The new switches — geared mostly toward SMBs and distributed enterprises —  can be divided into three groups: NetVanta 1534 and 1534 PoE (with 24 ports), NetVanta 1234 and 1234 PoE (with 24 ports), and NetVanta 1238 and 1238 PoE (with 48 ports). They range in price from $595 to $2,895.

 

The higher density of ports in the 1238 and 1238 PoE models was added in direct response to requests from ADTRAN’s (News - Alert) enterprise customers, ADTRAN product manager Joe McClain told TMCnet.

 

ADTRAN's NetVanta 1238 PoE Switch

As the names suggest, NetVanta PoE models include ability to power the device using an Ethernet cable. Joe McClain, product manager at ADTRAN, told TMCnet that PoE makes the switches more flexible (since they can be placed where it is difficult to run a separate power cable), and helps enterprise network architects build in power redundancy.

 

McClain said that, while ADTRAN has always designed its products to be power-efficient, this feature has been greatly beefed up in the PoE models. Intelligent power management automatically budgets PoE power, conserving energy by powering down the devices when they’re not being used.

 

Why increase power efficiency? McClain said interest in saving power on the part of enterprises comes from two directions: requirements for more efficiency in response to rising energy prices, and demand from management and stockholders to initiate “green technology” strategies.

 

“Everyone is really concerned about how much power is being used,” McClain said, a shift from the past when enterprises generally weren’t too worried about this aspect of networking.

 

Additional cost savings and flexibility comes courtesy of a WiFi (News - Alert) access controller in the new switches that makes it possible to centrally manage wired and wireless networks using a single platform, eliminating the need to install a separate wireless local area network (WLAN) controller. This is made possible using virtual access points so that 2-3 networks can be managed from the same radio, ADTRAN’s Director of Marketing, Rob Snyder, told TMCnet.

 

As noted earlier, ADTRAN’s new NetVanta switches are geared mostly toward the enterprise market. In particular, Snyder said, the NetVanta line is marketed as customer premises equipment (CPE) for small to medium-sized businesses (SMBs) and distributed enterprises. He defined “small” as a business with 2-100 employees, and “medium” as 100-1,000 employees. Many distributed enterprises run units that fit into the SMB category.

 

A retail store exemplifies the distributed enterprise unit. Here, Snyder said, the nature of business means a relatively simple LAN, with some point-of-sale terminals, a management station, and VoIP phones. NetVanta switches are well-suited to this type of network because they’re easy to install and maintain.

 

An example of easy management is a new NetVanta feature called Cable Diagnostics. As the name suggests, this feature of the firmware allows network administrators to test out cable and if there are problems locate them within a meter or two. This makes it a snap to figure out if cabling is correctly wired, and if it needs to lengthened or shortened anywhere, McClain said.

 

Reliability is obviously a big part of simplifying network administration, and McClain said the new NetVanta switches excel in this area as well. ADTRAN is so confident in the new switches, in fact, that it’s moved from a five-year warrantee to a limited lifetime warrantee. This is a competitive benefit that resulted by applying technology from ADTRAN’s carrier division to its enterprise products.

 

The new switches have been in Beta testing for about a month, McClain said, and so far the biggest rave reviews have come in response to the higher density of ports, and the Gigabit PoE features.

 

What’s next for ADTRAN? Snyder said to expect more news from the company later in the year about some new programs for both end-users and channel partners.