* Adapter kit, switch claim green qualities
If there is any vendor that is taking “green” network technology to an extreme, it’s D-Link, which recently introduced a managed switch and a PowerLine adapter kit that both claim to save energy.
D-Link is relentless with its green agenda. Our audience tends not to be very receptive to green thoughts, but on the other hand, green IT also been deemed one of the hot technologies for this year. “Green,” or environmentally friendly technologies are generally those that cut back on power usage.
Claims about the level to which technologies are environmentally friendly – or not – have sometimes gotten a bad rap, what with companies trying to quantify the carbon footprint of spam, for example.
D-Link this week introduced the next generation of its PowerLine adapter kit. This is the technology that allows people to use the electrical wiring in their homes to transmit Ethernet signals. This would allow, say, a computer in one part of the house to plug into an outlet and communicate with a cable modem plugged into another outlet in a different part of the house.
The green aspect of the adapter kit is that the adapters will detect data transmissions and power down when not in use.
Last week, D-Link introduced its first “green” managed switch, the D-Link Green 16-port Managed Gigabit Switch. Similar to the adapter kit, the managed switch detects whether ports are being used and reduces their power usage if they are not. The company claims that this can save 14% in power usage without sacrificing performance. The company says the switch also has a “smart fan” that has heat sensors to know when to turn on.
D-Link has a new Web site that outlines its green initiatives.
