Johannesburg, 03 Oct 2017
A new means to instantly discover, configure and continuously monitor and manage a complete network, comprising WiFi access points, switches and storage devices, from anywhere in the world, has been developed by Netgear.
The networking specialist has launched Netgear Insight, a solution that offers plug-and-play set-up and the management of a network using a mobile app. It is targeted at owners of small-to-medium-size businesses (SMBs).
"It's an innovative solution that should appeal to business owners constrained by limited budgets," says Tobie van Schalkwyk, Business Development Manager at Duxbury Networking, the local Netgear distributor.
"Unlike larger enterprise network management solutions, Insight is sharply focused on the SMB space and sets out to meet companies' growing needs for performance, scalability and mobility."
He says the app - which is free to download from the Apple App Store and Google Play - represents an "industry first" in that it provides a unified, single-pane-of-glass view of Netgear network devices from anywhere in the world.
"Netgear's objective has been to create an easy-to-use network that can be managed 'on the go' to meet 24/7 connectivity objectives, which are key to keeping a business afloat and the owner's mind at ease," he says.
Van Schalkwyk adds no matter how remotely the network is located, Netgear Insight is able to provide users with a secure way to identify, troubleshoot and resolve issues that might arise at any time.
"Previously, the task of setting up and managing network devices was a tedious exercise, requiring each device to be configured individually. Typically, a diverse array of network management tools was also required.
"Now, the new Netgear Insight app allows for easy and remote configuration and management of Insight Managed switches, wireless access points and network storage from wherever the user is able to connect to the Internet."
Key features of the Netgear Insight solution - for which there are no mandatory fees or subscription - include unified wired/wireless network management with data usage monitoring and logs, together with remote access and 24/7 visibility and control of all Insight Managed devices.
In addition, instant automated discovery of select Netgear access points, switches and storage devices is possible, together with regular in-app firmware updates across all Insight Managed devices on the network.
In a related move, Netgear has introduced four new, fully integrated Insight Managed Smart Cloud switches targeted at the SMB market.
"They are designed to support a full suite of advanced L2 [layer-2] switching features for everything from a simple network to a highly complex one," notes Van Schalkwyk. "They are able to meet the current and future needs of a fully converged network."
All switches come complete with eight copper Gigabit Ethernet ports plus two SFP [shortest path first] fibre ports for flexible connectivity. They are intended to provide maximum flexibility and ease of deployment and are thus desktop or wall-mountable.
The Netgear GC110 is a compact, fan-less switch for deployment anywhere across the network, while the GC110P option features eight copper Gigabit Ethernet POE [power over Ethernet] ports with a total of 62 Watts of POE power.
The Netgear GC510P switch features eight copper Gigabit Ethernet POE+ ports with a total of 134W of POE power for flexible deployment of full power POE+ devices. It is rack-mountable and fan-less for silent operation.
The Netgear GC510PP switch features eight copper Gigabit Ethernet POE+ ports with a total of 195W of POE power for flexible deployment of high-density POE+ devices. It's also rack-mountable and operates silently.
Finally, Netgear has also released a line-up of Insight Managed Smart Cloud AC Wave 2 Access Points, the WAC510 and WAC505. Adds Van Schalkwyk: "Modern solutions must satisfy the business necessity of providing high-quality WiFi with no dead zones for employees or guests. Netgear's new offerings are easily discovered, deployed and managed within the Insight app.
"They are ideally suited to small businesses without specialist IT staff."
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