* SMC's newest switch
SMC Networks this week announced that it has replaced its SMCGS24-Smart with an upgraded model, the new EZ Switch 10/100/1000 SMCGS24C-Smart.
The new switch has 24 ports of copper-based Gigabit Ethernet, just like its predecessor, but it also adds four optional SFP fiber-optic ports while remaining at $400.
SMC says it is seeing rapid adoption of fiber optics in workgroup settings, which prompted the company to make this change. With the same rationale, SMC also added cable diagnostics and IGMP snooping, saying these features are becoming popular in workgroups.
SMC says it is trying to bring what used to be enterprise-class features to the workgroup level at an attractive price point. In truth, this has long been the way things have happened in LANs – features start out targeted at the high end and then trickle down.
SMC calls the market for 24-port Ethernet switches a “sweet spot,” as users demand more from switches at that level while adding VoIP or virtual LANs (VLAN) to their networks.
The switch has a Web-based management interface for configuration of the switch’s features, port settings and security features. It offers four priority queues, link aggregation and VLANs.
SMC earlier this year identified four levels of switching that it is trying to address. “Smart” switches, such as the new model described here, are seen as somewhere between managed and unmanaged switches in terms of functionality. They have some management features like port trunking and VLAN support. They’re not as dumb as typical unmanaged switches, yet not as enterprise-friendly as managed switches.
