Zyxel XMG1930-30HP

Plenty of multi-gigabit ports and high-power PoE services make this affordable switch ideal for Wi-Fi 6/6E use

- DAVE MITCHELL

Zyxel’s XMG1930-30HP could be the perfect partner for SMBs seeking a multi-gigabit Power over Ethernet (PoE) switch that has every angle covered. This 1U rack mount switch offers a total of 30 ports with a wide range of speeds and PoE feeds, a generous 700W power budget and a choice of two management modes.

The first 20 copper ports support 100Mbits/sec, 1GbE and 2.5GbE connections all with 30W PoE+; the next four have the same speeds but increase delivery to 60W PoE++; while the next four add 5GbE and 10GbE support and also present PoE++ services. The final two are standard 10GbE SFP+ ports for high-speed fibre uplinks over longer distances.

That big power budget means there’s plenty of headroom for a lot of powered devices (PDs). It will support a large wireless network installation, with the high-power ports perfect for latest Wi-Fi 6E wireless access points that require up to 60W.

The large LED status display on the front panel shows power, system and cloud connection status, while the PoE light turns yellow or red to warn when power usage is getting close to the maximum. You can see at a glance what the ports are doing as each one has a five-colour LED for the connection speed and another showing if they are delivering power.