Unmanaged switches power-on and forward traffic without configuration — simplest deployment but no VLAN, no monitoring, no troubleshooting visibility. Managed switches add VLANs, link-aggregation, port mirroring, SNMP, and remote-management interfaces. For deployments above 16 cameras or those sharing infrastructure with other systems, managed is the right choice; the per-port cost is modest and the operational benefit is large.

Sum the PoE-class budget of all PoE-powered devices, then add 20-30% headroom for growth. Eight 802.3at cameras at 30W max each is 240W minimum — but a 130W-budget 8-port PoE+ switch can't deliver that. Confirm both per-port budget and total PoE budget; many entry-level switches advertise PoE+ ports but cap aggregate budget at half the per-port maximum.

For installations under 32 cameras with mid-resolution streams, 1 Gbps uplinks suffice. Above that, or when you need fast investigative playback for many simultaneous reviewers, 10 Gbps (SFP+) uplinks remove the choke point. NVRs writing to NAS over the network also benefit. SFP+ has become reasonably affordable on managed switches; opt for it on new installs over 16 cameras.

Yes — modern managed switches use VLAN segregation to keep VoIP, video, and data traffic separated even on shared physical ports. Use QoS (Quality of Service) to prioritize VoIP for low latency and assign video its own queue. Avoid mixing untagged traffic types on a single switch port without VLAN configuration; broadcast storms and bandwidth competition cause both voice and video quality issues.

Single-mode fiber for runs over 100 m, multi-mode for shorter runs (typically up to 550 m on OM3, 300 m on OM4 at 10 Gbps). Bidirectional SFPs (single fiber instead of pair) save fiber count when the run is already deployed. Avoid copper between buildings — ground-potential differences during lightning strikes destroy switch SFP modules even when surge-protected.