Network switches are one of the most overlooked parts of a business network.
They sit in cupboards.
They don’t make any noise.
And most people never think about them.
But in reality, they’re probably one of the most important pieces of equipment you’ve got.
So what does a network switch actually do?
The easiest way to think about it is an extension lead.
You plug an extension lead into a wall socket, and it gives you four or six more sockets to use.
A network switch does exactly the same thing—but for your network.
Instead of one connection, it gives you 8, 24 or 48 ports to plug devices into.
Simple.
But that’s only the start of it.
Why Network Switches Matter More Than You Think
Although switches look basic, they sit right at the centre of your network.
Everything plugs into them:
If a switch is slow, everything feels slow.
If a switch fails, everything connected to it drops offline.
That’s why they matter more than people expect.
Power over Ethernet (PoE): Less Cabling, More Flexibility
One of the most useful features in modern switches is PoE (Power over Ethernet).
This means the switch doesn’t just carry data—it also carries power.
So instead of having power adaptors everywhere, you can run everything off a single network cable.
This is commonly used for:
It keeps offices cleaner, reduces cabling, and gives you much more flexibility on where devices can be installed—especially things like ceiling-mounted Wi‑Fi.
In most modern environments, PoE is no longer optional—it’s expected.
Extending Your Network
There’s also a physical limitation to networks.
A standard Ethernet cable can only run for about 100 metres.
After that, you need something to extend it.
That’s where switches come in.
You can place another switch further away—using copper or fibre—to extend your network into:
This is how most business networks scale over time.
Resilience and Redundancy
This is where cheaper switches start to show their limitations.
If you connect multiple switches together in a loop using basic equipment, you can actually take your whole network down.
It’s like short-circuiting an electrical system.
But better switches use something called Spanning Tree Protocol.
This detects loops and automatically disables the problematic link.
That allows you to intentionally build resilient networks with backup paths.
So if one link or one switch fails, traffic can still flow another way.
In environments like manufacturing, that can be the difference between staying online and stopping production.
VLANs: Keeping Things Separated
Another key feature is network segmentation using VLANs (Virtual LANs).
This lets you split your network into separate areas—even if everything is using the same physical switch.
For example:
This matters because not every device should be able to talk to everything else.
If a lower-quality or older device (like CCTV or a printer) gets compromised, you don’t want it accessing your core systems.
VLANs reduce that risk.
Speed and Performance: The Hidden Bottleneck
This is one of the biggest issues we see in real businesses.
Network speeds have increased massively over the years.
But switches often haven’t.
You’ll still find older switches running at 100Mb speeds in networks that now expect 1Gb or more.
The result?
Everything feels slightly slow.
Not broken—just slower than it should be.
And that adds up.
Even small delays—seconds per action—can cost hours of productivity across a team every week.
Why Businesses Upgrade Switches
Switches don’t last forever, and the reasons for upgrading are usually very practical:
In larger environments, businesses may also use chassis-based switches with high-speed backbones to keep internal traffic flowing quickly.
The Real Risk: What Happens When a Switch Fails
A single network switch might support 24 or 48 users.
If that switch fails, all of those people go offline instantly.
No internet.
No systems.
No work getting done.
And if there’s no redundancy, that can last until it’s replaced.
That’s why switches are rarely “just plumbing”.
They’re critical infrastructure.
Final Thoughts
A network switch might look like an extension lead for your network.
And in simple terms, it is.
But the difference between a basic switch and a properly designed one is:
Get it right, and your network just works.
Get it wrong, and you’ll feel it—every single day.
At Affirm IT, we take a practical approach to networking. We don’t start with complexity—we start with simple questions:
From there, we design networks that are fast, reliable, and built around how your business actually operates.
If you’re not sure whether your network is holding you back, don’t hesitate to
get in touch with us.
