Editor’s Choice


Operating temperature range It is important to consider the temperature range at which the switches are going to be used. Te device’s temperature can be very low or very high in certain situations. Te operating temperature of the switches should be wide enough to cover potentially extreme conditions.


Industrial grade housing Choosing a switch with ruggedised housing to endure challenging environmental conditions is vital for an industrial network. Te IP code, or ingress protection code, is useful when choosing electrical devices for industrial settings. It can help ensure the protection of the device against the intrusion of objects, dust, or liquids. It is also worth mentioning, plastic housing switches are good


options if you want an affordable and light device. On the other hand, metal housing has better heat dissipation. Tey also have a better grounding effect when it comes to environments with high electromagnetic noise levels.


Certifications For certain industries, such as transportation, maritime, railway, etc., additional certification may be required. You can inform yourself of your industry’s mandatory certifications and ensure that the switches you select conform to those standards.


Data Transmission Te performance of a switch can enhance your network’s quality a lot. Tere are several factors that you can keep in mind before choosing your device.


Broadcast Storm Protection (BSP) A broadcast storm is the accumulation of many broadcast packets in a short period. It can decrease the performance of the network significantly. Finding broadcast storm-affected ports can become very difficult, considering that unmanaged switches are not detectable in network soſtware. Broadcast Storm Protection prevents network troubleshooting by blocking broadcast traffic when it reaches a certain level. Tis helps to avoid any difficult issues.


Quality of Service (QoS) In a congested network, you want to make sure that the critical packets are transferred on time. Te QoS feature prioritises network traffic so that important packets can pass first. It guarantees essential applications receive the necessary resources to function correctly.


MAC table size Te MAC table is a storage place for the MAC addresses of network devices. Tis helps the switch to transfer data quickly to the correct ports. When this table is full, the switch broadcasts traffic to all available ports in the network. Tis can be seen as a security threat. You can prevent this issue by calculating your network’s required MAC table size.


Switch buffer size Te switch buffer is the memory the device uses to store the data frames/packets it receives before forwarding them further. In some environments, having a bigger data buffer inside the switch will improve communications. Subject to intensive data exchange and an overloaded internal buffer, fewer frames will be dropped by the switch. If the switch drops the frame, it must be re-sent again, and it might cause delays in communication. In other words, the bigger buffer size is better.


Installation and maintenance Network installation, because of the large number of available devices, can be complex. Tere are some considerations in this regard that can save energy and time in installing the switches.


Size of the switch Control panels or network cabinets are usually loaded with different devices. Fitting switches in control panels sometimes might be challenging or even impossible. In these circumstances, adopting small switches enables flexible installation and can make room for future network expansion.


Ease of installation Unmanaged switches are plug-and-play, so configuration is simple. Te problem arises during mounting many switches in a network cabinet or control panel. By selecting switches with the appropriate mounting kits, you can


make sure that they are easy to mount or un-mount. Overall, choosing a suitable industrial unmanaged switch requires


knowledge of your network. Tis includes the type of devices in the network and the environment in which the switch will be used. A reliable switch can improve network performance and reduce downtime. You should also be aware unmanaged switches offer few security features. If security is your priority it is recommended to use managed switches. Considering above mentioned factors will help you to select an efficient unmanaged switch. So before ordering your next switch take your time and evaluate all of them.


www.electronicsworld.co.uk May 2025 39


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