Small, medium and micro enterprises (SMMEs) face multiple challenges, one of which is staying connected on a network that allows them to communicate with suppliers and customers. The ability to reliably access the internet and e-mails whenever they wish is critical to business continuity and growth.
“The feedback we receive from small businesses is that they often struggle to keep up with technology and efficiently manage their IT budgets. Added to this are concerns over data security, ensuring that their network covers all corners of the premises, and speedy deployment of their network. Finally, they cite one of their big concerns as worrying if they will be able to operate the network with their limited resources,” says Warren Gordon, ARUBA/HPE Business Unit Manager at Duxbury Networking (local distributor of ARUBA/HPE technology).
“As someone who's deeply involved in providing networking solutions, I can tell you that the challenges small businesses face are unique, yet critical. Aruba Instant On brilliantly addresses these pain points, especially when it comes to ease of set-up and security. Its simplicity is its brilliance – it allows for quick network deployment yet provides enterprise-level security features. This makes it the perfect solution for small businesses that need robust networking, but don’t have an army of IT specialists,” he explains.
Set-up on the mobile app or cloud-based portal is accomplished with just a few mouse clicks; with no tech experience needed. The Aruba Instant On App makes your business WiFi incredibly simple. This allows you to monitor and manage your business network anywhere from your phone, and to keep tabs on who is connecting to which sites and apps.
In addition, security is included at no extra cost with Aruba Instant On. No external security appliance is required, and this enterprise-level security allows you to create access level controls on both wired and wireless networks. Users can easily separate business and employee traffic from customer traffic. Then you can set the hours for network availability and block specific sites and app categories to ward off malicious activity.
Aruba Instant On allows you to manage your network access points and switches from your mobile device or the browser of your choice, without licensing or subscription fees. You can:
- Monitor and manage up to 50 Instant On devices (access points and switches).
- Keep tabs on who is connecting to which sites and apps.
- Block specific clients from accessing your network.
- Prioritise video and voice applications.
- Set limits to stop bandwidth hogs from slowing things down.
- Save power and enhance security by limiting WiFi access hours with POE scheduling.
- Create separate guest and employee networks.
Aruba Instant On offers exceptional performance, with support of 802.11ac Wave 2 indoor and outdoor access points, WiFi Certified 6 access points and various port options in both POE+ and non-POE models.
Aruba 1960 Multi-Gigabit Access Switch
“Aruba Instant On is available with a range of access points and switches, and the introduction of the 1960 Multi-Gigabit Access Switch is a game-changer for small to medium-sized businesses. Its versatility in port options is unmatched, making it the perfect choice for organisations demanding next-level speed without the price tag of a full-scale upgrade. It’s more than a product; it’s an investment in future-proofing your network. From hi-tech workstations to healthcare facilities, this switch delivers where it counts: performance, flexibility and cost-efficiency,” says Gordon.
With 12 ports with POE and two sets of 10GbE uplink ports for 10Base-T and SFP+, this new switch supports next-generation connectivity and WiFi 6 access points with a variety of ports to meet the needs of small and medium businesses.
Affordable and easy to deploy, these smart-managed, stackable Gigabit switches with 10-gigabit connectivity deliver maximum throughput in small business networks for demanding tasks such as data storage, video on-demand and high-bandwidth processing. Stacking and advanced switching features protect your IT investment by ensuring your network is ready for the next generation of applications and devices.
The Aruba Instant On 1960 Switch Series consists of six switches, 12-, 24- and 48-port configurations offering Gigabit and MultiGigabit performance. The port diversity and throughput offered on the 1960 Multi-Gigabit Switch means it works well in various environments. From helping education facilities expand access during high-volume events, speeding up workstations in hi-tech firms or enabling healthcare clinics to reach their electronic medical records faster, the 1960 Multi-Gigabit Switch brings higher bandwidth and throughputs to many small organisations.
Featuring four ports of 2.5GbE and 60W of POE, the new multi-gig switch supports higher bandwidth throughput over the same Cat 5/6(a) cabling that many businesses already have, making it a cost-effective way to upgrade network capacity. Further flexibility is provided by the eight ports of 1GbE and 30W of POE that enable legacy or lower bandwidth-demanding hardware to be used alongside higher-speed hardware – no rip and replace is required. In addition to uplinking to the Aruba Instant On 1960 12-port aggregation switch, the two sets of dual uplink ports support 10GbE speed to connect server and storage devices with 10 Base-T or SFP+ connections.
You can simplify network management by stacking up to four 1960 (access and aggregation) switches, managing them through a single management interface. You get up to 288 ports, including 16 10GbE uplink ports for high-density environments as well as flexibility for future network expansion.
In a few simple steps, you can set up and configure a stack with the Aruba Instant On mobile app. You can then manage the stack and ports remotely, and you’ll minimise network downtime – if the master switch within 1960 Series stack fails, another switch takes over, keeping your network up and running. True Stacking makes it easy to configure, manage and troubleshoot physical switches as one single entity, helping scale the network as your business grows.
The 1960 switches support Class 4 and Class 6 POE on selected ports. Up to 30W POE power delivery is available for Class 4 POE devices like access points, surveillance cameras and VOIP phones, and up to 60W POE power delivery is available for Class 6 POE devices like the Aruba Instant On AP 11D and 1830 8-port access switch.
Some further features of the 1960 switches include:
- Instant On switches are auto discovered when you have an Instant On WiFi network.
- Quiet deployment: Compact and fan-less 24 port non-POE model for acoustically sensitive environments.
- Switches include a luggage tag for easy cloud onboarding through Instant On mobile app. Supports hybrid stacking, allowing both access and aggregator switches to be connected in a single stack.
For more information, contact Duxbury Networking, (+27) 011 351 9800, info@duxnet.co.za, www.duxbury.co.za.
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Duxbury Networking
Since its formation in 1984 by CEO, Graham Duxbury, Duxbury Networking has embraced ongoing technological changes within the ICT sector in order to provide its customers with access to the latest trends and solutions. Satisfying the evolving and diverse needs of its customer base is achieved through an emphasis on sourcing cost-effective, high-quality products from carefully selected local and international vendors. Aligned with this is the provision of uncompromising technical support, which is possible due to an extensive investment in the training and upskilling of its team. The company is driven to take an active role in reshaping and redefining the South African digital landscape in its mission to help its customers build a network that will support current and future technologies.