In brief: 3Com stacks up the 10G

Plus: Kentrox unwraps low-maintenance router.

3Com last week announced stackable 10G Ethernet switches aimed at companies interested in deploying high-density Gigabit to the desktop.

The SuperStack 3 Switch 3870 comes in 24- and 48-port versions with 10/100/1000M bit/sec Ethernet on all ports. It features a 10G expansion slot that could be used to link with a 10G backbone switch, letting desktop switches uplink directly with a LAN core. The box also comes with a 40M bit/sec interconnect for 3Com’s proprietary stacking technology.

The company is touting the switches as a way to plan for future 10G connections to a 10G core. Its stacking technology lets up to eight SuperStack 3870s be linked with a 40G bit/sec backplane. The stack can be managed as one virtual switch, with one IP address.

The SuperStack 3 Switch 3870 48-port switch costs $6,000 and the 24-port Switch 3870 $4,000. Both boxes are slated to ship next month.

Kentrox last week announced a router aimed at putting enterprise-level services and features into a box that connects to DSL or Ethernet services networks at sites with limited or no local dedicated IT staff.

The Q2300 Ethernet QoS Access Router can be deployed in networks that use Ethernet or broadband links, while adding services such as quality of service, VPN, security and remote management. The Q2300 Ethernet QoS Access Router includes a GUI-based management tool, 100 VPN tunnel support, and firewall and intrusion-detection features.

The box costs $895. The Q2200 is available for $995.