The XS728T is a 28-port 10-Gigabit Ethernet Smart Managed Switch. It supports 24 copper 10GBased-T ports and four dedicated 1G/10G fiber ports.
Frequently Asked Questions
1. What are the major enhancements for the XS728T compared with the XS712T?
- More 10G copper ports and fiber ports
- One USB port for firmware upgrade and configuration backup
- IPv6 Static Routing
- New GUI style that supports the most popular WEB Browsers (see Question 11 below for a complete list)
2. What cables can be used with the 10G copper ports on the XS728T?
Category 5e (CAT 5e) or better Ethernet cable (CAT 6, CAT 6a, or CAT 7) terminated with an RJ-45 connector can be used to make 10-Gigabit connections on copper ports. Both UTP (Unshielded Twisted Pair) and STP (Shielded Twisted Pair) cables are supported. Note that CAT 6a or CAT 7 cables are recommended to make 10G connections if cable distance is greater than 45 m (148 ft).
3. Which optical modules do the SFP+ ports support?
The XS728T comes with 4 SFP MSA sockets that can be used with either one Gigabit SFP or 10-Gigabit SFP+ optical modules. NETGEAR offers a complete line of both SFP and SFP+ modules designed for this switch including: AGM731F, AGM732F, AGM734, AXM761, AXM762, AXC761 and AXC763.
SFP/SFP+ optical modules from 3rd party vendors are also supported if they comply with below standards. Here are some supported examples from 3rd party vendors.
- IEEE 802.3z (1GBASE-LX and 1GBASE-SX) E.g. Cisco MGBLX1, Finisar FTRJ1319P1BTL, Cisco MGBSX1
- IEEE 802.3 Clause 49 (10GBASE-LR and 10GBASE-SR) E.g. Cisco SFP-10G-SR, Finisar FTLX8571D3BCL, Delta LCP-10G3A4EDR-G, Cisco SFP-10G-LR, Finisar FTLX1471D3BCL, Delta LCP-10G3B4QDR-G
Please check with the manufacturer for compatibility prior to purchasing such modules.
4. Which NETGEAR switches can be connected with the XS728T for 10G end-to-end connectivity?
The XS728T can connect with all NETGEAR switches that provide 10G ports (the current list is shown below).
- Web Managed (Plus) Switch: XS708E
- Smart Managed Switches: XS712T, GS728TXS, GS752TXS,S3300-28X, S3300-28X-PoE+, S3300-52X, S3300-52X-PoE+
- Fully Managed Switches: M5300-28GF3, M5300-28G-PoE+, M5300-52G-PoE+, M5300-28G, M5300-52G, M5300-28G3, M5300-52G3, M7100-24X, XSM7224S, M6100.
5. What is the USB port on the XS728T used for?
The XS728T provides one USB port that can be used to upgrade the firmware and backup the configuration using a supported USB storage device. This device attached to the USB port must comply with the following requirements:
- The USB device must support USB 2.0.
- The USB device must be formatted with FAT32 file system type. NTFS is not supported.
6. What can the serial port on the back panel be used for?
The serial port is for debugging purposes only which might be requested by NETGEAR support. THE SERIAL PORT IS NOT FOR CUSTOMER USE.
7. Does the XS728T use the same firmware as the XS712T?
No, the XS728T switches only support firmware 6.5.0.x.
8. What Green Ethernet Features are supported by the XS728T?
The XS728T supports Sleep Mode, Short Cable Mode and EEE Mode on copper ports.
- When Sleep Mode is enabled on a port, the port will automatically enter a lower power mode if there is no link.
- When Short Cable Mode is enabled, the device will check the cable length and reduce the output power if the cable length is less than 30 meters.
- When EEE Mode is enabled on a port, the port will work in an Energy Efficiency mode that fully conforms to the standard of IEEE 802.3az (EEE).
9. What IPv6 functions are supported on the XS728T?
The XS728T supports IPv6 Management, IPv6 MLD Snooping, IPv6 ACL, IPv6 QoS and IPv6 Static Routing.
10. What routing features are supported on the XS728T, and what can they be used for?
The XS728T supports IPv4/IPv6 static routing, which can help build a L3 connection with other switches or offload router for WAN traffic only. Up to 32 routing VLANs and up to 64 static routes (IPv4, IPv6 respectively) are supported.
11. What are the current supported host OS and Web browsers for XS728T?
- Supported host OS for WEB management:
- MS Windows 7 (32 & 64 bit)
- MS Windows 8, 8.1 (32 & 64 bit)
- MAC OS X version 10.10 - Currently tested and supported Browsers:
- Mozilla Firefox Version 31-33
- MS Internet Explorer Versions 9-11
- Chrome Versions 38-40
- Safari on Windows OS: 5.1.7
- Safari on MAC OS: 8.0.2
12. What is the Smart Control Center utility?
The NETGEAR Smart Control Center (SCC) is a Windows-based application. It allows you to perform the following tasks.
- Discover Smart Managed Switches in your network
- Manage firmware upgrades
- Perform configuration backup and restore
Smart Control Center also includes features such as monitoring, password update, and IP address assignment.
13. Which Operating System Platforms are supported by Smart Control Center (SCC)?
Microsoft Windows XP, Windows Vista, Windows 7 and Windows 8/8.1
14. Where can I find the Smart Control Center application software?
The Smart Control Center software is included on the Smart Managed Switch CD-ROM. You must install the software on a Windows PC on the same network as the Smart Managed Switch. Putting the CD-ROM in your CD drive should automatically start the installation process. If that does not happen, simply double-click the file icon for “setup.exe” to start the installation process, and follow the directions. Once the Smart Control Center is installed, a shortcut icon will appear on the PC’s desktop. You can launch the application by double-clicking the icon. You can also download a copy of the Smart Control Center application (if you don’t have a CD-ROM drive) from the NETGEAR website Support page for XS728T (http://support.netgear.com).
15. Why can’t I connect to the switch even though the IP address is found by the Smart Control Center?
The Smart Control Center program can work across your network to locate your switch, but your PC must be on the same subnet to enable your browser to connect to the switch. This means you will have to change either the IP address of the switch or your PC. You can change the switch IP setting through the Smart Control Center utility. Select the Smart Managed Switch that you want to change the IP setting for, and click Configuration Setting.
16. How do I upgrade firmware for the XS728T?
Once a new firmware version is released for XS728T, it will be posted to the NETGEAR support web site (http://support.netgear.com). Please review the release notes, download a copy of the new firmware to your host PC, and then upgrade the XS728T switch on your network with new firmware via Smart Control Center or TFTP/HTTP in the GUI maintenance pages. Please review the manual for detailed steps for performing firmware upgrades.
17. How do I use the Factory Defaults button on XS728T?
As shown below, the Factory Defaults button is on left side of the XS728T’s front panel.
To reset the smart switch to factory default settings using the Factory Defaults button:
- Insert a device such as a straightened paper clip into the opening.
- Press and hold the recessed Factory Defaults button for about 5 seconds.
18. What are Protected Ports?
This feature can be used to prevent ports from forwarding traffic to each other, even if they are on the same VLAN. Each port is designated as either protected or unprotected. Ports are unprotected by default.
Ports that are configured to be protected cannot forward traffic to other protected ports, regardless of VLAN membership. Protected ports can forward traffic to unprotected ports. Unprotected ports can forward traffic to both protected and unprotected ports. The following table summarizes this relationship:
|
PROTECTED EGRESS PORT |
UNPROTECTED EGRESS PORT |
|
|
Source Port |
Disallowed |
Allowed |
|
Destination Port |
Allowed |
Allowed |