Pro-grade network: The latest network switches for AVoIP

Cisco Catalyst 9500
The Cisco Catalyst 9500 Series switches are enterprise-class core and aggregation layer switches, supporting full programmability and serviceability. Based on an x86 CPU, the Cisco Catalyst 9500 Series is Cisco’s lead purpose-built fixed core and aggregation enterprise switching platform, built for security, IoT, cloud, and AV with IEEE 802.1ba Audio Video Bridging (AVB) built in to provide a better AV experience through improved time synchronization and QoS. The switches come with a four-core x86, 2.4-GHz CPU, 16-GB DDR4 memory, and 16GB internal storage.

With support for AVB on select models of the Cisco Catalyst 9500 Series, this standard enables reliable delivery of low-latency, time-synchronized AV streaming services through Layer 2 Ethernet networks. The standard also makes it easier to integrate new services and for AV equipment from different vendors to interoperate. Whether the AV endpoint connections are analog or are digital one-to-one, the network transport enables many-to-many transparent plug-and-play connections for multiple AV endpoints. Cisco Catalyst 9500 Series with AVB support improves quality of experience by lowering jitter and latency for time-synchronized delivery of high-quality AV, provides scalability of applications across networked deployments, including expansive and complex AV infrastructure, and lowers total cost of ownership with reduced cabling and no license fees.

Linksys LGS3xMPC
Designed for security and speed, Linksys Managed Gigabit PoE+ Switches provide a business-class network for demanding applications.

Linksys managed switches support the latest 802.3at (PoE+) standards and provide up to double the power budget per gigabit Ethernet port while offering 802.3af (PoE) backwards compatibility. The switches also include features for quickly expanding and growing a network. Multiple high-bandwidth trunks between switches enhance availability and redundancy. Spanning Tree Protocol (STP) and Storm Control features help control planned or inadvertent cable loops, so you can build a mesh of switches and quickly expand your network to support your growing workforce.

Linksys managed switches help secure networks through port authentication, requiring clients to authenticate themselves before any data is passed. Advanced DHCP snooping and IP-MAC binding functions ensure network integrity and help prevent network attacks. Numerous QoS features ensure that traffic is prioritized properly to deliver the best possible user experience for real-time applications like voice and video along with bandwidth-intensive graphic/video file uploads and downloads. IGMP snooping limits IP multicast traffic to the ports that requested it, enabling the rest of the network to operate at peak efficiency.

Luxul SW Series
Luxul recently introduced three additions to its portfolio of managed L2/L3 Gigabit switches: the 48 PoE+ SW-510-48P-F; 24 PoE+ SW-610-24P-R; and 48 PoE+ SW-610-48P-F. The units come with features for simple network expansion and management, while offering high performance with fast switching capacities of 104Gbps, 128Gbps, and 176Gbps, respectively.

To accommodate the largest of networks, the SW-510-48P-F is outfitted with four SFP 1Gb ports and can be aggregated for a combined upload throughput of 4Gb, which enables integrators to connect to additional switches via an Ethernet cable or a fiber-optic cable when using SFP modules. For ultra-fast interconnection with additional switches, the SW-610-48P-F and SW-610-24P-R feature four 10Gb SFP+ ports, each of which can be used alone or aggregated together for up to 40Gbps of throughput.

In addition, the switches’ PoE+ ports enable the expansion of networks utilizing PoE-enabled devices such as control systems touchpanels, POS systems, phone systems, IP cameras, wireless access points, and AV-over-IP components. These three switches all have a unified management platform for configuration. The SW-510-48P-F and SW-610-48P-F feature front-facing ports and a total power budget of 740W, while the SW-610-24P-R offers rear-facing ports and a power budget of 370W. All three rack-mountable switches combine QoS and VLAN support with a unified management interface for administering up to 16 switches.

Netgear M4250
The M4250 switches from Netgear are an entirely new series of switches developed and engineered for the growing audio, video-over-IP (AV-over-IP) market. These AV Line switches combine years of networking expertise with best practices from leading experts in the professional AV market.

The M4250 switches, available in a range of configurations, are designed for a clean integration with traditional rack-mounted AV equipment. A sleek, black display panel provides port and activity status in the front, with all power and network cabling neatly organized in the back. The new AV interface of the M4250 switch presents the common AV controls with user-selectable profiles up front, making it easier to ensure the settings are correct for specific audio or video applications.

The AV Line of M4250 switches maintains the same out-of-the-box AV-friendly functionality found on the popular M4300 and M4500 switches for the industry’s most popular AV-over-IP encoders and decoders. As such, deploying multicast AV-over-IP networks with the M4250 switches is a simple plug-in and turn-on operation.

TRENDnet TPE-3018LS
TRENDnet’s 18-Port Gigabit PoE+ Smart Surveillance Switch (TPE-3018LS) is part of a group of switches that is the first to be designated as ONVIF(R) Conformant, supporting ONVIF Profile Q, according to the company. The switches are integrated with camera management functions which are easily accessible within the surveillance switch’s user interface.

Camera management functions available through the switch’s GUI include modifying camera administrator access, performing camera firmware upgrades, e-map support, and changing IP addresses. The ONVIF Conformant designation ensures users that Profile Q requirements have been met, which guarantees a level of interoperability with other ONVIF devices, such as NVRs, IP cameras, and software.

The PoE self-healing support on the TPE-3018LS Smart Surveillance Switch includes both PoE device-recovery, and switch power scheduling. If the Smart Surveillance Switch fails to respond, or if the network connection to a connected device is interrupted, TRENDnet’s TPE-3018LS switch will auto-reboot or power cycle the affected PoE port and/or the entire switch. The PoE self-healing support featured on this Smart Surveillance Switch helps to reduce overall network downtime and the amount of onsite support required, which can be crucial especially during critical network operations. TRENDnet’s 18-Port Gigabit PoE+ Smart Surveillance Switch is equipped with both PoE+ and standard RJ-45 ports, as well as SFP slots for long-distance fiber connectivity. It also features long-range PoE support that can reach up to 656 feet. AV Network