Gigabit and Fast Ethernet switches released recently from Puredata Inc. could help small businesses or small branch offices move from hubs to a switched and managed network with Gigabit Ethernet, for under US$1,400.
What the eight-port PDC8023Z-8CG switch lacks in a memorable product name, it makes up for in low-cost Gigabit Ethernet connectivity, coming in at around US$91 per 1000Mbps port. The PDC8023Z-24/L3G workgroup switch could also be used to add 24 managed 10/100Mbps end-user ports to a small LAN for around US$25 per port.
The PDC8023Z-8CG switch comes with eight 1000Base-T copper Gigabit Ethernet ports, and could be used as a small backbone switch for connecting servers to a LAN, or as a workgroup switch for “power users” who require Gigabit Ethernet to the desktop – such as digital animation artists, database analysts or computer assisted design workers.
The 24-port workgroup switch includes four expansion slots for adding fibre-based gigabit interface converter (GBIC) or Fast Ethernet modules for uplinking to a backbone switch. The device also supports standard Layer 2 packet prioritization with 802.1p packet prioritization and 802.1Q virtual LAN tagging. Simple network management protocol (SNMP) and remote monitoring (RMON) area also supported, and Web-based software is included for configuring the device settings such as QoS and network troubleshooting.
The eight-port Gigabit Ethernet switch is available now for US$730, while the 24-port workgroup switch is priced at US$635.
