Updated – NETGEAR has announced three new 10 GbE switches at what it claims are "groundbreaking" prices.
The three new models are the "lightly managed" XS708E ProSafe 8-port 10 Gigabit Plus Switch for small networks, the XS712T ProSafe 12-port 10 Gigabit Smart Switch for small and medium-sized networks and the XSM7224 ProSafe 24-Port 10 Gigabit Copper M7100 series Managed Switch for enterprise and campus-style networks supporting up to 500 users.
The majority of the ports on the new switches are 10 GbE copper, which use standard 8 pin RJ45 jacks and require CAT6A or CAT7 cabling. The 8-port XS708E has one fiber SFP+ port, the 12-port XS712T has two SFP+ ports and the top-end 24-port XSM7224 has four. The entry-level 8-port and 12-port "Plus" switches are managed via a Windows utility, while the 24-port XSM7224 is fully-managed via web or command line interfaces.
NETGEAR XS708E, XS712T and XSM7224 10 GbE switches
Features of the 8-port XS708E include VLANs, priority-level QoS and port trunking, mirroring and rate limiting. The 12-port XS712T’s features include MAC, protocol-based and dynamic VLANs, "advanced" QoS, static routing and IPv6 support. The 24-port XSM7224 is a fully-managed L2+ switch that includes 128 IPv4 L3 next-hop fixed routes, IPv4/IPv6 traffic filtering (ACLs) and prioritization (QoS – DiffServ) and dual hot-swappable power supplies and replaceable fan modules.
The broken ground noted above refers to NETGEAR’s claim of per-port pricing of $125 to $250 vs. competitor’s $415/port pricing. Our calculations, however, don’t verify NETGEAR’s claims.
The XSM7224 ProSafe 24-Port 10 Gigabit Copper M7100 series Managed Switch is available now for $7,990 ($333/port). The XS712T ProSafe 12-port 10 Gigabit Smart Switch will begin shipping in "late Q1" for $2,500 ($208/port). The XS708E ProSafe 8-port 10 Gigabit Plus Switch is also available now for $1,400 ($175/port). All prices are U.S. MSRP.
1/23/2013 Update: NETGEAR says its per-port pricing claims are based on "expected street" prices and offered this example:
The XS708E has a list price of $1,400, which will result in a street price of $1,000. $1,000 divided by 8 = $125/port.
All three carry NETGEAR’s Lifetime Hardware Warranty. The XSM7224 also includes ProSupport Lifetime 24×7 Advanced Technical Support and 3-Year Next Business Day Onsite Hardware Replacement