2.5Gbit+ network switch; managed or unmanaged?

[Elverion]

I'm looking to upgrade the networking in my home office to support 2.5 gigabit networking. I've got a few different machines in the room and frequently transfer large files amongst them. Currently they all only have 1gbit NICs but I plan to change that during the process. Due to circumstances out of my control, these machines will have to share a single 1gigabit cable through the wall to the router. Not ideal, but the focus will be on speeding up transfers amongst the servers. Enough of the background information.

 

I'm thinking of getting a 2.5G switch for the home office. Should I go with a managed or unmanaged switch here? I think it shouldn't really matter but want to confirm that it won't be impacted by the 1G link to the router.

 

Here's one of the switches I was considering, but also open to any suggestions for a better deal.

[Oshino Shinobu]

To be honest, if you don't know if you need a managed switch or not, you probably don't need a managed switch.

 

If your goal is just to connect the devices at 2.5G and you don't need any additional management or security features, just go with the unmanaged switch, assuming that the managed switches are more expensive.

[LIGISTX]

1 hour ago, Elverion said:

I'm looking to upgrade the networking in my home office to support 2.5 gigabit networking. I've got a few different machines in the room and frequently transfer large files amongst them. Currently they all only have 1gbit NICs but I plan to change that during the process. Due to circumstances out of my control, these machines will have to share a single 1gigabit cable through the wall to the router. Not ideal, but the focus will be on speeding up transfers amongst the servers. Enough of the background information.

 

I'm thinking of getting a 2.5G switch for the home office. Should I go with a managed or unmanaged switch here? I think it shouldn't really matter but want to confirm that it won't be impacted by the 1G link to the router.

 

Here's one of the switches I was considering, but also open to any suggestions for a better deal.

Don’t get managed unless you know what that means. And if you don’t know what it actually means, you don’t need it. 
 

Managed switch would be so you can set up vlans, which are useful, but if that isn’t something you need…. You don’t need it. 
 

How many servers? How close are they to each other? If the main goal is to have faster interconnect between them, maybe some direct attach copper 10gigabit? Go directly from server to server. 

[wseaton]

75% of Comp Sci grads I run across don't know what a VLAN actually does, but they know how to make dozens of them to drive me nutz. So, the OP is ahead of the curve