How to Choose Between Fanless and Bulit-in Fan SMB Switch

Choosing a suitable networking switch is an important decision for small and medium-sized businesses, because the reliability, performance and maintenance of the network will affect the operation of your company. When choosing an SMB switch, for some companies, cooling method is a factor worth considering. This article will take you to an in-depth understanding of the difference between fanless switches and switches with built-in fans, and help you choose the right Ethernet switch.

What is Fanless Switch

A fanless switch means that there is no fan inside the switch to help the switch dissipate heat. It relies on passive heat dissipation such as metal shell, natural convection and heat sink, so it is very quiet when running. This fanless design makes it the first choice for sound-sensitive scenarios. It can effectively keep the SMB switch at the optimal operating temperature without generating loud noise, and also reduces the overall power consumption of the switch.

For example, QSFPTEK's S5300-8P2S is equipped with 8 10/100/1000BASE-T RJ45 PoE+ ports, each port provides a maximum of 30W, and the overall power budget is 130W. Its fanless design and support for PoE+ make it the first choice for hotels, offices and home networks.

What is Bulit-in Fan Switch

Built-in fan switch means that the switch has a fan installed inside for active heat dissipation. By using the fan to speed up the air convection inside the switch, the temperature is effectively reduced, which greatly improves the heat dissipation speed. However, since starting the fan also requires electricity, its power consumption is higher than that of a fanless switch, and it is also noisy when the fan is started.

For example, QSFPTEK's S5300-24P4TS is equipped with 24 10/100/1000BASE-T RJ45 PoE+ ports, each port provides a maximum of 30W, and the overall power budget is 370W. It has 3 built-in fans for active heat dissipation, and reserved vents are conducive to wind convection and heat dissipation.

What is the Difference Between Fanless and Bulit-in Fan Switch

Noise

One of the differences between fanless SMB switches and built-in fan switches is that fanless switches are almost silent when running. This is because when the switch is running, other components except the fan make almost no sound. When the built-in fan switch is running, the fan will make a lot of noise, especially in sound-sensitive environments. The higher the noise, the greater the impact. You can watch this video to experience the difference in noise in depth: Fanless, Fixed, Hot-Swap Smart Fans

Cooling Method

Built-in fan switches use built-in fans to accelerate the speed of wind convection for active heat dissipation. The fan can accelerate air convection and help the switch quickly reduce the temperature. Fanless switches use natural convection of wind, metal shells, etc. for passive heat dissipation.

Power Consumption

Since fanless switches use natural convection, metal shells, etc. for passive heat dissipation, these heat dissipation methods do not consume additional energy, so they generally have lower power consumption and can save operating costs during operation. Built-in fan switches use fans to accelerate the speed of wind convection for active heat dissipation, which requires continuous energy supply to the fan, so their power consumption is generally higher, which will also increase operating costs.

Reliability

Since the built-in fan switch uses fans for active heat dissipation, when the fan fails, the reliability of the switch will be reduced. Fanless switches are designed to be used without fans, so a potential failure point is eliminated.

Application Scenarios

Since fanless switches are almost noiseless, they are generally suitable for sound-sensitive environments, such as hotels, libraries, offices, home networks, etc. In these scenarios, PoE switches are generally used as desktop switches or placed in well-ventilated locations. These scenarios have people moving around them, so the noise needs to be as low as possible, and fanless switches meet this requirement well.

Switches with built-in fans are generally used in sound-insensitive environments such as data centers and large offices. A large number of active devices are installed in these server rooms. These active devices will generate a lot of heat when working. At this time, fans are needed to actively dissipate heat to ensure that the temperature of the switch is within the normal working range.

QT Switch Comparison

Fanless Switch and Bulit-in Fan SMB Switch, How to Choose

When you are considering choosing a fanless PoE switch or a built-in fan PoE switch, you need to consider the following aspects:

Evaluate the application environment

Before deploying the switch, you need to evaluate the application environment of the deployment site. If your application environment has low noise requirements but requires the device to have strong heat dissipation capabilities, then a built-in fan switch is a better choice. If you use it in a sound-sensitive environment such as home, school, etc., then a fanless switch is the first choice.

Performance requirements

If you have high performance requirements, then a built-in fan switch generally has higher data processing capabilities and cooling capabilities than a fanless switch, because the higher the performance, the higher the power consumption and heat generation, and active heat dissipation intervention is required. Fanless switches are generally suitable for networks with low performance requirements.

Device power consumption

If you have strict control over the power consumption of the device, then choosing a fanless switch will undoubtedly meet your needs, because it does not require the fan to function continuously, reducing overall power consumption and operating costs. But you need to ensure that the air convection in the place where you deploy is good to ensure that the switch is at a healthy operating temperature.

Conclusion

Fanless switches and SMB switches with built-in fans have their own advantages and disadvantages. When your network load is low, you pursue a quiet environment, energy saving and environmental protection, fanless switches are undoubtedly a better choice. When your network load is high, you need to handle high-bandwidth tasks, and you don't have strict requirements on noise, then switches with built-in fans are suitable for you. All of this needs to be decided based on your budget and network environment.