Etherwan Industrial Grade Switch

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Commercial Ethernet Switches

Commercial grade Ethernet switches are designed to be used in controlled environments such as an IT closet or data center. Unlike Industrial Ethernet switches, commercial grade Ethernet switches typically have more of a limited operating temperature range and often times have more moving parts such as cooling fans which could be a single point of failure (SPOF). Additionally, commercial grade switches will not stand up to shock and vibration as an Industrial Ethernet switch would. Another concern is mean time between failure (MTBF). Some commercial grade switches may have a lower MTBF than their industrial counterparts. Commercial grade switches typically cost less than industrial switches and are the perfect choice for controlled office/business environments.

Commercial Ethernet Switch

Industrial Ethernet Switches

There is a class of switches referred to as Industrial Ethernet switches which are designed to work in harsh environments where extreme temperatures, vibration, dust and moisture are present. These Industrial rated switches generally have no moving parts such as fans and utilize components that are designed for extreme temperatures etc. In very moist environments or areas where condensation is present a conformal coating is sometimes used to cover the entire PCB to protect the components. Typical installations for Industrial switches include manufacturing facilities, mining, oil production, power plants, waste water treatment plants and any other application where environmental extremes exist.

Industrial Ethernet Switch