Linksys Expands Smart Switch Product Line To Meet The Growing Demands Of Small Businesses

Eight New Switches Offer Feature Rich Capabilities Combined with Affordability Aptly Designed to Support Business Growth

Linksys Expands Smart Switch Product Line To Meet The Growing Demands Of Small Businesses

IRVINE, Calif.– Linksys®, a Division of Cisco Systems, Inc., and the recognized leading global manufacturer of voice, wireless, and networking hardware for home, Small Office/Home Office (SOHO) and the small business user, today announced eight new smart switches ideal for supporting the growing demands of small businesses. The Linksys Business Series Smart Ethernet Switches are a cost-effective solution for small environments, corporate workgroups or network edge applications requiring simple Web management, network security and easy installation.

The eight new additions to the Business Series Smart Ethernet Switches are designed to address the unique demands of virtually any small to medium business with capabilities to grow with them. The Linksys smart switch line-up includes:

* 24-port 10/100 Smart Switch with two Gigabit copper or optical SFP slots (SLM224G)
* 48-port 10/100 Smart Switch with two Gigabit copper or two optical SFP slots (SLM248G)
* 24-port 10/100 Smart Switch with two Gigabit copper or two optical SFP slots with POE (SLM224P)
* 48-port 10/100 Smart Switch with two Gigabit copper or two optical SFP slots with POE (SLM248P)
* 24-port 10/100/1000 Gigabit Smart Switch with two optical SFP slots (SLM2024)
* 48-port 10/100/1000 Gigabit Smart Switch with two optical SFP slots (SLM2048)

Stackable Switches:

* 24-port 10/100 Gigabit Smart Switch with four copper or four optical SFP slots (SLM224G4S)
* 48-port 10/100 Gigabit Smart Switch with four copper or four optical SFP slots (SLM248G4S)

“Identifying the optimal switch solution for an organization is a pivotal component to any networking design,” said Marty Wachi, senior manager of product marketing, Connected Office Business Organization, Linksys. “We expanded our Linksys Business Series Smart Ethernet Switches to deliver performance, scalability, ease-of-use and affordability, so that small business users could quickly get many of the key benefits of a fully-managed network without the added cost and complexity.”

Network Management and Configuration
The Linksys Business Series Smart Ethernet Switches offer an easy-to-use, Web-based interface ideal for small businesses that don’t have a dedicated IT staff. The smart switches allow the management of network traffic with minimal technical expertise required through a variety of features that set them apart from unmanaged switches, including:

* Internet Group Management Protocol (IGMP) Snooping - limits multicast network traffic to those who have requested to receive the transmission
* SNMP – monitor switches from a remote, central location
* Many-to-one Port Mirroring – allows non-invasive monitoring of switch traffic
* Cable Analysis – quickly identify and isolate cable problems
* Rate Limiting – limit and control amount of traffic allowed to pass through a port
* 802.1p and Differentiated Services Code Point (DSCP) Traffic Prioritization Mechanisms – provide simplified QoS management
* Small Form-Factor Pluggable (SFP) Support – hot-swappable SFP gigabit interface converter (GBIC) slots that provide fiber connectivity for greater distance and security

Security
With the Linksys Business Series Smart Switches, small businesses can create VLANs based on 802.1q to help improve network performance and security by enabling the segmentation of networks. Port-level security is provided by the 802.1x authentication capabilities in the products.

Pricing and Availability
Available immediately through major distributors, value added resellers, and direct response, the Linksys Business Series Smart Gigabit Ethernet Switches will have the following estimated street price:

* SLM224G – $199.99
* SLM248G – $349.99
* SLM224P – $399.99
* SLM248P – $729.99
* SLM2024 – $409.99
* SLM2048 – $799.99
* SLM224G4S – $314.99
* SLM248G4S – $514.99