NETGEAR, a provider of networking products for the smart home and commercial businesses, has released its Engage 2.0 AV over IP system management tool.
Available free to download, the new software solution from the Calif.-based company aims to address the convergence of AV and IT, as well as the return of large-scale and mobile events and how these environments utilize these technologies.
“With almost three decades of network leadership, we’re constantly innovating to simplify AV and WiFi connectivity and provide a more seamless management experience,” says Laurent Masia, senior director of product line management, managed switches, at NETGEAR.
“The new Engage 2.0 software delivers expansive, unified control features for even the most complex AV network installations.”
NETGEAR points out that AV-over-IP, while more scalable and flexible than other types of infrastructure, still brings complexity to commercial, broadcast, or residential installers. Mainly, this complexity manifests when it comes to managing Ethernet switches, routers, and Wi-Fi access points, as some such as detecting Ethernet switches and access points deployed across a network still requires a great deal of manual effort.
Lightapalooza took place in late February, and the growth of the event has mirrored the rapid ascension lighting fixtures and controls.
Additionally, updating firmware on multiple devices can be time consuming, meaning maintaining proper configuration of AV-over-IP networks can be cumbersome. And since the network is the central AV fabric, an improper setup can ruin the entire AV experience.
Given the challenges with maintaining an AV-over-IP setup, NETGEAR designed Engage 2.0 to provide a centralized and user-friendly way to manage AV networks.
One of the ways Engage does this is through the integration of wired and wireless infrastructure into the software, this allows NETGEAR AV switches, pro router, and Wi-Fi access points to be configured together with Engage profiles. Engage 2.0 also automatically detects all NETGEAR AV M4250, M4300, M4350, and M4500 series switches and supports one PR460X Pro Router and up to 10 WBE758/WBE718 WiFi 7 access points per site.
Features like Auto-Trunk, Fast Roaming, and mDNS reflector/gateway across profiles do a lot to help simplify the setup process across profiles. There’s even auto-trunking on switches connected directly to access points that NETGEAR says is to help setup easier integrations. Meanwhile, protocols such as OKC, 802.11r, 802.11k, and 802.11v help boost performance and connectivity to the network for setting up meshes.
Technicians can also connect to the AV network wirelessly, freeing them from being tethered to the rack. This flexibility supports the integration of other AV and lighting control software that can now connect via Wi-Fi to the wired network.
NETGEAR states that Engage 2.0 allows for WiFi control in AV fixed installations with touch panels and tablets connecting to ad-hoc wireless networks, enhancing the control of AV endpoints across VLANs.
For large events, the company says the platform allows installers to create temporary WiFi guest networks to provide a robust WiFi solution for mobile studios or crews, ensuring guests stay connected. For residential settings, the enhanced capabilities streamline AV deployments allowing AV system integrators to manage both AV systems and home WiFi networks.
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