how to create a network of 150 pcs with having an internet connection.
Answers
Understand the difference between a switch and a router
Think of a small office network setup as having a foundation of switches and routers. Knowing the difference between the two sorts out a lot of the confusion SMB owners may have about choosing the right networking hardware.
A switch is any piece of equipment that allows networked devices to communicate and share information. On an Ethernet network, you’re connecting desktop PCs, printers, servers, network attached storage (NAS), voice over IP (VoIP), surveillance systems—any device with an Ethernet cable port. Switches tie together these devices into a network.
A router, by definition, ties together different networks both inside and beyond the physical space of an office network. In most cases for SMBs, this means tying your network to the Internet, the greatest network of them all. A router is “smarter” that a switch. It prioritizes the flow of information from the Internet to your networked devices, and protects your devices from cyber threats.
Where it might get confusing is that nearly all wired routers by definition have a switch integrated into them. Furthermore, a wireless router also acts as an access point, as well as a switch, all at once. The nomenclature gets a little arcane if you do not have a formal IT background. If you want to dig into the naming conventions a bit deeper, you can read up on how to differentiate gateway, firewall, and router features.
Choosing a switch that fits your needs
There are three basic types of network switches to choose from when setting up a small business network: managed switches, unmanaged switches, and smart switches.
An unmanaged switchis the likely choice for most small business networks. It works out of the box and offers only basic configuration features. Unmanaged switches require minimal technical aptitude to install and operate. In short, they just work.
A managed switchgives you more control over how your network consumes an Internet connection. Usually IT controls a managed switch using the command line interface (CLI), but newer managed switches do have a graphical interface to use. Managed switches can be adjusted remotely, ideal for large-scale or satellite office deployments. A managed switch generally requires some technical training to take full advantage of their feature set.
Several manufactures market a smart switch, also called a Layer 2/3 switch. A smart switch is an in-between for unmanaged/managed switches. It’s ‘smarter’ than an unmanaged switch because it gives you control over Layer 2 of the open systems interconnection (OSI) model. However, if you need full-on Layer 3 controls for your small office network, opt for a managed switch.