What is the difference between a Gigabit router and an Ethernet switch?
Gigabit routers and Gigabit Ethernet switches play an important role at the edge of the network. What is the difference between a Gigabit router and an Ethernet switch? Which one suits you better? Let's first look at the basics of Gigabit Ethernet and Ethernet switches, then we'll compare the two types of Ethernet switches to help you make a viable decision.
1.What is the difference between a Gigabit router and an Ethernet switch
Described as an updated version of the original Ethernet, Ethernet speeds up even further - it pushes the Ethernet transfer rate from 10 megabits per second (10 Mbps) to 100 megabits per second (100 Mbps). Ethernet switches also support the 10/100 protocol and are capable of operating at speeds of up to 100 megabits per second. An Ethernet switch usually carries an RJ45 port and uses Cat5 cables to connect PCS, servers, and routers. Many Ethernet switches also feature high-speed uplink ports, where copper/fiber modules can be used to connect fiber or UTP cables supporting 1Gbps or higher speeds.
Gigabit Ethernet is ten times faster than its predecessor, Ethernet. It is designed to meet the high-speed needs of Internet service providers. Gigabit Ethernet switches, a higher version of high-speed Ethernet switches, support transfer speeds of up to 1 gigabit bit per second (Gbps) (1000 Mbps). It is also backward compatible with the traditional 10/100 standard. Gigabit network switches typically come with multiple RJ45 ports and/or SFP slots, use twin-pair copper cables (especially cat5e and cat6 cables that follow the 1000BASE-T wiring standard) and work on the corresponding jumper type. Some gigabit Ethernet switches often also have several 10G SFP+ ports for upstream connections to higher speed 10GB switches...
In addition to significantly improved transfer speeds and performance, gigabit Ethernet switches differ from Ethernet switches in the following ways.
Cost: Each gigabit Ethernet port costs four times more than an Ethernet port. The price gap between gigabit routers and Ethernet switches is probably the most important factor affecting network engineers' upgrade decisions.
Feature set: Gigabit routers typically have the latest network management features built in, allowing network administrators to assign QoS and security policies to specific applications. These advanced features help ensure service level agreements and enhance security. Ethernet switches with similar management and security features often require a premium to close the price gap compared to gigabit Ethernet switches.
Power standard: Raw PoE technology provides 12.94 watts of power for wireless access points and other IP-enabled devices. This does not meet the power requirements of newer devices. The latest gigabit routers support the enhanced PoE+ standard that provides 30 watts of power. Despite this, vendors have not updated their existing Ethernet switches with the new power standard.
Power consumption: In addition to providing higher bandwidth and more powerful management, gigabit Ethernet switches are also more energy efficient than Ethernet switches. Enterprises can reduce power consumption by deploying gigabit Ethernet switches at the edge of the network.
Future growth: Gigabit routers with great flexibility compared to Ethernet switches can prepare your LAN for upcoming convergence or the next technological update.
Before choosing gigabit Ethernet switches and Ethernet switches for your network, it's a good idea to consider your current deployment, budget, transmission speed requirements, and future requirements.
Ethernet switches ----- are slower and less expensive
The cost of gigabit routers has fallen dramatically so that even average users can afford them in their homes or small businesses. Of course, there are many good reasons to migrate to gigabit routers, as they offer significant speed and performance advantages. At the same time, not every type of business needs this kind of speed. If you only plan to expand your Internet traffic to 100Mbps or higher, or just use the Internet for non-resource-intensive tasks, such as E-mail, instant messaging, or web surfing, you may not see enough benefit in upgrading to a gigabit router. Conversely, Ethernet switches with one or more gigabit uplink can also justify this requirement.
Gigabit Ethernet switch ----- Faster speed and more flexibility at a higher price
If you need to perform other network-intensive tasks, such as hosting files on a server or playing online games, you might benefit from a gigabit router. In addition, medium and large enterprises that have multiple users accessing the same network device or need to add devices that require PoE+ power may consider upgrading the edge to gigabit, as it will be more efficient. Gigabit router has a variety of port configurations, such as 8-port gigabit router, 16-port gigabit router, 24-port gigabit router, etc., to meet different wiring requirements.
