Netgear AV Line M4250-16XF 16-Port Managed Switch

Under the hood of the AV Line M4250-16XF 16-Port Managed Switch lies a suite of advanced features designed to cater to the specific needs of 1G AV over IP applications. This high-performance switch boasts rear-facing ports, ensuring a clean and professional integration into AV racks, making it an ideal choice for both desktop and rackmount environments.

Crafted for efficiency, the switch comes pre-configured for immediate deployment, streamlining the setup process and minimizing engineering time. The innovative AV-oriented web-based GUI is tailored for the AV professional, offering intuitive control with factory or user-specified profiles that can be easily assigned to individual ports as needed.

The M4250-16XF is engineered for use in noise-sensitive environments, featuring adjustable fans that can be turned off under certain conditions, and a default Quiet mode that operates at a lower noise level than most competing switches. NETGEAR's IGMP Plus feature is factory-set to ensure instant multicast functionality for most AV over IP installations, providing reliable network management right out of the box.

This robust managed switch is equipped with multiple mounting options, including threaded holes that adhere to industry standards, allowing for versatile installation behind displays or clamped to a truss. The dedicated AV web-based GUI interface comes with color-coded, port-based profiles, simplifying the configuration for common audio protocols such as Dante, AES67, and AVB (note that AVB requires a separate license).

Video professionals will appreciate the built-in profiles for NVX, SVSI, Q-SYS, and Dante video configurations, which can be effortlessly assigned to ports as required. The switch also supports multi-switch link aggregation and features 16xSFP+ 1G/10G fiber ports for 1G/10G aggregation in M4250 star topologies, enhancing its high-performance capabilities.

The M4250-16XF is not just powerful but also versatile, offering Layer 2/Layer 3 Switching with a common switching engine across all M4250 models. Control methods are abundant, with a built-in IT web GUI, console, telnet, and SSH consistent with other NETGEAR M4xxx series switches. The feature set includes static, RIP and PIM routing, DHCP Server, and PTPv2, ensuring a comprehensive and efficient network management experience.

Mounting flexibility is a key aspect of this switch, with 1U, 200mm deep rackmount design and all power and Ethernet ports located on the back for a tidy setup. The possibility of reversed mounting with ports in the front, including recessed mounting to protect cables, adds to its adaptability. Furthermore, universal mounting is made possible with bottom M5 and front M10 threaded holes.

The adjustable fan functionality ensures that the switch operates quietly, with a noise level of 56.7dB@25 Degree C when all ports are used, and offers a fanless mode with a maximum ambient temperature of 25 Degree C, an internal sensor at 75 Degree C, and 8 ports SFP+ used.

The AV Line M4250-16XF 16-Port Managed Switch stands out as an efficient, reliable, and robust solution for professionals seeking advanced network management capabilities for their AV over IP setups.