It isn’t controversial to say that most home networks are set up with a “set it and forget it” mentality. People unbox the router they got from their internet service provider (ISP) and plug it in. In a ton of homes, that’s as far as the configuration gets. They might log into its configuration page to change the Wi-Fi password, but generally, that’s it. But if you’re reading this, it’s equally uncontroversial to suspect that you’re more of a tinkerer. And if I’m right, you’ve already wondered how you can upgrade your home network to make it faster and more reliable. Sure, you could splash the cash on a new Wi-Fi 7 mesh setup, but there might be a better option. And it’ll only cost around $30.
The secret to getting the most out of your home network isn’t always replacing your old kit. Sometimes, adding the right device can make all the difference. I’m talking about a managed switch because it gives you more control over how traffic is handled by your network. It takes a purely passive network and gives you a way to truly affect it in ways that no ISP-provided router is able to match.
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The power of VLANs and monitoring
Visualizing your traffic
There are plenty of reasons to spend the $30 to add a managed switch to your network, but the ability to implement Virtual Local Area Networks (VLANs) is perhaps at the top of the pile. VLANs can act as gatekeepers, creating virtual networks that turn a single home network into multiple.
In a typical home network, every device is capable of communicating with every other device connected to it. That’s exactly the behavior that we want from most home networks. A phone connected to its Wi-Fi can communicate with a server connected to it via an Ethernet cable, and everything just works. But there are times when that isn’t the best approach.
With more and more smart homes being powered by an increasing number of nondescript accessories, privacy shouldn’t be taken for granted. With a managed switch and a router (or Layer 3 switch) that supports VLANs, you can segregate some devices from others, preventing them from communicating.
Sticking with our smart home example, you could use a managed switch to create a VLAN for all of your smart bulbs. They’ll be able to connect to the internet, but nothing else. The same applies to other accessories, like smart cameras. Should such an accessory be compromised, having it on its own VLAN ensures that it can’t connect to more important devices — like your laptop or NAS.
Beyond security and privacy, a VLAN also gives you a fuller picture of what your network is doing at any given time. The best switches will provide telemetry that can help you identify rogue devices or those that are saturating your network with data. Having access to this kind of data can be invaluable when it comes time to troubleshoot a problem.
Quality of Service (QoS)
Prioritizing the network
Another key feature of a good managed network switch is the ability to leverage Quality of Service (QoS) capabilities. Any data that traverses a standard home network is processed on a first-come, first-served basis. That means that all data is treated equally, which can be an issue if your home network is a particularly heavily utilized one.
By implementing QoS, you can take control of how data is processed throughout your home network. A managed switch allows you to implement policies that govern which traffic is prioritized and which has to wait its turn.
One example where this could be useful is in a home that makes heavy use of online media streaming, but where someone is also an avid online gamer. In instances where the home network is saturated by multiple 4K video streams, the gamer’s experience would be negatively impacted. Low pings and a predictable connection are vital for gamers, and QoS could be used to give gaming traffic priority.
Another example would be a home that relies on internet-connected telephony. Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) requires similar connection stability to online gaming, and you can choose to prioritize VoIP. Such an approach ensures that calls can always be made and received without issue.
Taking control of your digital threshold
It’s upgrade time
Ultimately, choosing to add a managed network switch to your home network isn’t about improving raw performance. You won’t be able to download files twice as fast or connect twice as many devices. But you will gain more control over how your network behaves, prioritizing traffic that needs it.
You’ll also be able to protect your most important devices from those that you may not trust explicitly, like inexpensive smart bulbs from no-name brands. At a price of around $30, a managed switch can be hugely beneficial. It’s a truly outsized upgrade, especially for those of us who like to tinker with our networks to make them work just so.
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Anything else is overkill.