NETGEAR M4250-9G1F-PoE+ Switch Review
By Jennifer P
Jordan from StorageReview recently wrote their review on the NETGEAR AV Line of M4250 Switches. The NETGEAR AV Line of M4250 Switches is a new product specifically 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 expertise with AV industry best practices. The M4250 switches are designed for the expanding AV over IP industry and can handle commonly used 1Gbps codecs.
As is typical, 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
| Primary Port Speed | 1 Gigabit |
|---|---|
| Number of Ports | 10 (8x 1G PoE+, 1x 1G, 1x SFP) |
| PoE Ports / Budget | 8 PoE+ (30W/port), 110W Budget |
| IGMP Support | Enhanced (NETGEAR IGMP Plus™) |
| Jumbo Frame Support | Yes, up to 12kb |
| AVB Support | Yes. Electronic license required, activation key sent via email (AVB4210PD-10000S) |
| Acoustics | Fanless |
| Power Consumption | With PoE: 132.25W/451.5Btu/hr Without PoE: 9.88W/33.73Btu/hr Standby without any port connection: 6.4W/22.02Btu/hr |
| Third-party support | Domotz |
| Warranty | Lifetime |
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 also pre-configured for standard 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 also 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 models of the M4250 switches share a common 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 products.
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 can also be used 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 via online chat and Lifetime Next Business Day hardware replacement.
Interface
They provide industry-standard management 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 designed to be clean and intuitive, 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 dedicated AV web-based GUI interface, which has been simplified to ease in navigation and comprehension.
In addition to the AV user interface, the M4250 switches include an IT web GUI, console, telnet, and SSH, like with other NETGEAR M4300 and M4500 series products.
In comparison to the AV-based GUI, which provides the settings that an AV engineer would wish to change, 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 configuration, ensuring that audio/video professionals get the most out of their M4250 switches. Overall, the M4250 switches’ clear and intuitive 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 includes 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.
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