Difference between smart and managed switches?

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Basically what is the difference between a smart switch and a managed switch?

 

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• Unmanaged switches — These switches have no configuration interface or options. They are typically found in SOHO or home environments.
  
• Managed switches — These are ones which allow access to one or more interfaces for the purpose of configuration or management of features such as Spanning Tree Protocol, port speed, VLANs, etc. High-end or "enterprise" switches may provide a serial console and command-line access via telnet and Secure Shell, as well as management via SNMP. More recent devices may also provide a web interface. Limited functions, such as a complete reset, by pushing buttons on the switch are usually also provided. Managed switches are found in medium or large "enterprise" networks and though more expensive are of higher quality. The task of managing usually requires understanding of Layer 2 networks (e.g. Ethernet).
  
• Smart (or intelligent) switches — These are managed switches with a limited set of features. Likewise "web-managed" switches are switches which fall in a market niche between unmanaged and managed. For a price much lower than a fully managed switch they provide a web interface (and usually no CLI access) and allow configuration of basic settings, such as VLANs, port-speed and duplex.

Source - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Network_switch#Types_of_switches

Because I don't like additional typing for typings sake.

Hope this helps.

Qs

 

Cheers mate I appreciate the info. I've never heard of smart switches before so was wondering if these are relatively new to the scene?

 

No worries.

Smart switches aren't particularly new. Their aim is to provide many of the benefits of a managed switch without the complexity or cost of a fully managed switch.

If unmanaged switches were white and managed switches were black - then smart switches would be grey.

Qs