What Is a Network Switch? Definition, Types, and Selection Guide

A network switch connects devices within the same local area network (LAN) by forwarding Ethernet frames based on MAC addresses. Unlike a hub, which broadcasts everything, a switch learns MAC addresses and forwards traffic only to the destination port. It is essential to every enterprise network.

How It Works

• MAC learning: learns the source MAC address from each incoming frame
• Forwarding: checks the MAC table to determine the destination port
• Flooding: if the destination MAC address is unknown, forwards the frame through all ports except the source port
• Aging: MAC entries are removed after 300s of inactivity by default

Types

• Unmanaged: plug-and-play, with no configuration required
• Managed: CLI/GUI, VLAN, QoS, SNMP
• L2: MAC-based forwarding
• L3 (multilayer): adds IP routing
• PoE / PoE+ / PoE++: power delivery over Ethernet
• Modular: chassis with interchangeable line cards
• Stackable: multiple switches managed as one

Key Specifications

• Number of ports (8, 16, 24, 48)
• Speed (1G, 10G, 25G, 100G, 400G)
• PoE budget (e.g., 370W, 740W, 1440W)
• Switching capacity (Gbps)
• Forwarding rate (Mpps)
• MAC table (8K, 32K, 128K)
• Jumbo frame support

Leading Brands

• Cisco Catalyst: campus networking leader
• Cisco Nexus: data center
• HPE Aruba CX: a strong Cisco competitor
• Juniper EX: campus + DC
• FortiSwitch: FortiGate integration
• Arista 7000: high-performance data center networking
• Meraki MS: cloud-managed

Use Cases

• Access layer: connecting endpoints
• Distribution: aggregation and routing
• Core: high-speed transport
• ToR (Top-of-Rack): data center servers
• Spine: data center backbone

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