Power on Ethernet gives networks a voice

NEWS

Foundry Networks will deliver Power on Ethernet versions of all its LAN switches, making voice services on the LAN more reliable. The first two products -- which it claims are the first "family" of Power on Ethernet products to comply with the IEEE 802.3af standard -- will be launched at CeBIT on Wednesday. Power on Ethernet (PoE) carries electrical power over the same network connection as the LAN data. This means that devices attached to the network do not need to also be near a power outlet. The idea has many benefits, including the ability to place wireless LAN access points more flexibly, and centralising power back-ups so that more equipment can be kept running during a power cut. "PoE products from other vendors tend to implement it as a separate module," said Foundry spokesman Adam Stein. "This degrades performance and has no latency sensitivity." Combined switch-and-power units allow users to centralise power management in the wiring closet, he said. Using a separate PoE module requires the network manager to decide which ports need power and redirect those through the PoE unit, said Stein: "Our switches can autodetect which ports need power, and deliver it without rewiring." The FastIron 2402POE and 4802POE units each offer up to 480W of power, across 24 and 48 ports respectively. They are versions of existing FastIron switches. "All products for which PoE is appropriate will be available in a PoE version in time," said Stein. The PoE switches are available as Layer 2 or Layer 3 switches with S-Flow quality of service features, and 802.1x access control. The full Layer 3 versions cost $5,995 for the 2402POE, available in May, and $9,495 for the 4802POE, available in June. A recent Tech Update Poll on Power on Ethernet suggests that PoE is still in its infancy, but has potential. Only 5 percent of respondents are already doing it, and nearly half were unsure about the concept. However, around 30 percent describe it as a "great idea". Foundry will also announce a copper/fibre Gigabit switch, the FastIron Edge 12GCF, a 1 1/2 U high switch that allows any combination of copper and fibre Gigabit in its twelve Layer 3 ports. It's not the densest switch, conceded Stein, owing to the fact that fibre connectors are bigger than copper ones, but it is intended for Gigabit aggregation in situations where links may be upgraded to fibre. The full Layer 3 version will cost $9,990, available in April. A final new product is the NetIron 4802, aimed at service providers and including IP version 6, which will appear in April for $15,000. Foundry currently gets about 85 percent of its revenue from the enterprise, but the service provider market is starting to grow again, said Stein, particularly in the Asia Pacific region, where metropolitan area networks (MANs) based on Ethernet are taking off faster than in the rest of the world. "The NetIron 4802 is aimed at Asia Pacific," said Stein. "IPv6 has a large address space and security features which are becoming necessary." Market research from the Dell'Oro Group gives Foundry market leadership in three areas: Layer 3 10-Gigabit Ethernet switching, Layer 3 Modular Gigabit Ethernet switching, and Layer 4 to 7 Web switching. Overall, Dell'Oro expects Ethernet switch sales to increase from $11.3bn in 2002 to $16.0bn in 2007, with those areas among the highest value segments.

Networks and networking products have seen huge innovation and growth in the last few years. High bandwidth LANs and Storage Area Networks are now in common use. ZDNet UK's Networking Central keeps you up to date with the latest news and views. Let the editors know what you think in the Mailroom.

Post your comment

In order to post a comment you need to be registered and logged in.

You can also log in with Facebook. Log in or create your ZDNet UK account below

By signing up for this service, you indicate that you agree to our Terms and Conditions and have read and understood our Privacy Policy. Questions about membership? Find the answers in the Community FAQ

ZDNet UK Live

Duplicate comments are not made intentionally. Its very good to know that now you are keeping check on this problem because sometimes a commenter...

5 hours ago by Freebies202 on Microsoft fixes blog comments, speeds up blogs with open source

"the very significant number of users" and "many (most) of us" - you have no evidence for these statements. It is a fact that most users are saying...

13 hours ago by kevinmchapman on A tale of two distros: Ubuntu and Linux Mint

Another grammar faux pas is the improper use of "you". When sitting down down in a restaurant, for example, I get cringe when the waitress...

15 hours ago by Marg Menzies Harrison via Facebook on 10 flagrant grammar mistakes that make you look stupid

And NOW, folks, for Canonical's next trick... Kubuntu is late. Here's a pencil. Draw your own conclusions. cf.:...

15 hours ago by zdnetukuser on Linux Minterface

@kevinmchapman. The discussion here reflects the very significant number of users who really do like the traditional menu system and who wish to...

17 hours ago by Moley on A tale of two distros: Ubuntu and Linux Mint

Er, no... It is an efficient means of finding the application/file/setting you need in one place. The icons are a simply a fallback for when you...

19 hours ago by kevinmchapman on A tale of two distros: Ubuntu and Linux Mint

Isn't the provision of a text based search an admission by the developers that the mass of icons approach does not work? I don't need to use a...

20 hours ago by TerryRK on A tale of two distros: Ubuntu and Linux Mint

"Unity and GNOME 3 both abandon the old text-based cascading menus in favour of a graphical icon-driven system." Point truly missed. Both use a...

21 hours ago by kevinmchapman on A tale of two distros: Ubuntu and Linux Mint

whs001 - Thank you, I'm glad you liked the article. I absolutely agree with you on your first point. I should perhaps have made it clearer that...

21 hours ago by TerryRK on A tale of two distros: Ubuntu and Linux Mint

If we allow corporate interest to dictate the way our government circumvents due process against foreign entities then we should accept the same...

22 hours ago by Dennis Nilsson via Facebook on ACTA stumbles in Germany

I totally dislike pirating of works, I fear that artists will be deterred from creating works if they think that they are going to get ripped off....

24 hours ago by GHar123 on ACTA stumbles in Germany

How dare film makers, artists or anybody that invests in creativity stop us pirating their works for free. I want to be able to walk into my local...

1 day ago by JCB33 on ACTA stumbles in Germany

@GrueMaster. I prefer horses for courses rather than one size fits all. I, and I suspect most other computer users, do not really wish to have...

1 day ago by Moley on A tale of two distros: Ubuntu and Linux Mint

The product that scares me every time I have to use it is the Office 2007 version of Excel. The first bug that I found was applying the median...

1 day ago by greycynic on Ten flawed products that derail productivity

Nice review and very informative. One thing I'd like to add (in reply to whs001's 1st question), the main reason to have the same interface from...

1 day ago by GrueMaster on A tale of two distros: Ubuntu and Linux Mint

I'be been using Mint 12 since the RC came out, and I am far more happy with the Cinnamon, the Mate, and, yes (with extensions), theGnome 3...

1 day ago by Frederick Wrigley via Facebook on A tale of two distros: Ubuntu and Linux Mint

Excellent article. One small correction, though--although a fresh installation of Linux Mint 12 will, indeed, provide the user with a version of...

1 day ago by bdantas on A tale of two distros: Ubuntu and Linux Mint

In related news, the ISPs club together to get the members of the Home Affairs Select Committee (ya goofed on that part, ZDNet UK) copies of "The...

1 day ago by Alan Ralph via Facebook on MPs urge ISPs to take down terrorist material

In related news, the ISPs club together to get the members of the Home Affairs Select Committee (ya goofed on that part, ZDNet UK) copies of "The...

1 day ago by Alan Ralph via Facebook on MPs urge ISPs to take down terrorist material

For Gnome 2 die-hards, it is possible to add icons to the bottom panel (or top top panel, if you prefer) which provide the exact Gnome 2...

1 day ago by Moley on A tale of two distros: Ubuntu and Linux Mint

Featured white papers

Latest jobs

Power on Ethernet gives networks a voice

Daily Newsletters

Topics

Related stories

Telco-friendly Ethernet 'ready for action'

Dell switches reach UK - Layer 3 box planned

Ethernet promises cheaper broadband

Heart of England NHS begins massive digitisation plan

Hard-drive woes hit PC shipments in fourth quarter

Post your comment

ZDNet UK Live

Latest in IT Strategy

Heart of England NHS begins massive digitisation plan

Hard-drive woes hit PC shipments in fourth quarter

Featured white papers

Latest jobs

Solutions Architect - Oxford - publishing

Project/ImplementationManager - homebased - DataWarehouse/BI

Project/Implementation Manager-homebased-Data Warehouse/BI

Inside ZDNet UK

A tale of two distros: Ubuntu and Linux Mint

2012 Predictions: VCE FastPath, VI SAN Probe & Hadoop

BlackBerry Bold 9790

How to handle data replication

Ten factors that make Ubuntu 11.10 a hit

Toshiba Portégé Z830-10P Review

BT's archive: Pictures from the vault

News & Analysis

Reviews

Blogs

Resources

About Us

Member Services

Special Features

Advertising Features

ZDNet UK / News and Analysis / Business of IT / IT Strategy

Power on Ethernet gives networks a voice

Daily Newsletters

Topics

Related stories

Post your comment

Get ZDNet UK's daily newsletter

Enter your email address to sign up

ZDNet UK Live

Latest in IT Strategy

Featured white papers

Latest jobs

Inside ZDNet UK

Resources

About Us

Member Services

Special Features

Advertising Features