Your network switch is probably the wrong one, and here's how to tell before you buy

Choosing the right network switch matters more than most people realize. For most home networks, a managed switch with 2.5 GbE or faster is the better choice over an unmanaged one, offering VLANs, per-port ACLs, QoS controls, and Power-over-Ethernet support. A key pitfall to avoid: PoE switches have a total power budget shared across all ports, so the per-port maximum wattage doesn't apply simultaneously to every port. Unmanaged switches still work for simple, flat networks with minimal management needs, but managed switches provide meaningful visibility and segmentation with a surprisingly gentle learning curve.