Fanless SMB Switch vs. Built-in Fan SMB Switch: How to Choose?

Choosing the right network switch is a critical decision for any small to medium-sized business (SMB). The performance, reliability, and maintenance needs of your network can significantly impact your business operations. Among the various considerations in selecting an SMB switch, the cooling mechanism is particularly important. This article delves into the differences between fanless switches and built-in fan switches, and provides guidance on selecting the best option for your business needs.

Overview of Fanless Switch and Built-in Fan Switch

In order to better understand the heat generated by the internal switch, two different kinds of cooling systems for network switch to transfer heat will be introduced below, which are passive cooling system for fanless switch and active cooling system for built-in fan switch.

Fanless switch: Passive Cooling

Fanless switch means that there is no fan built into it, which leads to a quiet operation. The passive cooling system achieves high levels of natural convection and heat dissipation by making use of a heat spreader or a heat sink to maximize the radiation and convection heat transfer modes. Depending on heat sink, passive thermal management becomes a cost-effective and energy-efficient solution for switches to maintain optimum operating temperature without causing much noise.

FS S1900-16TP Unmanaged 16 port PoE switch comes with 16x 10M/100/1000M Auto-Negotiation RJ45 ports. All ports support Auto MDI/MDIX function and IEEE 802.3af/at PoE+ (up to 30W per port) for powering attached IP phones, wireless access points, or other standards-compliant network devices. Fanless design ensures noise-free switch operation, reduced cost, and power consumption.

Figure1: FS S1900-16TP with many vents to help heat dissipation

Built-in Fan Switch: Active Cooling

Built-in fan switch utilizes an active cooling system, which is a kind of cooling technology that relies on an external device to enhance heat transfer. By means of an active cooling system, the rate of fluid flow increases during convection, which dramatically increases the rate of heat removal.

Compared to FS S1900-16TP fanless 16 port gigabit switch, FS S1900-8TP 8 port PoE switch is equipped with build-in cooling fans and plenty reserved vents, which facilitate air flow and system cooling. However, built-in fan switches will inevitably bring about unpleasant noise along with larger power consumption and costs than passive cooling systems.

Figure2: FS S1900-8TP with built-in fans to help air flow and system cooling

Fanless SMB Switch vs Built-in Fan SMB Switch, What’s the Difference?

Noise

Fanless switches feature a 0db noise value while switches with fans are more or less noisy. One parameter that switches users' concerns is noise value. The noise mainly comes from the operation of the fan when the switch is running. A high noise value means high decibel noise, which can be bothersome, especially in scenarios that have high requirements for quietness.

Cooling Systems

Switches with built-in fans rely on the active cooling system for forced convection while fanless switches adopt the passive cooling system for natural convection. Natural convection is typically realized by cooling vents on the left and right sides of the device or heat sinks. Compared with natural convection, fan rotation can maintain and speed up the airflow to dissipate heat more efficiently.

Power Consumption

Fanless switch with natural convection does not consume energy for cooling. However, forced convection relies on the operation of an active built-in fan in the switch, which, of course, requires a continuous energy supply. Therefore fanless switches usually feature lower power consumption and cost-effectiveness.

Reliability

When switches are built-in fans, potential failure risks are also added. in case of fans fail, the switches reliability is break on and should be repaired for fan replacement. However, the silent switch will save a potential failure point.

Application Scenarios

Switches with fanless design are ideal for noise-sensitive environments such as offices, libraries, schools, hotels, homes, etc. In these places, PoE switches are found as desktop switches or placed in the office corner. People usually work beside them, the noise will bothersome.

Switches with built-in fans cater to heat dissipation network scenarios such as mission-critical data centers. In such server rooms, numerous running switches and other active devices are mounted in the rack space, which will release a lot of heat in the air and cause the environment's temperature to overheat. Fans help cool down the overheating components in the switch and speed the convection.

Fanless SMB Switch vs. Built-in Fan SMB Switch: How to Choose?

When deciding between a fanless switch and a built-in fan switch, several factors come into consideration:

• Assess Environmental Conditions

Evaluate the physical environment where the switch will be deployed. If your workspace is temperature-controlled and requires minimal noise, a fanless switch will be a better fit. Conversely, if the environment is prone to high temperatures and requires robust cooling, a built-in fan switch is preferable.

• Determine Performance Needs

Assessing your network’s performance requirements is crucial. High-performance networks with extensive data traffic benefit more from built-in fan switches due to their superior cooling and data handling capacities. For less intensive networks, fanless switches may be adequate.

• Consider Maintenance Capacities

Your ability to maintain network equipment should influence your decision. If your business has limited resources for ongoing maintenance, a fanless switch might be more practical due to its lower maintenance demands. Built-in fan switches, although requiring more upkeep, offer better performance and cooling.

• Energy Efficiency Concerns

If reducing energy consumption is a priority, fanless switches are generally more energy-efficient. However, this must be balanced against your network’s performance demands to ensure the switch’s cooling capacity is sufficient.

FS SMB Switch Products

For trusted and reliable network switches, FS offers a range of SMB switches, both fanless and with built-in fans. FS’s fanless PoE switches provide silent operation and energy efficiency, making them perfect for quiet office environments. Their built-in fan switches, on the other hand, are designed for higher performance and better heat dissipation, suitable for more demanding network scenarios.

Recommended FS SMB Switches

• 1. Fanless SMB Switch: A fanless switch ideal for small to medium-sized networks, providing silent operation and energy efficiency.

• 2. Built-in Fan SMB Switch: A robust built-in fan switch with excellent performance and cooling capabilities suitable for high-performance networks. FS offers a variety of fan types, including left/right rearward fans, left-to-right fans, and right-to-left fans.

For more information about FS SMB switch, you can click https://www.fs.com/c/small-business-switches-4235

Conclusion

Choosing between a fanless and built-in fan SMB switch depends on environmental conditions, network performance requirements, maintenance capabilities, and energy efficiency. Fanless switches offer silent operation, reduced maintenance, and higher energy efficiency, ideal for low-intensity networks. In contrast, switches with built-in fans deliver better cooling and performance for high-temperature, high-demand environments, though they are noisier and require more maintenance.

FS provides a variety of SMB switches to meet diverse business needs, ensuring reliable and efficient network performance. Evaluate your specific requirements and the differences between these switches to make an informed decision that supports your network and business growth.