ᐅ Which type of switch do we need?

Hello everyone,

I am currently starting to learn about networking because I would like to set it up myself.

At the moment, I have a 19" rack and two 24-port patch panels.

I’m not sure which type of switch I need. I would like to install an access point in the hallway on the upper floor because I think the signal from the router in the utility room (ground floor) won’t be strong enough to cover the entire house. For this, is Power Over Ethernet (PoE) required, or can I use some kind of PoE adapter in the 19" rack?

I find the price difference between a simple 24-port switch and a PoE switch quite significant.

I was thinking of installing two 24-port switches, or would it make more sense to use a 48-port switch?

Can I do without a managed or lightly managed switch, or are there advantages to these that I might not be aware of or need at this point?

Thanks in advance!

Goldi09111

There are PoE adapters that can simply be connected in between (approximately 5cm x 5cm x 15cm (2 inches x 2 inches x 6 inches), but presumably other sizes are available as well.

Do you plan to use all 48 ports? Otherwise, a 24-port switch might be sufficient, and you can connect only the required ports. If needed, you can purchase an additional 24-port switch later. The advantage of having two 24-port switches is that if one fails, the other one still works.

Whether you need managed switches depends on what you want to do with them. Managed switches definitely offer more options, but whether you actually use or need these features is questionable. For example, VLANs.

One more thing to mention: there are PoE adapters/injectors for 100 Mbit and for Gigabit speeds, so it’s important to pay attention to this, especially if there is Wi-Fi connected afterwards.

Thanks for the information. Currently, the only application that comes to mind is the topic of access points.

There are also access points or repeaters that can be plugged directly into a standard power outlet. Buying a PoE switch just for one access point would be a waste of money.

Are both patch panels fully occupied, and more importantly, how many end devices are there? A 24-port switch might be sufficient. Make sure it is a gigabit switch.

For a PoE device, you buy an injector, not a PoE switch. That would be a waste.
Does it even have to be PoE? Is there no power outlet available?

You don’t have any special requirements for a switch. 24 ports, 1 Gbit/s, and that’s it.