Dell Adds Web-Managed LAN Switches For SMBs

Priced as low as $16 per gigabit port, the Dell PowerConnect 2700 series Layer 2 Gigabit Ethernet switches provide advanced management features and scalability to accommodate future connectivity needs, says Larry Hart, senior PowerConnect Manager.

The new switches can be managed over the Web and are offered as the eight-port 2708, 16-port 2716, and 24-port 2724. The switches include support for up to 64 virtual LANs, four priority queues for optimizing network traffic, port mirroring for up to four source ports, and link aggregation for up to six groups supporting up to four ports in each group.

Customers can deploy the 2700 series as unmanaged switches out of the box or convert them to be managed remotely via a Web interface with a press of a button, Hart says. A click-through interface reveals all the configuration parameters needed to set up and troubleshoot the switches.

"The price points for these products are such that we effectively have replaced our unmanaged switching portfolio with a Web-managed switch at the same price," Hart says. "This is really raising the bar in terms of value we can deliver to customers."

In the past, small- and midsize-business customers weren't able to afford to deploy managed switches, or they found management interfaces too complex, he says.

The PowerConnect 2700 is available now. Pricing starts at $139 for the 2708, $269 for the 2716, and $369 for the 2724.