Network switches are an essential part of any networking system as numerous components are linked together to enable them to communicate effectively.  At its most basic level, an Ethernet switch provides a LAN of networked devices, but adding different switches can give you more control over your data, devices, routers, and access points. Therefore, it is important to know what to look out for before buying a networking switch. Have a look at our simple guide. 1. POE capabilities: This is basically a device that applies power using ethernet technology. From our online store, the switches fall under three groups with this classification method. We have Full PoE, half PoE and no PoE switches all offered by us. 2. Device mounting: The methodology of mounting is a huge consideration whenever you are planning to buy a switch. We have a variety of switches that can be mounted using these four major mounting technologies; Freestanding, rack-mount, tower, and wall mount. 3. Device speed: When you are planning out what switch you should buy, you should take into consideration the size of your networking architecture i.e the number of devices that are available in your network. This will help you determine what speed of the network switch you should go for. At Shopit, our switches can be classified into two categories using this criterium; the gigabit switches (10/100/1000mbps) and ethernet switches(10/100mbps) 4. Number of ports: Network switches come with a variety of ports. This number usually varies with the purpose a switch has been designed to do. Enterprise switches have a lot of ports as they can have up to 52 ports available for multiple device connections. A switch for home/domestic use usually starts with about 12 to 16 ports.  5. SFP Ports: These ports allow Gigabit switches to connect to a wide range of fiber and Ethernet cables, extending switching functionality across the network. The number of these ports is an essential factor to consider when buying a switch from our online store. 6. Switch type: Knowing the differences between the different types of switches in networking can make a huge impact on the speed and configuration of your company network. from our online store, we have a variety of different types of switches like smart switches, full managed switches, unmanaged switches and POE switches available.