New Multi-Gig Switches Support Wi-Fi 6 Speeds and Revive Enterprise Network Infrastructure







multi-gig switch

In order to get the maximum benefit from Wi-Fi 6 deployments and your network in general, you’re going to need faster port speeds. EnGenius multi-gig Power over Ethernet (PoE) switches have you covered.

The recent release of the Wi-Fi 6 standard means that users are expecting a better network experience. High-Performing access points (AP) support faster speeds – up-to 3.6 Gbps – and hundreds of concurrent users. They can connect to network switches at 2.5 Gbps.

With the rapid adoption of Wi-Fi 6 and the availability of compatible devices, it’s very likely that your enterprise will implement the latest Wi-Fi standard soon. Your CAT5e and CAT6 cables can support it, but what about your network closet?

Do your network switches have the needed speed and power to meet user expectations?



Wi-Fi 6 (and the Supporting Network) Requires More Speed

Many of the switches in your networking closet only support 1G speeds. Wi-Fi 6 runs considerably faster. The latest 802.11ax access points provide speeds up to of up to 3.6Gbps. Users on these APs can take advantage of the higher speeds and throughput to run traffic-intensive apps and services – if the underlying infrastructure supports it. If it doesn’t, the connection from the AP to the switch becomes a huge bottleneck.

What’s the use of deploying the faster speed and greater bandwidth of Wi-Fi 6 if your underlining network doesn’t support it as well? You could connect multiple ports as single pipe via trunking, but of course that greatly reduces your port density and network scalability.

The need for higher speed networking is here already, and it’s only going to grow. Devices are being built to connect to Wi-Fi 6. The speed it provides is going to be the norm. If you are upgrading your networking switch closet, you’d better be thinking ahead – the switches you buy now are going to have to support the rapidly increasing bandwidth requirements that your users will demand.

Enter multi-gig switches. “Multi-gig,” the term people use to describe Ethernet ports compliant with NBASE-T 802.3bz, refers to ports that run at speeds higher than 1G on copper cables.

Multi-gig switching helps futureproof your infrastructure. It allows you to switch from 1G to 2.5G speeds on existing cables and let your existing network and Wi-Fi infrastructure embrace the higher network speeds. This means users can gain the benefits of better connectivity and better performance. It also means that you can gradually expand your Wi-Fi network and network infrastructure so that it supports a mix of older and newer APs and associated Wi-Fi deployment devices.



Wi-Fi 6 Requires More Power

In addition, many of the latest Wi-Fi 6 infrastructure machines and connectable devices need POWER. And more of it. The next demand you’ll need to place on your infrastructure switches is Power over Ethernet (PoE). PoE allows a switch to pass both power and data over twisted pair Ethernet cabling. This is crucial as more and more devices such as APs and IP cameras are installed in locations that aren’t conveniently placed near an electrical outlet.

The initial roll out of PoE was so successful that many connectable devices began to require more power than the PoE standard allowed. New AP wireless access points and some IP security cameras needed more than the 15W that PoE initially provided. To meet the demand, PoE+ (802.3at) and PoE++ (802.3bt) were developed. PoE+ provides up to 30W of power, and PoE++ provides up to 100W of power.

Besides wireless APs and IP security cameras, the higher wattage provides power support for the latest Internet of Things (IoT) devices such as medical diagnostic tools, access control systems to secure physical locations, and lighting. As places such as student housing, condominiums, assisted living facilities, and hotels use smart devices more and more, there is an increased demand for higher power budgets per switch.



EnGenius Multi-Gig Switches Support Higher Network Speeds

EnGenius has released a new series multi-gigabit PoE++ L2+ networking switches with multiple NBASE-T ports. The EnGenius ECS2512FP and ECS2512 switches are designed for enterprise-class environments. Along with fast multi-gig switching capabilities, the ECS2512FP also provides PoE++ that delivers power to remote, high-performance devices like Wi-Fi 6 access points.

Both new switches from EnGenius support 120 Gbps of switching capacity via eight 2.5GBASE-T ports along with four 10GbE SFP+ slots for fiber uplinks. Each Ethernet port supports speeds up-to 2.5 gigabit and automatically detect the speed needed by the connected end device.

The switches provide full-featured Layer 2+ functionality and improve overall performance for the entire network.

The ECS2512FP model supports the IEEE 802.3bt Power-over-Ethernet, allowing it to transfer up to 60W of power per port to power-hungry devices like Wi-Fi 6 access points and IP cameras. You can deliver up-to PoE++ to four devices on any of the eight Ethernet ports.

The new switch line helps you avoid needing expensive fiber runs by using any of the eight 2.5 Gbps Ethernet ports to connect to other switches. This lets network admins create an Ethernet backbone from switch to switch communication rather than using fiber. If you are fiber ready, you can use the four 10G SFP ports for extreme up-link speeds and distances.

Both of the new EnGenius switch lines are fully compatible with the subscription-free EnGenius Cloud service. EnGenius Cloud allows you to monitor system metrics in real time, display network topology, troubleshoot problems, and analyze network’s behavior. The latest EnGenius switches with flexible multi-gig speed and improved PoE support, coupled with the EnGenius Cloud service, provide enterprise-class features that simplify Wi-Fi 6 network deployment, monitoring, and troubleshooting.



EnGenius Multi-Gig Switches Provide Needed Wi-Fi 6 Speed and Power

EnGenius multi-gig switches have the functionality and power needed to guarantee that your growing Wi-Fi 6 networks supports the speed, performance, and connectivity that your users expect. When coupled with EnGenius Access Points and EnGenius Cloud, your Wi-Fi 6 network has all the coverage and visibility needed for successful and stable deployments.



Learn more about EnGenius Multi-Gig Switches



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