NETGEAR today announced three switches with select managed-switch features with pricing between unmanaged and "smart" managed switches.
The ProSafe Plus Switch family includes two Fast Ethernet versions (16-port FS116E desktop, 24-port JFS524E rack-mounted) and one Gigabit Ethernet version (5-port GS105E desktop). All three provide network monitoring, cable testing, traffic prioritization and network segmentation managed-switch features and are aimed at "non-technical" users.
The switches are configured via a Windows (XP, Vista, 7) utility and do not have a web-based management interface. Managed features include VLANs, priority-based QoS and per-port bandwidth control. They also feature "green" technology that automatically powers down unused ports and switches ports to a lower-power mode with links of less than 10 M.
The GS105E, FS116E and JFS524E are all shipping now at estimated street prices around $70, $90 and $110, respectively. All come with a Lifetime Warranty.