Are you out of ethernet ports? Need to connect more stuff to your router? Then, friend, you need to get yourself a managed network switch.

A network switch adds more ports to your router. It's useful if you have a lot of wired devices in one place, or if you want to wire your home for Ethernet.

A switch merely helps Ethernet devices exchange packets between each other on the same level – it’s typically nowhere near as smart as a router gets.

How to Properly Test an Ethernet Switch. For small businesses that need to connect a large number of nearby computers to the Internet, setting up a local wired network may be a cheaper solution ...

What does Ethernet switch actually mean? Find out inside PCMag's comprehensive tech and computer-related encyclopedia.

An Ethernet switch is like a telephone operator: a signal from your Internet provider goes from the modem to your switch and the switch dispatches the signal to the appropriate device.