Netgears first layer 3 gigabit switch is proof the company—best known for its consumer routers and hubs—is serious about a push into the small- and medium-size business marketplace. Released earlier this month, the $3,400 GSM7324 24-Port Layer 3 Managed Gigabit Switch features 24 copper 10/100/1,000M-bps Ethernet ports. The unit also incorporates four optional Fibre Gigabit Ethernet small-form-factor, pluggable slots.
In my tests, the GSM7324 deftly handled basic hardware-based Layer 3 routing. In addition to SNMP support, the switch supports the high-performance routing protocols youd expect in enterprise-class products.
I configured my test unit using the browser-based configuration interface. The management console not only showed which ports were being used in real time but also allowed me to designate ports to different VLANs.
More information about the GSM7324 switch can be found at www.netgear.com.