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Ethernet switches cut configuration times by ‘up to 90%’

09 March, 2016

The Taiwanese automation specialist Advantech has announced the first managed industrial Ethernet switch to support a new device management technology, called IXM, that allows users to assign a fixed range of IP address to many devices at the same time, and to copy the same switch configuration simultaneously to many switches. The company claims that the technology will cut configuration times by up to 90%, as well as preventing mistakes.

Configuring and upgrading the firmware of a series of switches is a challenging job for systems integrators and IT personnel. With the new EKI-7710 switches, once a master has been configured, IXM can be launched and within seconds all other IXM-compatible switches on the network will be populated with the same settings.

The technology provides automatic IP assignment, supports mass firmware upgrades, and allows flexible restoration of configuration files via a Web-based interface.

Advantech's Ethernet switches allow mass firmware upgrades

There are eight models in the EKI-7710 series, four of which support Power-over-Ethernet. The PoE models have eight PoE+ ports that can power devices consuming up to 30W instead of the more common 15W, allowing devices that need more power to be attached.

The switches have a “jumbo” frame function that allows packets to carry more data – up to 9,216 bytes – making them suitable for applications such as video surveillance. They allow communication with NMS (Networking Management System) via SNMP, and they support Advantech’s X-ring and X-ring Pro technologies. The switches can operate in temperatures from –40 to +75°C and offer Level 3 protection against electromagnetic interference.




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