Smart switches offer functionality found in managed switches, such as VLANs, port mirroring, and link aggregation. However, smart switches are typically targeted towards small and midsized networks that don’t need the complete management capabilities and fine-tuning offered in fully managed switches.
We looked at switches from six vendors, the same vendors from our recent . So if you’re building an SMB network, reference both reviews to find a matching router and switch that meets your needs. Vendors include the big-name Cisco, popular home and business brands D-Link, Linksys, and Netgear, and also lesser-known names DrayTek and UTT Technologies. We setup and evaluated each switch and in this review we compare products in regard to price, features, and user-friendliness.
If you’re looking for a solid switch and can afford a higher price, check out the Cisco or Linksys units. Both offer very similar features and functionality. UTT Technologies is a more economical option but lacks PoE and some advanced features, such as auto VLAN functionality, RMON, and 802.1X authentication support. However, UTT offers remote management of other switches, which could be useful if you’re planning on having multiple switches. The DrayTek VigorSwitch is also another low-cost option, but lacks PoE, SFP ports and advanced features, such as RMON and 802.1X authentication support.
The Netgear and D-Link units are the least expensive. That’s no surprise for the D-Link unit, as it has the fewest ports. However, it offers some great features, including two SFP ports, PoE+, SMNP and RMON, and even a built-in RADIUS server for 802.1X authentication. The Netgear unit is well-priced considering it offers 24 ports, but keep in mind only half of them support PoE (and 802.3af only) and it lacks SFP ports and advanced technology, such as SNMP, RMON, and wired 802.1X authentication support.
Price/Feature Comparison
| Product | Price | Pros | Cons |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cisco SG220-26P | $949 | Feature rich, Convenient help in GUI | High list price |
| D-Link DGS-1210-10P | $379.99 | Built-in RADIUS server, Auto VLAN for surveillance | Lacks help in GUI |
| DrayTek VigorSwitch G1241 | $290 | Low list price; Port bandwidth utilization graph | No 802.1X support, Lacks PoE |
| Linksys LGS326P | $599.99 | Supports RMON, supports 802.1X | Lacks help in GUI |
| Netgear JGS524PE | $420 | Low online price, Windows configuration utility | No 802.1X support, Only supports 802.3af PoE |
| UTT Technologies SG 3124F | $339 | Remotely manage other switches, Quick help in GUI | No 802.1X support, Lacks auto voice VLAN functionality |
Here are the individual reviews:
Cisco SG220-26P
The Cisco SG220-26P is a smart plus switch providing 24 Gigabit PoE+ ports and 2 Gigabit SFP combo ports, with a MSRP of $949, but available online for around $450. Cisco also offers another Gigabit switch in the 220 series, which has 50 total ports and is available with or without PoE+.
In the box along with the unit, you’ll find a console cable for optional CLI access, rack mounting kit, rubber non-slick pads to apply to the bottom of the unit, Quick Start Guide, and a CD with full documentation.
The unit has the same width and height the Linksys and UTT units, 17 and 1¾ inches respectively, but is deeper at about 10 inches. It has an all-metal casing, mostly gray with the front being black.
On the front of the unit you’ll find the status lights, reset button to restore the factory defaults, 24 Gigabit PoE+ ports, and 2 Gigabit combo SFP ports. On the back of the unit is the power input and an Ethernet port for the optional console access. Like other larger switches, it has an always-on fan inside that you can hear running, but it’s noticeably quieter than the Linksys and UTT switches.
This unit is set from the factory to get an IP via DHCP before setting itself to a default IP. If it gets an IP from your network, you can either check the client list on the router like you could with any other switch or device, or utilize the Cisco FindIT browser add-on to discover the IP of the switch and any other Cisco gear on the network.
After logging into the web GUI, you see the Getting Started page with shortcuts to the settings you’ll likely want to initially configure and other settings and stats you might want to access to maintain the switch. The navigation is provided by the list on the left of the screen. The setting categories are listed and clicking each expands a list of pages. The GUI and navigation is simple and straightforward. There’s also a few shortcuts always displayed in the upper-right of the web GUI, one of which is a Help link that conveniently opens the documentation up to the settings for the page you’re currently on.
We found this Cisco unit to be a solid offering with convenient help and advanced features, such as RMON, 802.1X authentication support, and access controls. The PoE+ (802.3af and 802.3at) support also offers a healthy 180 Watt budget among 24 of its Gigabit Ethernet ports. However, this unit is on the higher end of the price range.
D-Link DGS-1210-10P
The D-Link DGS-1210-10P is a Gigabit smart switch offering eight Gigabit PoE+ ports and two SFP ports, with a MSRP of $379.99, but available online for around $190. D-Link also offers a couple different models with varying number of ports with and without PoE. The highest model provides up to 48 Ethernet ports and four SFP ports.
Along with this switch, you’ll find a Getting Started Guide, CD with full documentation and utilities, and brackets for mounting in a rack. On the back of the unit is a grounding screw for optional external grounding of the unit and also a hole to insert the included power cord retainer.
The unit measures about 11 inches wide, 1½ inches high, and 7 inches deep. It’s exterior is black and gray metal with the vendor name embossed on the top. On the front, you’ll find the status lights, eight PoE Gigabit Ethernet ports, and two Gigabit SFP ports. There’s also a reset button to restore factory defaults and a Mode button to toggle the lights between showing the Link/Act and PoE statuses.
You can utilize the D-Link Network Assistant program to detect the switch on your network and configure the basic settings for the IP and DNS addresses, admin password, time and date, and SNMP. It also allows you to perform basic maintenance, like upgrade the firmware, reboot the switch, backup/restore settings, and perform a factory restore. This is a convenient program, preventing you from having to set your PC with a static IP to perform the initial setup or from having to search your DHCP list on your router for the assigned address, especially useful if you’re setting up multiple switches.
The first time you login to the web GUI, you’re presented with their Smart Wizard that helps you configure the IP details, password, and SNMP settings. After that, you’re taken to the Device Info screen.
The GUI has a simple, yet still functional, look and feel. All the navigation is provided by the list on the left of the screen. You see the setting categories and clicking each expands a list of pages. There’s also always a menu on the top of the screen that offers shortcuts to common settings and functions. This includes Help shortcuts, such as to the User Guide but doesn’t take you directly to the settings for the page you’re currently on—it would be nice if that were added.
Though this unit offers the least amount of ports among the other switches we reviewed, it supports PoE+ (802.3af and 802.3at) with a 78 Watt power budget and has two SFP ports. It also supports some advanced functionality, such as ACL rules, auto VLAN for voice and surveillance, RMON, and even a build-in RADIUS server for 802.1X authentication. D-Link also offers larger switches in the same series.
DrayTek VigorSwitch G1241
The DrayTek VigorSwitch G1241 is a 24-port Gigabit Ethernet switch with a MSRP of $290. It is the newest of a couple different models of switches DrayTek offers. The closest model is another 24-port smart switch where four of the ports are Gigabit SFP combo ports. Two other models are 24+ port managed switches, one of which supports PoE, while one other is an unmanaged eight-port PoE switch.
In the box, along with the switch, you’ll find a Quick Start Guide, CD with full documentation, and brackets for mounting in a rack.
The unit measures about 10½ inches wide, 1½ inches high, and 6½ inches deep. It has an all-black metal casing. On the front of the unit you’ll find the status lights, 24 Gigabit Ethernet ports, and a reset button to restore the factory defaults. On the back is the power input and switch.
This unit is set from the factory to get an IP via DHCP before setting itself to a default IP, which is convenient but not explained clearly in the documentation. After logging into the web GUI, you’re taken to the System Information page, which includes a graphical representation of the switch and the current state of the status lights for the ports, in addition to a text listing of the main system stats.
The web GUI is very simple and straightforward. All the navigation is provided by the list on the left of the screen. You see the setting categories and clicking each expands a list of the pages. There’s also always a small menu on the top of the screen as well to save the configuration, logout, and reboot. Unfortunately, there are no help buttons or shortcuts to the documentation.
We found this DrayTek VigorSwitch to be a pretty basic switch, lacking advanced features such as PoE, SFP ports, RMON, and 802.1X authentication. It also could use improvement with its documentation and help. However, it’s economically priced. And although the GUI has a very simplistic look and feel, we did like the port bandwidth utilization graph and the interactive image of the switch in the GUI.
Linksys LGS326P
The Linksys LGS326P is a smart switch proving 26 Gigabit PoE+ ports plus 2 SFP ports, with a MSRP of $599.99 and online prices of $500 or less. They offer a non-PoE model, in addition to 8 and 18-port switches (each with a PoE and non-PoE model) in the same series. They also offer managed and unmanaged switches.
Along with this switch, you’ll find a Quick Installation Guide, CD with full documentation, and brackets for mounting in a rack.
The unit measures about 17 inches wide, 1¾ inches high, and 8 inches deep. It has an all-metal casing with Linksys’s usual black and blue color scheme. On the front of the unit you’ll find the status lights, reset button to restore the factory defaults, 26 Gigabit PoE+, and two SFP ports. Like other larger switches, it has an always-on fan inside that you can hear running. The only thing on the back of the unit is the power input; there’s no power switch.
This unit is set from the factory to get an IP via DHCP before setting itself to a default IP. Once you login to the web GUI, you’re taken to the System Summary page, which includes an image of the front of the switch, but it doesn’t show the state of the status lights like some other switches do.
The web GUI has two navigation menus. There are tabs on the top of the page and then most of them have a menu on the left, with some featuring collapsible categories. The Quick Start tab simply lists shortcuts to the main settings you’ll likely want to configure initially. The Configuration tab contains nearly all the settings.
On the very top-right of the web GUI, there’s always a Help shortcut that usually leads to the full User Guide but it was a dead link for us during the review. Additionally, it doesn’t take you directly to the settings for the page you’re currently on—it would be nice if that were added.
This Linksys unit has the highest online prices we saw and is most comparable to the Cisco switch. This unit offers the same amount of ports and supports many of the same advanced features, such as PoE, SFP, SNMP, RMON, and 802.1X authentication. It provides a little more power for the 24 PoE ports, at 192 Watts, but lacks a quick web GUI.
Netgear JGS524PE
The Netgear JGS524PE provides 24 Gigabit Ethernet ports, 12 of which support PoE. The list price is $420 and it’s available online for around $260. It’s the highest model from their Gigabit unmanaged plus switch series. The other units include 5, 10, and 16-port models, all of which are offered in a PoE and non-PoE model. To get SFP ports in the unmanaged plus series, you’d have to move to their 10 Gigabit switch. They also offer other series of smart and fully managed switches, ranging from Fast Ethernet to 10-Gigabit models with PoE and STP.
Along with this switch, you’ll find a Installation Guide, product guide, CD with full documentation and their ProSafe Plus program, and a rack mounting kit.
The unit measures about 13 inches wide, 1¾ inches high, and 6¾ inches deep. It has a mostly gray metal case. On the front, you’ll find the status lights, reset button to restore factory defaults, 12 Gigabit PoE ports highlighted in yellow and 12 Gigabit non-PoE ports. The unit has an internal fan, but is silent.
You can utilize the Netgear ProSafe Plus program to detect the switch on your network and configure most of the settings. This convenient program prevents you from having to set your PC with a static IP to perform the initial setup or from having to search your DHCP list on your router for the assigned address, especially useful if you’re setting up multiple switches. Though the D-Link unit we reviewed also offers a PC utility, it only allows configuration of basic settings and maintenance tasks. The Netgear utility almost mirrors the web GUI.
This unit is set from the factory to get an IP via DHCP before setting itself to a default IP. After accessing the web GUI with it’s assigned IP, you see the switch information page.
The web GUI is almost identical to the Netgear ProSafe Plus program. Both have a fresh look and feel with a multi-tab navigation menu on the top with sub-pages listed on the left. On the top menu is also a Help tab, which has shortcuts to the User Guide and support webpage, but both take you to the main page and you must enter the model number.
This Netgear model is economically priced for having 24-ports, but keep in mind only half support PoE and it’s only 802.3af at 100 Watts max. Since it lacks SFP and other advanced features, such as SNMP and 802.1X authentication, this unit is best for basic networks or newbie IT pros, who might also find the Windows application more comfortable for configuration. We should also note a fairly unique and useful feature we found: a cable tester feature that can estimate at what distance there is a fault in a problem cable run.
UTT Technologies SG 3124F
Unlike most of the other vendors is this review, UTT Technologies doesn’t offer switches classified as smart; just managed and unmanaged switches. We decided to include the SG 3124F, a managed switch with 24 Gigabit Ethernet ports and two SFP Gigabit combo ports. The MSRP for this model is $339, but is available for around $300 online. It is the lowest model in their managed offerings, as the others either include more SFP ports or support 10G.
In the box with the switch, you’ll just find a rack mounting kit. No quick start guide or CD is provided, but of course you can download the full manual online.
The unit is the same size as the Linksys model, about 17 inches wide, 1¾ inches high, and 8 inches deep. It has a black all-metal casing. On the front of the unit you’ll find the status lights, reset button to restore the factory defaults, 24 Gigabit Ethernet ports and 2 Gigabit combo SFP ports. On the back of the unit is the power input, holes for inserting a power cord retainer, and a ground screw for optional external grounding. Like other larger switches, it has an always-on fan inside that you can hear running.
The unit doesn’t come with DHCP enabled, so you must set a static IP on your computer to initially access the web GUI with the default IP. During our evaluation, we actually found that the default IP was incorrectly given in the manual, which added some confusion during the initial setup.
After signing into the web GUI, you’re met with a Setup Wizard, which prompts you to set an admin password, IP details, edge or core switch configuration, and port mirroring.
The web GUI has a menu on the left with collapsible categories listing the shortcuts for the setting pages. On the top of the screen is a graphical representation of the switch ports, but it doesn’t show the state of the status lights like some other switches do. On the top right is also the model and firmware numbers, useful for quick reference. There are also shortcuts on the top-right for the product page, discussion forums, and feedback form, but all were dead links during our review.
On most setting pages throughout the web GUI is a Help button, which opens the documentation up to the descriptions of the settings for the particular page you’re on, which is convenient so you can get a quick understanding of the settings without having to rummage through the whole manual.
We found a couple of improvements that could be made to this unit, such as fleshing out the documentation and fixing dead links. Overall however, it’s a fairly large, economical unit with SFP and sports a fairly unique feature that allows you to centrally and remotely manage other switches. However, keep in mind this unit lacks PoE and some advanced features, such as auto VLAN for voice, RMON, and 802.1X authentication.
Feature comparison of switches
When looking for a switch, you first may want to figure out how many Ethernet and/or SFP ports you need, and if PoE is required. After finding some options, I’d take a look at the other features you need or might want in the future. Remember when comparing the units we reviewed, most of the vendors offer other similar models with varying amounts of ports with and without PoE. Additionally, perhaps consider the other components you need and find a vendor that offers what you need for those as well.
