Phoenix Contact Gigabit Modular Switch layer 3 routing upgrade

The Gigabit Modular Switch from Phoenix Contact now also supports layer 3 routing in order to route communications between individual subnetworks.

By inserting an SD flash card with a layer 3 licence in combination with layer 3 firmware, the switch can be made to support port-related routing, static routing or the VRRP (Virtual Route Residency Protocol) to address redundant router applications. The advantage is that a layer 2 Gigabit Modular Switch, which is already installed in a system, can be upgraded quickly and simply to become a layer 3 device using the SD Flash card. Further, the switch configuration can also be saved on this card.

The switch is a managed switch for use in production backbones, and supports all commonly used Gigabit and Fast Ethernet data transmission standards and standard IT protocols, as well as the ProfiNet and EtherNet/IP automation protocols. In addition to the integrated Gigabit ports, the switch can accommodate interface modules for up to 16 additional 100 Mbps ports.