NETGEAR M4250-9G1F-PoE+ Switch Review

In a recent article posted on StorageReview, Jordan gives us their review of the NETGEAR AV Line of M4250 Switches. The NETGEAR AV Line of M4250 Switches is a new device particularly developed for audio/video professionals. It was created with the help of prominent specialists in the professional AV sector and blends NETGEAR's years of networking knowledge with AV industry best practices. The M4250 switches are designed for the expanding AV over IP industry and can handle frequently used 1Gbps codecs.

As is usual the M4250 switch line contains a plethora of models. In this situation, we're looking particularly at the Netgear M4250-9G1F-PoE+ (GSM4210PD) AV Line. It contains a total of ten ports (9x 1G, 1x SFP). There are 8 POE ports with a total output power of 110W.  

Netgear M4250-9G1F-PoE+ Specifications

Netgear M4250-9G1F-PoE+ Highlights

The M4250 switches' standout feature is their PoE+ capability, with 8 PoE+ ports capable of 30W per port and a total PoE budget of 110W. The switches are likewise pre-configured for conventional audio and video signals, but they provide an AV user interface for customizing with port-based profiles. These profiles contain audio (Dante, Q-SYS, and AES67) and visual (NVX, AMX, Q-SYS, NDI, and Dante) choices. There are other audio/video/control mixed profiles available.

When using several M4250 switches, NETGEAR's IGMP PlusTM technology enables automation in connecting them together, as well as with M4300 and M4500 switches. The M4250 switches additionally provide a separate AV web-based GUI interface for more customized AV installations, as well as color-based AV profiles that can be applied to various ports. Furthermore, all variants of the M4250 switches share a similar Layer 2 and Layer 3 switching engine and provide a distinct IT web GUI, console, telnet, and SSH that is consistent with other NETGEAR M4300 and M4500 series devices.

Audio Video Bridging (AVB), an industry standard for transmitting multimedia across a network, is supported by the M4250 switch. AVB provides superior synchronization and reduced latency and is frequently used when extremely low latency is required, such as during live performances. AVB compatibility is available as an option on all AV Line M4250 switches.

Aside from AV, the M4250 switches may also be utilized in common IT applications such as midsize Enterprise campus networks, IoT, and IPTV.

The M4250 switches are backed by NETGEAR's ProSAFE Limited Lifetime Hardware Warranty and include 90 days of phone and email technical support, as well as Lifetime Technical Support through online chat and Lifetime Next Business Day hardware replacement.

Interface

They include industry-standard administration options, such as a CLI, the main NETGEAR IT web interface, SNMP, sFlow, and RSPAN, as well as the NMS300 management platform, which includes centralized firmware upgrades and bulk configuration support.

The NETGEAR AV Line of M4250 Switches' user interface has been intended to be clean and straightforward, making it simple for audio/video professionals to operate and adapt the switches to meet their individual demands. The AV user interface provides a variety of customization choices via port-based profiles, including audio and video settings as well as combination audio/video/control profiles. These profiles are accessible via the specialized AV web-based GUI interface, which has been streamlined to ease in navigation and comprehension.

In addition to the AV user interface, the M4250 switches provide an IT web GUI, console, telnet, and SSH, like with other NETGEAR M4300 and M4500 series devices.

In comparison to the AV-based GUI, which gives the settings that an AV engineer would wish to modify, the IT Web GUI enables for more detailed setup of the switch and its integration into the network as a whole, especially during installation. This facilitates switch management and setup, ensuring that audio/video professionals get the most out of their M4250 switches. Overall, the M4250 switches' clear and straightforward UI makes them a user-friendly and effective alternative for audio/video professionals.

Final Thoughts

The Netgear M4250-9G1F-PoE+ is a new switch tailored to audio/video pros. It features a total of 10 ports (8x 1G PoE+, 1x 1G, 1x SFP) and 8 PoE+ ports with a total output of 110W. This switch has support for AVB (Audio Video Bridging) and a specialized AV web-based GUI interface with port-based profiles for audio, video, and mixed audio/video/control signals, making it well-suited for audio/video applications.