Why switches are the real stars of the network show Switches like the Zyxel XGS1930 series hardly get noticed by most users, but behind the scenes these fast, dependable, smart managed switches are what hold the fabric of the network together – Luke Harley, Market Development Manager EMEA for Switching at Zyxel, signs their praises.
If you watch a movie or a stage show – whether it’s at home or in a theatre (remember when we could do that) – the lead actors are always the stars. They are the ones who get all the accolades and the limelight.
It’s easy to forget that, behind the scenes, there are many other people who make it all possible. The director, producer, and scriptwriter, of course. The light and sound technicians, camera operators, set and costume designers, wardrobe assistants, and scores of other people without whom none of it would be possible.
Unsung heroes
Wherever you look in the world of the arts, commerce, government, and society, you will find these individuals. Unsung heroes who simply make things work, but always remain in the background. IT systems are no different. For most users, the stars of the show are the hardware and software. Their ultra-light laptop or their super-fast workstation, and the apps and the online tools and services they interact with directly during their working day.
They will pay little regard to the supporting infrastructure. If they do, they will be more awe-struck by the data centre that sits at the heart of it all rather than the network that connects everything together.
Starring role
Behind the scenes, each networking component plays its part, from WiFi access points, down to the cabling and connectors and, of course, the switches that bring the whole fabric of the network together. Switches provide connection ports for endpoint devices and, at the core of the infrastructure, take the massive strain created by users’ seemingly insatiable hunger for data and bandwidth.
The switches that play this central role are often the most invisible of all the devices on the network. Yet they are also the most vitally important. They provide the raw throughout and speed that makes it possible for scores or even hundreds of users to communicate with the servers and storage that sit inside the data centres. The pressure to perform is always there for these switches and one of the very best and most reliable products in the Zyxel range is the XGS1930 series.
Fast and powerful
The XGS1930 are our most powerful and capable aggregation switches. They come with four 10Gb SFP+ (fibre) uplink ports, and either 24 or 48 1Gb RJ-45 ports, and there are smart PoE options as well. This configuration provides plenty of capacity to support the increased load that cloud apps and services, high-quality video conferencing and collaboration, remote connectivity and enhanced security are placing on the network infrastructure today.
In addition, the XGS1930 series comes with NebulaFlex and can thus be managed locally or through Zyxel’s Nebula cloud solution, allowing for simple deployment and agile network management – by the network administrator or a managed services provider.
Disappearing act
But while the XGS1930 smart managed switch is a hugely impressive piece of equipment, once installed it will be almost invisible. It is designed to sit at the core of the network and carry all the traffic being transmitted across the network – quietly (they also have a whisper-silent fan), efficiently, and reliably, and without hardly ever being noticed.
That is exactly what you want a switch to do, of course. While they do not often get any of the plaudits, without switches the network could not function and users would not be able to enjoy all the benefits that advanced software, cloud services, and the very latest endpoint devices offer them.
That’s why the switch is the real star of the network show and why the XGS1930 range is becoming increasingly popular with our customers in the commercial world, in hospitality, in education, and in the wider public sector.
The XGS1930 is one of the most useful and dependable members of our smart managed switches cast. If you would like to find out more about it, please contact your local Zyxel office or partner.
