"Cisco Business Basics: Networking 101 for Your Small Business or Home Office"
ROI… CRM … PTO … We all know the standards and have a veritable glossary of acronyms floating around in our brains as business owners. But merely learning industry lingo isn’t enough anymore. When it comes to injecting some much-needed networking technology into your workspace, it pays to know how to speak the language.
Luckily, using the Cisco 110 Series unmanaged switches as an entry point, you can learn the basics of networking.
Power over Ethernet Features
For starters, when it comes to buying decisions, knowing the acronym “PoE” is critical to selecting the right switch. It stands for “Power Over Ethernet,” and if you’re unfamiliar, this might not seem like a feature that pertains to you. However, as not all 110 Series switches are outfitted with PoE ports, it’s crucial to know whether it’s a best-fit for your needs. A port that provides PoE allows devices in your network to be powered in places where there is no other source of power. In short, instead of installing extra electrical wiring to power devices, a PoE port can provide that power. This saves time and money, making connections quick and easy. Not all devices can be powered by PoE, while others can only be powered this way. Make sure to check the features of those devices before you purchase them.The 8PP-D, 16PP, and 24PP models are all outfitted with PoE capabilities on half of their ports. So, if you purchase a 16-port switch that has PoE, 8 of those ports will have PoE capabilities. On these PoE ports , you simply use an ethernet cable to make the connection. If you do not have any devices that you need powered this way, and do not plan on adding any, then a switch without PoE would be all that you need.
What is an Unmanaged Switch?
Let’s say you are truly a first-timer when it comes to networking technology, and you couldn’t tell a switch from a Roomba. So the question you are probably now asking is what is a switch? In layman terms, a switch is most commonly used as a simple and effective way to connect multiple devices such as computers, IP phones, wireless access points, and printers to the same network by allowing the devices to “talk to each other” by exchanging data packets. The switch can be used to put certain devices on their own standalone network by simply plugging the switch in and then connecting devices via ethernet cables. A switch can also be used to add to and expand your existing network. After connecting the power cable and plugging it in all you have to do is establish a connection to your current network. To do this, connect an ethernet cable from your router or another switch on the network and plug it in to any of the ports on the switch.Makes sense, right? But how do you know you need a switch in the first place and what type do you need? There are a variety of switches that have different capabilities and features – it can feel overwhelming at times. So, let’s keep it simple: the two most popular types are managed and unmanaged.
Advantages of Cisco Unmanaged Switches
An unmanaged switch, like the Cisco Business 110 Series, for the most part is designed to be plug and play. It is an effective, budget-friendly way to add devices with a fixed configuration to a new or existing network with ease and have you up and running in no time. As an example, you have a small office of 5 employees, and you just want everyone to have their computers on the same network, have consistent performance, and be able to use the same printer. An unmanaged switch would be a perfect fit and check all the boxes for what you are looking to do.A managed switch is designed for businesses that wish to have more control and options. With these types of switches, you can manage (hence the name), monitor and configure settings for your network among other things.
Now, let’s say you have an office of 30 people, different departments that use different printers and you want to be able have additional configurations on the network and also control access. For this example, a managed switch which includes the additional features you are looking for makes the most sense. Now you know what type of switch you need, what about PoE or non-PoE?
PoE vs. Non-PoE
Using the same example of the small office of 5 employees, let’s say each employee has their own IP phone and you want to add a wireless access point for better wireless coverage. The phones and access point use power over ethernet (PoE). In order to connect and power these devices you need a switch that allows PoE. If you do not have any devices that are powered this way and do not plan on adding any, a switch without PoE would be all that you need.So now you know the basics of networking 101. It’s time to go for it and choose the switch that is right for you and your business needs.
Thanks for watching this edition of Cisco Business Basics. Happy networking, friends.