Network managed switches are more powerful than non-network managed switches. It typically provides simple Network Management protocol (SNMP) for monitoring connection status, STP, other qOs-like advanced performance, and VLAN. These characteristics vary from vendor to vendor and model to model. Nm-type switches are much more expensive than non-NM-TYPE switches, and their configuration takes more time than non-NM-TYPE switches. Plug-in operations are usually performed.

The stack is the connection between the backplanes, making several switches into a whole. A cascade is a connection to a port. Cascades are Shared, stacks are exclusive. Cascades are connected to other switches through one port of the switch, while stacks are connected through the back of the switch. Although both cascades and stacks can expand the number of ports, each switch or switch after cascades is still logically a plurality of devices managed by the network, while the stacked switches or switches are logically a single device managed by the network.