The form factor determines how the switch is installed.
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Desktop. Devices designed to be placed on a flat surface such as a countertop or shelf; some models also allow hanging on the wall. Significantly easier to install than rack or DIN rail equipment (see below), but most desktop switches are entry-level, maximum mid-range. This is because desktop placement is less secure than rack or rail mounting, making it less suitable for professional equipment.
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Rack mounted. Switches designed for installation in a telecommunications rack. To do this, the design provides for an appropriate set of fasteners, and the body is made in a standard size. This size is quite large, which allows for numerous network ports; and the rack mounting itself is reliable. Therefore, this option is used by most professional-level switches, although there are also relatively simple models with this installation method.
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Mounted on a DIN rail. Switches mounted on a standard DIN rail. Such rails are used as mounting fixtures, in particular, on electrical panels and in cabinets for special equipment, however, if desired, they can be fixed to any vertical surface, including a regular wall. Specifically, "switches" with a similar installation, as well as rack-mounted ones, are mainly of a professional level; however, rail-mounted models are much smaller, resulting in more m
...odest functionality and fewer ports. Also note that they are usually executed in a vertical rather than a horizontal layout.
— Street (on the mast). Switches that can be installed outdoors. A characteristic feature of such equipment is the enhanced protection of the case, which protects the internal components from dust, moisture, high and low temperatures, etc. winter application (if you need a frost-resistant model, you can use the "Operating temperature" list below). However, if the equipment needs to be placed on the street (or in a room where the conditions are not very different from the street ones), then it is definitely worth choosing from this category.— Built-in.
The built-in power supply does not take up space on the outside, but can significantly increase the size and weight of the entire switch. Because of this, this option is quite rare — mainly among rack-mount models (see "Form factor"), where an external unit can create significant inconvenience, as well as among the most powerful desktop switches, for which restrictions on dimensions and weight is not critical.
— External. Theoretically
, an external power supply requires additional space, and therefore is not as convenient as an internal one. In fact, most blocks of this type are quite compact in size and are equipped with “plugs” for sockets right on the case — in other words, the block is installed on a socket, and from there the wire stretches to the switch. And the absence of power circuits and transformers inside the case has a positive effect on compactness. Thanks to all this, this option is very popular among desktop models (see "Form factor"), primarily entry-level and mid-level.
— No BP. The absence of a power supply both in the design and in the delivery set is a rather rare case found in three types of switches. The first variety is models that use PoE power (see above) and do not require separate power sources. PoE power is relatively small, so relatively simple devices with a small number of ports fall into this category. The second variety is professional switc
...hes, the power supplies for which are sold as separately installed internal modules; such equipment may even provide the possibility of using two PSUs simultaneously (main and backup) and hot-swapping them. The third type — switches with installation on a DIN rail (see "Form factor") and having terminals for connecting a specialized external power source.
