New Compact
Multigigabit Switch Adds Big Boost for High-Performance Use Cases
Ruckus Networks (now part of CommScope via acquisition) just introduced a compact multigigabit switch, the ICX 7150-C10ZP. It’s a small form factor 10-port switch, all of which are multigigabit ports. The new multigigabit switch has two ports that support 1/2.5/5/10 GbE and the other 8 are 1/2.5 GbE ports. The switch also includes two 1/10 GbE SFP/SFP+ port for uplinks and stacking. Its Power-over-Ethernet (PoE) budget is double that of our 1 GbE compact switch – and can deliver up to 90 watts of PoE per port. The switch is fanless for silent operation, making it ideal for use in classrooms, offices or retail environments, as well as in a switch closet (with the optional rack-mount kit).
When I first heard about the new switch, I scratched my
head, wondering why this switch might become popular. Upon further
consideration of the requirements for multigigabit connections, I see now that
this switch has some extremely interesting prospects.
Multigigabit connectivity, 2.5 GbE and 5 GbE over standard
Cat 5E (or Cat 6/6A) Ethernet cables, is just now starting to gain interest and
popularity. Some of the high-end Wi-Fi 5 (802.11ac) and most of the new Wi-Fi 6
(802.11ax) wireless access points coming to market over the past year have
multigigabit Ethernet ports.
While these new APs are capable of more than 1 Gbps
throughput, this rate is generally only required when there are large numbers
of data-intensive, or video-intensive, users. The top scenarios for this are in
large public venues. We see high demand for Wi-Fi 6 access points and
multigigabit switches in arenas, convention centers, auditoriums, ballrooms and
stadiums. These customers have been early adopters for Wi-Fi 6 APs and our
high-end multigigabit switches.
We’ve also seen a steady increase in sales of our
multigigabit switches, although many customers and reselling partners are still
on the fence as to whether it’s worth the investment to upgrade their
infrastructure from the current standard 1 GbE switches to multigigabit. It’s
particularly …