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New Netgear Switches Offer Affordable 10-Gigabit Ethernet for SMB’s

A new generation of network switches from Netgear allows small- to medium-sized businesses to enjoy Ethernet connections previously only available to enterprises. These affordable switches feature 10-gigabit copper ports at a cost-effective price, ideal for booming companies that need to give their data speeds a boost.

Businesses are increasingly relying on technology to engage with customers, clients and employees. Effective communication via IP video and VoIP are changing business telephony, and the key is how the IP devices enabling these communications are physically connected to the network.

Netgear XS708E: 8-Port 10GbE Network Switch

  • Eight 10GBase-T Ethernet ports
  • One additional SFP+ interface
  • Energy-efficient operation
  • Plug-and-play connectivity

Netgear XS712T: 12-Port 10GbE Network Switch

  • Ten 10GBase-T Ethernet ports
  • Two additional SFP+ interfaces
  • Powerful, secure operation
  • Server and storage connectable

Netgear XSM7224*: 24-Port 10GbE Network Switch

  • 24 10GBase-T Ethernet ports
  • Four additional SFP+ interfaces
  • Top-of-rack availability
  • Redundant power supply support and removable fan trays

* available in stackable configuration: XSM7224S

How Does 10-Gigabit Ethernet Work?

Standard Ethernet on Cat5e cabling operates at 100mbps (million bits per second), and when paired with gigabit or 10-gigabit ports the Cat5e cabling can operate at up to 1000mbps. In other words, an existing Cat5e network can still be leveraged with high-bandwidth 10GBase-T switches (capable of sending and receiving data at 10000mbps), but will only operate at 10% of the available network speed. The 10-gigabit ports on Netgear’s switches are industry standard 10GBase-T, which require high-grade copper cabling rated at Cat6A or higher to perform at blazingly fast 10000mbps (10x10^9 bps) speeds.

This 10-gigabit-enabled port type operates with a full duplex-only protocol for point-to-point connections, meaning it only allows simultaneous communication between devices. This is opposed to standard Ethernet, which supports both full and half duplex.

Benefits of Netgear's New Switches

Netgear’s 10-gigabit switches feature resilient, scalable configurations for maintaining a dependable network backbone. They also provide secure infrastructure support for virtual network environments.

Management Systems:

The XS708E, XS712T and XSM7224 10-gigabit switches from Netgear are manageable, stand-alone network solutions.

XS708E ProSafe PLUS:

A light-managed switch, the ProSafe Plus management tools in the XS708E switch features capabilities for VLAN, QoS, IGMP snooping, link aggregation/port trunking, rate limiting and traffic/network monitoring.

XS712T Smart ProSafe:

With smarter management tools, the XS712T switch features L2 functions and a web-based GUI for advanced VLAN features, QoS capabilities and IGMP snooping. Advanced security and network features include VLAN assignment, double VLAN tagging, ACL binding, static routing and MLD snooping.

This switch provides enhanced network monitoring and traffic prioritization tools. This switch is also capable for providing an intermediate connection between IP devices and larger, more-capable network switches, such as the XSM7224.

XSM7224 ProSafe M7100-series:

A fully managed switch with network backbone capabilities, the Netgear XSM7224 features M7100-series management tools, such as Auto-iSCSI optimization, private VLAN’s and local proxy ARP. These tools enable the switch to provide secure network services to virtual servers and physical infrastructures.

In addition, the XSM7224 switch offers an L3-capable management system via a web-based GUI and industry-standard CLI for individualized port prioritization and complete control of bandwidth, traffic and cable functioning. Includes advanced, enterprise-class QoS, ACL, snooping and VLAN support.

Additional SFP+ Interfaces:

SFP (small form factor pluggable) interfaces allow fiber optic connectors to integrate with the Netgear switches. Fiber optic wiring produces less data packet loss over a greater cable length, ideal for connecting the switch to a larger network solution or for using the switch to connect to IP surveillance systems and other remote IP devices.

SFP+ supports 10-gigabit fiber connections, whereas regular SFP supports single-gigabit fiber connections.

More Features:

Leverage an existing Ethernet network with Netgear 10-gigabit switches. These switches can operate on existing Ethernet networks, providing a future-proof connection for IP devices.


Netgear’s latest 10-gigabit switches are a cost-effective means of leveraging an existing network. They can operate on a current Ethernet network (backward compatible, but require high-grade copper wiring to reach maximum performance) and offer scalability for future bandwidth-hungry IP devices. A small- or medium-sized business with projected growth would benefit greatly from having an ample supply of available network resources, such as those provided with the Netgear XS708E, XS712T and XSM7224 10-gigabit switches.