receiver, while a wireless router receives a signal from 2G/3G/LTE/5G mobile WAN networks.