text: what does it mean for a network to be scalable?   it typically means that it is designed or built with room to grow, or be scaled, when more users or more capacity is needed.  for instance, if you have a new company with 24 people and you buy only a 24 port switch and cram it into a small network closet with your server and ups and phone system so that you've used all your outlets and used all your network ports .. then you really have built a scalable network that you can easily add users to.