Hardened Industrial Ethernet switches upgrade existing networks to Gigabit speed

Moxa has introduced its EDS-G500E series of Industrial Ethernet switches. Designed to simplify upgrading an existing large-scale network to Gigabit speed, or building a new full Gigabit backbone, the switches are equipped with 8, 12, or 16 Gigabit Ethernet ports and up to 4 fiber-optic ports. Moxa says the highly-scalable switches "will appeal to IT professionals who want total network reliability, an easy-to-use interface, and the ability to quickly transfer bandwidth-heavy triple-play services in extreme industrial environments."

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According to the company, the EDS-G500E series" is designed to give industrial operators peace of mind via robust engineering that withstands harsh conditions and prevents unplanned system downtime. In addition to Level 4 EMS protection to repel electromagnetic interference, severe shock/vibration resistance, and a new thermal fin design that can reduce switch temperatures (5°C or more), the EDS-G500E series will be available with Class 1, Div. 2/ATEX Zone 2 ratings for safe use in petrochemical facilities, processing plants and other classified areas. Like other managed switch offerings from Moxa, the EDS-G500 will also feature redundant Ethernet Turbo Ring, Turbo Chain, RSTP/STP, and MSTP to increase system reliability and the availability of the network backbone."

The new switch series has many user-centric features to significantly improve network manageability, adds the company. For example, auto configuration/backup/restore is fast and easy with the included ABC-02 USB dongle and Moxa's MXcongif utility that allows up to 100 switches to be configured in 12 minutes or less. Command-Line Interface functionality gives the client a more concise and powerful means of control during configuration of major managed functions.

"The EDS-G500E switch is ideal for highly demanding communication applications, such as video and process monitoring, ITS, and DCS systems, all of which benefit from a scalable backbone construction," comments Todd Desso, strategic business manager for Moxa. "It helps future-proof today's industrial Ethernet networks by meeting the key requirements of scalable and multiple Gigabit connections, combined with utmost reliability, security and manageability."

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