The Netgear M4300-96X Stackable 10G and 40G Modular Managed Switch is the world’s only 2U rack height modular switch starting at $100 per port that comes either empty or pre-populated and scales up to 96 ports of 10G Ethernet or up to 24 ports of 40G Ethernet, or a combination. With 12 open slots and two redundant power supplies, the M4300-96X supports maximum granularity between copper, PoE+ and fibre and offers unrivalled headroom for organisations buying infrastructure for the long term. Previewed at ISE 2018, the switcher is now shipping through Netgear partners, other resellers and ecommerce sites.

IP convergence has already happened with telephony, surveillance, and audio, and now the professional AV industry is also moving to the network. The Software Defined Video over Ethernet (SDVoE) Alliance provides a standard programming interface so that even if components are sourced from different suppliers, products and solutions such as the M4300-96X Switch merge easily and cost-effectively into a modern and open platform without complex coding.

To truly converge IT and AV networks, pre-configured 10 Gbps infrastructure is ready with Netgear SDVoE-ready M4300 switches. Instant installation with pre-enabled IGMP/multicast, scalability and affordability gets your ProAV deployment running in no time, with optimal 4K no-compromise quality.

To take unnecessary complexity out of AV-over-IP deployments, Netgear created M4300 switches that are preconfigured for easy, true AV and multicast Zero Touch network configuration. IGMP Snooping, IGMP Fast Leave and IGMP Querier are already enabled for the default VLAN 1 that devices will automatically use – no need to log onto the switch. Simply select the M4300-96X port expansion cards that fit your requirements, insert the cards, connect your SDVoE encoders and decoders, and power on the switch.

“Our M4300-96X Managed Switch is far superior to a fixed port solution, as you can start small and add capacity in non-blocking mode, merely by adding port expansion cards. And the fact that it’s SDVoE-ready means it can easily co-exist with products from multiple AV vendors, without the need for separate programming interfaces,” said Richard Jonker, vice president of product line management for SMB products at Netgear. “It supports intuitive configuration of your entire AV system with higher flexibility, lower complexity, and stronger investment protection.”

Justin Kennington, president of the SDVoE Alliance, said, “The SDVoE Alliance unites leading companies in and around the AV-over-IP space with the shared aim of creating a standardized hardware and software platform for the next generation of audiovisual applications. The commitment of Netgear to the SDVoE standard means that alliance members can leverage Netgear switching products that are easy to set up and use to provide the backbone network for their audio-video products.”

“The Netgear M4300-96X Managed Switch makes AV over IP solutions simple. The zero-touch configuration eliminates the need for switch programming, making SDVoE installations plug and play,” said Williams Clark, executive vice president of content management and processing for Christie. “The card-frame design and 8-port modules allow the M4300-96X to be cost effective for modest -sized systems, while also providing the ability to scale the system larger to support any combination of SDVoE transmitters and receivers. SDVoE systems with symmetric input-output configurations are supported such as 48×48, and asymmetric solutions such as 24×72 can also be prepared. The Netgear M4300-96x is truly an ideal 10G switching solution for SDVoE systems.”