Choose enough gigabit ports for current endpoints, including access points, cameras, AV devices, phones, and control equipment, while allowing room for expected growth and service connections. Select enough stacking ports and suitable uplink speeds to connect switches, extend the network, and support traffic between access switches and the core without creating a bottleneck.

Stackable gigabit switches can deliver Power over Ethernet (PoE) to compatible cameras, access points, endpoints, and other devices over network cabling, while stacking adds ports and simplifies management as systems grow. Managed features such as VLAN segmentation, Quality of Service (QoS), IGMP snooping, Layer 3 routing, and higher-speed uplinks help organize traffic for AV-over-IP systems, voice, wireless, and other connected equipment.

Compare 10GBASE-T copper, 10G SFP+, 1G SFP, multi-gigabit, and 25G SFP28 uplinks based on the connected equipment, cable media, available bandwidth, and whether the ports also support stacking. Copper uplinks can simplify connections to nearby network devices, while SFP-based uplinks support fiber or direct-attach connections for longer runs and flexible expansion, so select the combination that fits your current network and planned growth.

Managed features help larger networks by using Layer 3 routing to connect subnets, VLANs to segment traffic, and access controls to organize users, devices, and services. Quality of service can prioritize time-sensitive voice and AV traffic, while multicast controls such as IGMP help limit unnecessary traffic and support efficient distribution across stacked switches.