Planning
Port Density Calculator
Calculate switch port requirements based on device counts, uplink needs, and growth projections. Plan your network infrastructure accurately.
Connected Devices
20 ports
10 ports
4 ports
Switch Configuration
Reserve 20% extra ports for future expansion
Port Requirements
End Devices
Workstation/PC1 port
VoIP Phone + PC1 port
Printer1 port
Infrastructure
Wireless AP1 port
IP Camera1 port
Servers
Server (Single NIC)1 port
Server (Dual NIC)2 ports
Server (Quad NIC)4 ports
Storage
NAS/SAN (Dual)2 ports
NAS/SAN (Quad)4 ports
Port Analysis
Switches Required
0
× 48-port switches
Device Ports0
Growth Buffer (20%)+0
Uplink Ports+0
Total Required0
Port Utilization0.0%
0 available, 0 spare
Total Available
0
ports
Spare Ports
0
remaining
Switch Layout
In Use
Uplink
Available
Guidelines
- Keep utilization under 80% for growth headroom
- Use 2+ uplinks per switch for redundancy
- 48-port switches are most cost-effective per port
- Plan for 20-30% growth over 3-5 years
Common Switch Sizes
| Size | Form Factor | Use Case | Typical Uplinks |
|---|---|---|---|
| 8-port | Desktop / Wall-mount | Small office, home lab | 1x 1G |
| 24-port | 1U Rackmount | SMB, branch offices | 2-4x 1G/10G |
| 48-port | 1U Rackmount | Enterprise, data center | 2-4x 10G/25G |
| Modular | Chassis (4-14U) | Core, large campus | 40G/100G+ |
Uplink Considerations
- Redundancy: Minimum 2 uplinks for failover
- Bandwidth: Uplink should match oversubscription ratio
- LAG: Link Aggregation increases throughput + redundancy
- 10G minimum: Consider 10G uplinks for 48-port switches
Growth Planning
- 20% buffer: Minimum for unexpected additions
- IoT growth: Plan for sensors, smart devices
- Refresh cycle: Match to 5-7 year hardware life
- Document: Track actual usage vs projections