Solve : Managed and Unmanaged switches?

1.	Solve : Managed and Unmanaged switches?
Answer» Is a managed switch 'unmanaged' until it is configured and then it becomes managed? What i mean to ask is, Is a managed switch that has not been configured still plug and play, until it is configured? Unmanaged switches — These switches have no configuration interface or options. They are plug and play. They are typically the least expensive switches, found in home, SOHO, or small businesses. They can be desktop or rack mounted. Managed switches — These switches have one or more methods to modify the operation of the switch. Common management methods include: a command-line interface (CLI) accessed via serial console, telnet or Secure Shell, an embedded Simple Network Management Protocol (SNMP) agent allowing management from a remote console or management station, or a web interface for management from a web browser. Examples of configuration changes that one can do from a managed switch include: enable features such as Spanning Tree Protocol, set port bandwidth, create or modify Virtual LANs (VLANs), etc. Two sub-classes of managed switches are marketed today... from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Network_switch#Configuration_options If a managed switch supports out-of-the-box plug&play, it can QUALIFY as unmanaged, I'd say. Depends on the device. Quote from: Transfusion on December 11, 2011, 12:35:08 AM If a managed switch supports out-of-the-box plug&play, it can qualify as unmanaged, I'd say. Depends on the device. That's what my opinion is, but can not find any evidence, especially with Cisco switches.Especially with Cisco, your going to find switches or routers, all over the place. At home I've got a Linksys (owned by Cisco now) 4 port switch that is plug and play, and unmanaged. But I once had a Cisco router at work that cost $75,000 and took a Cisco engineer 3 days to set up. I'd call that managed. But..........is a managed switch, out of the box and un-configured, plug and play ? Quote from: rthompson80819 on December 11, 2011, 02:25:32 PM Especially with Cisco, your going to find switches or routers, all over the place. At home I've got a Linksys (owned by Cisco now) 4 port switch that is plug and play, and unmanaged. But I once had a Cisco router at work that cost $75,000 and took a Cisco engineer 3 days to set up. I'd call that managed. Is the manual a trilogy? Quote from: reddevilggg on December 11, 2011, 03:12:17 PM But..........is a managed switch, out of the box and un-configured, plug and play ? I don't THINK there is a simple answer to your question. If the router is meant for consumer use it PROBABLY is plug and play. But if it meant for business use and high traffic use it is unlikely plug and play. And the manual was about the size of most big city phone books.I suspect (but this is anecdotal only) that most managed switches will perform almost like a dumb switch out of the box; specifically little or no layer 3 intervention, definitely no layer 4 intervention and all ports set to auto-detect on speed and duplex. Certain tree-spanning protocols will probably be switched on by default but not configured optimally for your network. Quote from: Rob Pomeroy on December 12, 2011, 06:38:34 AM I suspect (but this is anecdotal only) that most managed switches will perform almost like a dumb switch out of the box; specifically little or no layer 3 intervention, definitely no layer 4 intervention and all ports set to auto-detect on speed and duplex. Certain tree-spanning protocols will probably be switched on by default but not configured optimally for your network. Yes, that what i think, but have had no definite answers and can not seem to find any. UNLESS a plow through pages of manual, and at the moment i'm assignment writing and don't have the time. I've found a unmanaged high speed serial switch that supports VLAN and, i think that will be enough for what i need. If you don't need management capabilities, always buy unmanaged. Managed switches are MUCH more expensive...

Answer»
Is a managed switch 'unmanaged' until it is configured and then it becomes managed? What i mean to ask is, Is a managed switch that has not been configured still plug and play, until it is configured?

Unmanaged switches — These switches have no configuration interface or options. They are plug and play. They are typically the least expensive switches, found in home, SOHO, or small businesses. They can be desktop or rack mounted.

Managed switches — These switches have one or more methods to modify the operation of the switch. Common management methods include: a command-line interface (CLI) accessed via serial console, telnet or Secure Shell, an embedded Simple Network Management Protocol (SNMP) agent allowing management from a remote console or management station, or a web interface for management from a web browser. Examples of configuration changes that one can do from a managed switch include: enable features such as Spanning Tree Protocol, set port bandwidth, create or modify Virtual LANs (VLANs), etc. Two sub-classes of managed switches are marketed today...

from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Network_switch#Configuration_options

If a managed switch supports out-of-the-box plug&play, it can QUALIFY as unmanaged, I'd say. Depends on the device.
Quote from: Transfusion on December 11, 2011, 12:35:08 AM

If a managed switch supports out-of-the-box plug&play, it can qualify as unmanaged, I'd say. Depends on the device.

That's what my opinion is, but can not find any evidence, especially with Cisco switches.Especially with Cisco, your going to find switches or routers, all over the place. At home I've got a Linksys (owned by Cisco now) 4 port switch that is plug and play, and unmanaged. But I once had a Cisco router at work that cost $75,000 and took a Cisco engineer 3 days to set up. I'd call that managed.
But..........is a managed switch, out of the box and un-configured, plug and play ? Quote from: rthompson80819 on December 11, 2011, 02:25:32 PM

Especially with Cisco, your going to find switches or routers, all over the place. At home I've got a Linksys (owned by Cisco now) 4 port switch that is plug and play, and unmanaged. But I once had a Cisco router at work that cost $75,000 and took a Cisco engineer 3 days to set up. I'd call that managed.

Is the manual a trilogy? Quote from: reddevilggg on December 11, 2011, 03:12:17 PM

But..........is a managed switch, out of the box and un-configured, plug and play ?

I don't THINK there is a simple answer to your question. If the router is meant for consumer use it PROBABLY is plug and play. But if it meant for business use and high traffic use it is unlikely plug and play.

And the manual was about the size of most big city phone books.I suspect (but this is anecdotal only) that most managed switches will perform almost like a dumb switch out of the box; specifically little or no layer 3 intervention, definitely no layer 4 intervention and all ports set to auto-detect on speed and duplex. Certain tree-spanning protocols will probably be switched on by default but not configured optimally for your network.
Quote from: Rob Pomeroy on December 12, 2011, 06:38:34 AM

I suspect (but this is anecdotal only) that most managed switches will perform almost like a dumb switch out of the box; specifically little or no layer 3 intervention, definitely no layer 4 intervention and all ports set to auto-detect on speed and duplex. Certain tree-spanning protocols will probably be switched on by default but not configured optimally for your network.

Yes, that what i think, but have had no definite answers and can not seem to find any. UNLESS a plow through pages of manual, and at the moment i'm assignment writing and don't have the time.

I've found a unmanaged high speed serial switch that supports VLAN and, i think that will be enough for what i need.

If you don't need management capabilities, always buy unmanaged. Managed switches are MUCH more expensive...

Solve : Managed and Unmanaged switches?

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