Modular Switches

Best Modular Switches for 2025 in the USA

Modular switches or Chassis switches are flexible and scalable network switches that are designed for modern and enterprise-grade network infrastructure, such as data centers and sprawling enterprises. The main component in modular switches is the chassis, which is a metal frame that can host several interchangeable modules or blades, each offering network ports or any other specific functions such as forwarding data packets, routing between networks, or providing power over Ethernet (PoE) services. 

The fact that network administrators can add or remove network modules provides much-needed flexibility, allowing them to customize and scale their network infrastructure in line with expanding business needs. In this detailed write-up, we are going to help you understand the nuances of chassis network switches, their salient features that you need to know, and the top brands that are offering one of the best modular switching solutions in the USA. 

We first start by understanding what a modular or chassis switch is.

What is a Chassis Network Switch?

First things first, Chassis network switches or modular switches are not typical network switches. They come with a modular design, allowing users to expand network capacity, allowing users enjoy scalability, flexibility, and robust performance of large networks. 

The Chassis in these switches are physical enclosures or frames that can house several switch modules. Each switch module is assigned a specific task for improved and reliable performance. The most prominent feature of these switches is that they support high port density, enabling network administrators to ensure a large number of connections for networks of large enterprises. 

Other highlighted features include power redundancy in the form of dual power supplies, and they also come with swappable fan trays and failover capabilities, making sure that risks of downtime are minimized. 

Difference Between Modular and Non-Modular Switches:

Non-modular switches are also known as fixed Ethernet switches. They come with a pre-determined number of ports, which cannot be changed later on.

Here is a table comparing a short modular switch vs a non-modular switch. 

Why Should You Choose Modular Switches in the USA: 

Here are some reasons that explain why you should purchase modular switches for your network in the USA. 

1. Multiple Functions:

This is the most important function of Chassis switches. You can add dedicated devices to various switch modules housed in the physical enclosure. For instance, you can add dedicated security devices providing the level of security that is well beyond the range of fixed switches. Similarly, you can also add/remove individual modules such as line cards, supervisor engines, power supplies, or cooling fans, wireless access controllers, and more. You can thus expand the capacity of modular switches as your business grows without the need to change/replace the entire Ethernet switches.

2. Easy Expansion in Port Density:

Scalability is another major advantage of these high-performance switches. They support a much easier expansion of the network capacity. For instance, a 13-slot chassis of a modular switch can allow you to have as many as 576 network ports. Data centers and other enterprise-grade networks find modular switches particularly easier to work with than stacked switches when it comes to upgradation or scalability.

3. Wide Variety of Chassis and Module Options:

Modular network switches come with an extensive range of chassis and network modules. You can thus choose a switch that meets your needs precisely as per your budget and network requirements. These switches are available in various capacities, featuring entry-level, mid-range, and high-end modular options for meeting the specific needs of businesses. 

For instance, you can choose mix-n-match ports for your switch. These ports allow you to have a combination of copper, fiber, and PoE ports, and they can also be integrated with your network seamlessly. 

On top of that, you can contact vendors and ask them to come up with a switch package that best meets your needs. This level of customization is not possible with fixed network switches.

4. Enhanced Performance & Redundancy: 

Modular switches are designed for data centers and large enterprises; therefore, they support high data throughput and performance. Similarly, they also support redundant components like power supplies and supervisor modules, allowing network administrators to ensure hot-swapping of faulty units without interrupting network traffic or downtime.

Top Brands Offering Feature-Packed Modular Switches in the USA:

Here are the top brands that are known for offering high-end Chassis switches in the United States. 

• Netgear Modular Switches

• TRENDnet Modular Switches

Netgear Modular Switches USA: 

Netgear features a comprehensive range of feature-packed switches with modular characteristics, making them suitable for mid-sized enterprises or AV-over-IP deployments. 

Here are the salient capabilities of these advanced modular switches available in the USA. 

• They support Mix-and-Match stacking, allowing network administrators to stack different speed models, for instance, 1G or 40G, by using any 10G/40G port. They also support vertical and horizontal stacking for managing multiple units as a single entity. 

• Redundant, Modular Power Supply Options are also there. Multiple Netgear modular switches come with a Power Supply Unit with options for hot-swapping and redundancy to enhance uptime. 

• Extensive L2/L3/L4 and Multicast Support is another modular feature of these switches, allowing network administrators to enjoy full-featured layer 3 routing, including OSPF, RIP, PIM, policy-based routing, and AV-specific multicast enhancements like IGMP Plus for efficient AV-over-IP.

• Netgear chassis switches are provided with centralized management with a single console for stacked units. They also come with advanced routing, multicast, security, and QoS features.

Top Netgear Modular Switches in the USA:

Here are some models that you should look into. 

• Netgear 8-port Gigabit Ethernet PoE+ Unmanaged Switch (GS108PP)

• Netgear 5-Port Gigabit Ethernet SOHO Unmanaged Switch with 4 Ports PoE+ (83W)

• M4300-48X (XSM4348CS) 48x10G and 4xSFP+ (shared) Managed Switch

• Netgear M4300-96X Modular Managed Switch (Empty Version)

• M4300-8X8F (XSM4316S)

• 8X10G, 8XSFP+ Managed Switch

TRENDnet Modular Switches:

Though TRENDnet does not offer as extensive a range of fully modular switches as Netgear, it does come with one fully modular switch: the TRENDnet TEG-S4000.

Let’s discuss the salient capabilities of this modular chassis with 4 available slots designed for a variety of switching modules that meet your network environment. It is a powerful and comprehensive modular system that can help you enjoy flexible network modules and innovative hardware construction. 

• It allows network administrators to design the TEG-S4000 modular switch so that they can meet their specific network media requirements. 

• TEG-S4000 module selections include 10/100Mbps RJ-45, 100Mbps Fiber, Copper Gigabit, and Fiber Gigabit. 

• Supports IEEE 802.3 Ethernet, IEEE 802.3u Fast Ethernet, IEEE 802.3ab Copper Gigabit Ethernet, IEEE 802.3z Fiber Gigabit Ethernet, IEEE 802.3x Flow Control, and ANSI/IEEE 802.3 Auto-Negotiation

• 4-slot design, for various types of modules

• Store-and-Forward switching architecture

• Auto-Learns networking configurations

• Supports Half- and Full-Duplex modes

• Backpressure Flow Control in Half-Duplex Mode and IEEE 802.3x Flow Control in Full-Duplex Mode

• 4K entries MAC address table for 8-Port 10/100Mbps and Gigabit Module. 12K address table for 100Base-FX module (if multiple modules are present, the module with the smallest MAC address table size is the Switch's MAC address table size)

• 256KB memory buffer for 8-port 10/100Mbps module, 5MB memory buffer for 100Mbps fiber module, and 128-byte memory buffer for Gigabit modules

• Up to 9.6Gbps Backplane (2.4Gbps per module)

• LED on the Switch and module for easy diagnostics and network status monitoring

• Standard 19” rack-mount size with 2U height

Final Thoughts:

Modular Ethernet switches have become the preferred choice for large enterprises and data centers. They can provide an unprecedented level of flexibility and scalability for hardware expansion, allowing network administrators to come up with innovative and dedicated hardware switching solutions to meet their demanding tasks. We do hope that this write-up would have helped you understand the basics of chassis network switches to make a well-informed decision regarding why you need a modular switch in the USA.