Edgeswitch Lite Vs Edgeswitch
Apart from the managed and unmanaged switches, the number of ports in a switch is of primary importance. The above is with regard to the number of users connected to your network, thus the more the users the more ports you will need and the ability to scale your business.
A networking switch helps in reducing frame collisions, which means that most of the data sent from the physical network medium will reach its destination untampered by other signals from other hosts. Adopting a switch in your network setup will enhance productivity because they help reduce the workload on individual computers.
And when adopted in an organizational setting they work to increase network performance. The main function of a switch, therefore, is to filter and forward the network packets from a networking device like say a router, a computer, or a server to another networking device.
Table of Contents
What are the differences between Edgeswitch Lite and Edgeswitch
Model |
Edge switch Lite |
Edgeswitch (Winner) |
Switching capacity |
140Gbps |
20 Gbps |
Non-Blocking throughput |
70Gbps |
10Gbps |
Edgeswitch Lite and Edgeswitch- How do they compare?
Edgeswitch Lite devices from Unifi are only available in two models the ES-24 Lite, and the ES-48Lite, while the Edgeswitch are available in six different models the ES-8-150W, ES-24-250W, ES-16-150W, ES-48-750W, ES-24-500W, and ES-48-500W. The major difference between these two categories of switches is that the Edgeswitch is a managed PoE and Gigabit switch, meaning that users can adjust each of the ports on the switch to the settings that suit them, thus a monitor can configure the network in different ways.
A managed switch also offers greater control on how data travels over a network and the individuals that gain access to it. PoE, on the other hand, is a technology that allows electrical currents used to operate each of the devices to be carried by the data cables instead of the power cords. The benefits of PoE are that it reduces the number of cables that must be strung as the network is being installed.
So while Edgeswitch will offer both the managed PoE + the Gigabit switches, Edgeswitch Lite only offers its users the managed Gigabit switches complete with SFP. Users utilizing the Edgeswitch Lite can thus configure and manage their switches with regards to their needs, especially those utilizing the box. The above option also provides tools and the means to monitor the network, while controlling traffic.
Gigabit switches are mostly adopted in computer networking and are used to connect multiple devices to LAN. They are also used to empower other devices and can, therefore, connect directly to the internet without necessarily using Wi-Fi.
Advanced Switching technology
Switching performance
When it comes to switching performance the two categories of Edgeswitch have some slight differences, for example, the Edgeswitch will provide total non-blocking throughput, therefore, in an 8 port model, you will get up to 10GBPS, in the 16 port model you will achieve at least 18Gbps, while in the 24 port model you will be able to get up to 26Gbps and in the 48 port model you will get 70 Gbps.
The Edgeswitch Lite, on the other hand also offers a total non-blocking throughput, and here you will only get the 24 port model that will support about 26Gbps and the 48 port model that supports about 70Gbps.
Another distinct feature available in the Edgeswitch model is the Port over Ethernet (PoE), which is known to offer flexibility, the unit has, therefore, been configured to automatically detect the 802.3af/at devices and to manually enable a 24V passive PoE, while using the Edgeswitch configuration interface.
Functionality
Both the Edgeswitch Lite and the Edgeswitch utilize a sophisticated operating system that offers simple switching features but has also integrated varied advanced features. So while all the functionalities are the same for both units the Edgeswitch Lite is visibly lacking the Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol (DHCP) server functionality.
Well, the importance of the above is that it automatically provides and assigns IP addresses, and default gateways among other networking parameters to the client’s devices. And if you were wondering about the uses of DHCP, all you need to know is that it is a protocol that offers quick automatic and central management for the distribution of IP addresses within the network.
DHCP is also necessary for the configuration of the default gateway, the subnet mask, and the DNS server information on the device. The idea behind having DHCP enabled on your device is because most of the networking devices do not foresee the necessity of a static IP address, and will, therefore, proceed to request for an IP address from the router, so if your router is not DHCP enabled, it will not accept the request leading to a failure in connectivity.
Value
As mentioned earlier the Edgeswitch Lite offers its users two models that feature high performance with reasonable prices, so for the 24 port, it will cost you about $240, while the 48 port goes for $460. Edgeswitch, on the other hand, gives you six options for you to choose from and remember that the units are a full-featured enterprise-class with prices that begin from $199.
Lastly, the user interface provided on both the units are pretty intuitive but with two operative options, one is for the novice users, and there is also an option for the advanced users, where they can utilize the command-line interface that is provided through SSH and Telnet.
The types of products and functionality
Edgeswitch 24 Lite
- The ES-24-LITE is part of the EdgeSwitch family of products. It's a dully managed Gigabit switch designed...
- It offers an extensive suite of advanced Layer 2 switching features and protocols, and also provides...
Users who invest in this switch will experience robust performance complete with intelligent switching for their growing networks. The 24 port model has thus been configured to support up to 26Gbps, and also supports an extensive suite of advanced layer 2 switching, while also offering layer 3 routing capability.
layer 3 switching is a feature that forwards packets between different networks like a router, while the layer 2 switches have been configured to forward packets within a given network. So basically what we are saying is that layer 2 comprises of hardware, while layer 3 is mostly concerned with the ip’s.
EdgeSwitch 48 Lite
- Total Non-Blocking Throughput: 70 Gbps.
- Gigabit RJ45 Ports: 48.
Though exhaustive, utilizing a 48port switch tends to have more pros than cons because for one is that they have the tendency of expanding long-range flexibility of your network and quickly adapts to the changing environment of your network. Better yet, the 48 port switch is a comprehensive business networking solution that allows organizations to grow.
Besides having the liberty to customize the 48port switch to suit their needs, users can also disable the port or employ MAC address filtering to prevent unauthorized access to their network. There is also the advantage of failover redundancy that sees less network downtime. Users are also free to configure the 48 port PoE to prioritize traffic thus give way to important data.
What we like
- The breakthrough value on both the 48 and 24 port matches the functionality of the switches
- The switch has been equipped with enterprise features
- Has integrated an optical fire backhaul
- features both advanced and simple user interface to cater to the two categories of users
What we don’t like
- Documentation is not conclusive and support is unresponsive
- Not convenient for long term use
Edgeswitch
Ubiquiti EdgeSwitch 8, 8-Port
- The EdgeSwitch delivers robust switching performance with its total, non-blocking throughput of up to 10...
- 8 Gigabit RJ45 Ports
Edgeswitch 8 port device is a networking device for users, who want to create and expand their networks, the unit is a fully managed switch thus gives users the ability to fully customize the switch to suit their needs. Another important feature is the equipped PoE + Gigabit switch necessary for offering a robust performance complete with intelligent switching.
Ubiquiti EdgeSwitch 16 Port
- 10 Gaps Total Non-Blocking Throughput
With the 16port Edgeswitch users will be able to utilize a switching capacity of up to 36 Gbps, complete with a forwarding rate of about 26.78mpps. The unit’s power consumption is a bit low at 150w and is rack-mountable. For the latter, you have been provided with the rack-mount brackets. The unit also features a comprehensive user interface thus the administrators can configure and monitor switch features via a graphical interface.
What we like
- Offers users a comprehensive user interface
- Has incorporated powerful functionality features
- Offers fiber connectivity for the growing networks
- Forwarding capacity processes traffic without experiencing packet loss
What we don’t like
- Some units are equipped with non-responsive firmware
- The command-line interface features a steep learning curve
Conclusion
Edgeswitch offers users with two categories of switches the Edgeswitch and the Edgeswitch Lite, among the two categories there are different types of switches configured to cater to different types of users, and networks and while some will provide opportunities for growth others are finite with a small number of ports.
Verdict: Which is better, the Edgeswitch or the Edgeswitch Lite?
Edgeswitch comes out as the better option because it has included most of the advanced features, which are not only important but are missing in the Edgeswitch Lite.
FAQ’s
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What speeds are supported by the 12F?
The 12F supports up to 100/1000Mbps link speeds on ports ranging from 1 to 8 and 1000Mbps-only connections on ports ranging from 9 to 12.
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What is the recommended SFP/SFP+ module to use?
you will first check on the ports that have been provided in your device, then proceed to choose the type of fiber cable that you will need.
