NETGEAR 700 Series manual Protocols, Comparing Switch Management Methods

700 Series Managed Switch User’s Guide for Software v2.1

Table 2-1.	Comparing Switch Management Methods
Management Method			Advantages	Disadvantages
Administration		• Out-of-band access via direct cable		• Must be near switch or use dial-up
console			connection means network bottlenecks,	connection
			crashes, and downtime do not slow or	• Not convenient for remote users
			prevent access	• Not graphical
		• No IP address or subnet needed
		• Menu or CLI based
		• Hyper Terminal access to full functionality
			(Hyper Terminal are built into Microsoft
			Windows 95/98/NT/2000 operating
		•	systems)
			Secure – make sure the switch is installed in a
			secure area.
Web browser		• Can be accessed from any location via the		• Security can be compromised (hackers
or Telnet			switch’s IP address	can attack if they know IP address)
		• Ideal for configuring the switch remotely		• May encounter lag times on poor
		• Compatible with Internet Explorer and		connections
			Netscape Navigator Web browsers	• Displaying graphical objects over a
		• Familiar browser interface		browser interface may slow navigation
		• Graphical data available
		• Most visually appealing
		• Menu or CLI interfaces available
SNMP Agent		• Communicates with switch functions at the		• Requires SNMP manager software
			Management Information Base (MIB) level	• Least visually appealing of all three
		• Based on open standards		methods
				• Limited amount of information
				available
				• Some settings require calculations
				• Security can be compromised (hackers
				need only know the community name)

For a more detailed discussion of the Administration Console, see chapter 3. For a more detailed discussion of the Web Browser Interface, see chapter 4.

Protocols

Your NETGEAR 700 Series Managed Switch supports the following protocols:

•Virtual terminal protocols, such as Telnet

•SNMP

2-2 Switch Management Overview

SM-10004-02