Managed Services

Difference Between Managed Router vs Unmanaged Router

Difference Between Managed Router vs Unmanaged Router

It is no secret that today’s companies have adopted cloud and cloud-based services. The Internet of Things (IoT) and Voice over Internet Protocol have also gained widespread business usage. Using these technologies requires the increased bandwidth that a router can provide. However, buying and managing your company’s hardware and software can be expensive and time-consuming.

Consequently, some companies opt for managed router services, outsourcing the provision and management of all aspects of the network infrastructure to a third party. Alternatively, some companies prefer unmanaged routers. Here are some insights into managed router vs. unmanaged router services.

What Is a Managed Router?

A managed router is a fully outsourced solution that effectively manages all routers associated with a company’s networks. It offers an advanced solution to manage your Ethernet network, provisioning, configuration, change management, and monitoring for on-client-premise routers. Managed routers eliminate the need to buy your network, ensuring that you can divert your IT resources towards more business-critical projects.

How Does It Differ From An Unmanaged Router?

The most significant difference when comparing managed and unmanaged router options are who is in charge of your network infrastructure. You outsource all aspects of your network to a third-party provider using managed router services. They are responsible for obtaining and maintaining the hardware and software required to ensure secure network connectivity and optimum network performance.

On the other hand, you own the hardware needed for connectivity and network performance when using an unmanaged router. Additionally, you or an in-house IT team is responsible for configuring the software required for connectivity.

Why Do You Need To Use A Managed Router?

When comparing managed vs. unmanaged router options, it is typical to question the essence of using a managed router service instead of an unmanaged router. Managed router services are worth considering due to:

  • Equipment provisioning and management – Your service provider will offer the router and handle staging, configuration, installation, and maintenance.
  • 24/7 service desk, ensuring you receive support with monitoring, trouble resolution, and management at all times.
  • Access to your service provider’s networking experts.
  • Broad network health information and reporting capabilities thanks to Web portal access.
  • Enjoy various service packages to suit a wide range of business needs.
  • Operational insights.

Advantages And Disadvantages Of A Managed Router

Advantages

Better router security – Router malware infections are rare, but your enterprise’s router isn’t completely invulnerable. Cisco researchers warned in 2018 that hackers potentially working for an advanced nation had infected more than 500,000 small-office and home routers worldwide with dangerous malware. Thankfully, a managed router service offers round-the-clock support and monitoring via a network operations center. Therefore, your routers are better protected from being weaponized and destroyed.

Ease the burden on IT staff – Your IT staff focuses on non-core business when tasked with building, managing, and monitoring your networks. As such, they may be occupied with watching out for unusual activities and troubleshooting networks instead of handling innovative projects. However, managed router services ensure that networking specialists handle the process of provisioning network software and hardware.

You can also lower capital expenditures and eliminate the expense of updating your router. In addition, you can even get a predictable monthly cost for a total end-to-end solution.

Continuous assistance – A managed router service provider can assist your company with the complete life cycle of your network, from implementation to upgrades. Also, a great managed router service can give your enterprise peace of mind by providing redundancy to guard against router failure.

Better Performance – You can hold your managed router service provider accountable for your network performance, ensuring a high-performance level at all times. Also, your provider will update your router regularly to ensure that your network functions optimally.

Disadvantages

Reduced Knowledge Retention – Any outsourced operations reduce your company’s ability to build its processes and retain knowledge. Therefore, you will always rely on your provider for router support.

If your managed router service provider goes out of business, scrambling to find a new provider can take its toll on your business.

Unlike your in-house IT, your managed router service provider attends to only a defined list of support needs. Therefore, if you have an issue outside the services you signed up for, you may have to deal with them yourself.

Which One Should You Select For Your Network?

A managed router service may be a better fit to entrust all aspects of your network infrastructure into capable hands for management.

Can You Monitor Your Network Besides Using A Managed Router?

A managed router allows you to control all aspects of your network from one central location. This means that you don’t need to worry about setting up multiple routers for different networks. With a managed router, you can easily set up port forwarding rules, which allow you to direct traffic through specific ports to other devices on your local network.

Here are few ways to monitor your router:

  • Logfile monitoring
  • SNMP monitoring
  • Ping monitoring
  • SQL query monitoring
  • NetFlow monitoring

What Is a Network Switch?

A network switch is a device that connects computers together by allowing them to share resources like printers, file servers, and Internet access. It does this by forwarding packets from one computer to another. This means it takes the packet information (the IP address) and sends it to the next port, where it will be sent to its destination.

A network switch allows you to connect multiple devices and networks, but a router lets you share a single IP address across multiple network devices.

There are three main types of switches: unmanaged switches, web-managed switch, and managed switches.

  • Unmanaged switches are the simplest of the bunch, as no configuration is required; just connect them to your network using Ethernet cables.
  • Web-managed switches are similar to unmanaged ones but allow you to manage them remotely via the Internet.
  • Managed switches are the most complex switch types available today, as they offer advanced features such as security etc.

What Are Managed Switches?

A managed switch is a device that manages traffic between two or more networks. It has many uses, including connecting multiple offices within a building, connecting multiple buildings, and even connecting remote sites.

The basic function of a managed switch is to route data between two or more networks, which means it must know how to get the data from one place to another. The way it accomplishes this is through the use of protocols. Protocols are used to communicate between devices, and managed switches use these protocols to send data to their destinations.

What Are Unmanaged Switches?

Unmanaged switches are not controlled by a central server but rather operate autonomously. The downside is that they cannot prioritize traffic based on priority levels. This means that if one device sends out a large amount of data, it will take precedence over all other devices.

Key Differences Between Managed Vs Unmanaged Switches

The most important difference between managed and unmanaged switches is the ability to prioritize traffic and monitor and control data flow through the switch.

Unmanaged switches, on the other hand, allow connected devices to communicate with each other in their most basic form.

What Is Better Managed or Unmanaged Switch?

Managed switches offer many features, including advanced security, centralized management, and high availability. They are typically more expensive than unmanaged switches but are easier to configure and troubleshoot.

How Should I Choose Between Managed Switch and Unmanaged Switches?

When choosing a managed switch, the most important factor is whether it supports Layer 2 (L2) protocols like VLANs, IPsec, and MPLS. If you want to connect two different networks, you must use L3 protocols like BGP, OSPF, or IS-IS.

What are Managed Router Services?

Managed Router Services (MRS) is a service offered by some Internet Service Providers (ISPs). This service allows customers to purchase bandwidth from ISPs at a fixed price per month. The customer then has access to a network device called a “managed router” which acts like a gateway between the ISP’s network and the customer’s network. The customer pays for the bandwidth they use and the ISP manages all aspects of the connection, such as routing traffic through the managed router and billing the customer.

Why Choose ExterNetworks As Your Managed Router Service Provider?

We can manage all aspects of your network infrastructure, including the hardware and software configuration, allowing you to focus on your core business. Also, we ensure your network connectivity through regular maintenance to ensure router reliability and performance.

Contact Us today to get started.

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About Allan Stuke

Allan Stuke is the VP, Business Development, at ExterNetworks Inc. He has over 30 years of experience in the field of recruiting. He has a successful track record of exceeding corporate goals by helping companies obtain increased value from its talent investment.

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