Managed or Unmanaged Switching
This option determines the level of control you can have over your network, including the degree of security that your business wants for its networked data and communications. Managed switches offer more control; they also usually require more technical expertise. If you have multiple LANs and switches, you may decide to manage some of them and not others.
Unmanaged switches are preconfigured to satisfy most small business needs and can be quickly set up, making them appropriate for simple LAN connections.
Managed switches provide control capabilities that can increase LAN security and performance, and let you segment traffic. For example, you could allow only certain employees access to your finance applications. You could also give certain applications more bandwidth, or ensure that video and voice communications take priority over other types of traffic.