April 29th, 2008
Netgear announces new switches, access point at Interop
Netgear launched at Interop a handful of new switches that introduce static routing capabilities to the company’s SMB product line. It also unveiled an 802.11n dual-band access point that brings in support for the 5GHz spectrum.
New ProSafe Gigabit Smart Switches deliver PoE, additional security, and multi-role access control lists (ACLs). They also are the first switches to provide static routing capabilities, which can optimize bandwidth efficiency by freeing up the router for WAN and security traffic, according to Netgear.
The ProSafe switches deliver more robust security, higher quality of service (QoS) and high availability through an advanced feature set that includes Access Control Lists (ACL), 802.1x port authentication, rate limiting, and IGMP snooping, Netgear says. The ProSafe 24-Port Gigabit Smart Switch with Advanced Features (GS724AT) is priced at $575, while the ProSafe 24- and 48-Port Gigabit Smart Switches with Static Routing (GS724TR and GS748TR) are priced at $925 and $1,665, respectively.
The ProSafe 802.11n Dual Band Wireless Access Point (WNDAP330) is a capable dual-band solution that brings enhanced speed and coverage to small and medium businesses. The company says the new ProSafe 802.11n AP will yield up to 10 times the coverage and 15 times the speed of 802.11g-based networks.
The AP supports both 2.4GHz and 5GHz frequency bands, and is compatible with all flavors of 802.11x technologies. It also supports PoE to help eliminate cables and speed installation. The AP, which includes three detachable antennas (two 5dBi and one 3dBi) for increased range, is priced at $475.
For the past 15 years, Rik Fairlie has covered technology and the business of technology for numerous publications and Web sites. See his full profile and disclosure of his industry affiliations.
