January 28 marks Data Privacy Day, an international effort to raise awareness and promote best practices around privacy and data protection. While these conversations often focus on policies, compliance frameworks, and software controls, data privacy also depends on something more fundamental: how traffic moves through the network itself. That’s where the access layer plays a critical role. With the launch of its newest Pro Series layer 2 switches, Grandstream is giving small and mid-sized businesses the tools to build scalable, secure, high-performance enterprise networks that are fully manageable and customizable.
In this article, we examine the first four switches introduced in the new series, highlighting their most noteworthy features and sharing our perspective on key use cases and capabilities.
One of the most significant elements of any enterprise network is the access layer, also referred to as layer 2 in the OSI model, where end devices connect to the network. This layer is physically the largest component of any enterprise network. It is composed of many layer 2 switches, which aggregate end-device connections and provide uplinks to the distribution layer of the network.
Access layer switches must be built to a very high standard, especially since they provide vital services to end devices, including power over Ethernet (PoE), high availability, and connectivity to the rest of the network. As such, access layer switches need to provide reliable power options, high throughput and redundant uplinks, as well as security features to ensure data confidentiality and compliance.
Grandstream’s GWN7800 Pro switches provide all of this and more!
The GWN7800 Pro series builds on the Grandstream GWN7800 series, providing a higher level of networking capabilities and features. Compared with the GWN7800 series, these switches have double the RAM and CPU, offering greatly enhanced performance.
Let’s zoom in to examine the first switches in the Pro series to be launched, which offer 24- and 48-port options. All four models feature multiple SFP+ ports and are capable of speeds of up to 10 Gbps per port for use as high-throughput uplinks. All devices support PoE on all their interfaces, making them ideal for use with IP phones, wireless access points, and IP cameras.
The GWN7803PL Pro and GWN7803PH Pro are the two 24-port models of the series. Both switches offer two SFP+ ports for uplinks and can connect single-mode fiber, multimode fiber, or even RJ45 copper connections at 10 Gbps speeds with the appropriate SFP modules. Both switches feature 32 MB of flash memory, 256 MB of RAM, and a single-core MIPS 1 GHz processor. With non-blocking throughput set to 44 Gbps and switching capabilities rated at 88 Gbps, they’re both among the fastest switches in their class.
The GWN7803PL Pro supports IEEE 802.3at PoE devices with a maximum power per port of 30 W and a total PoE output power of up to 250 W. The GWN7803PH Pro model supports the more advanced IEEE 802.3bt PoE with a maximum power per port of 60 W and a total PoE output power of up to 400 W, making it ideal for use with exceptionally power-hungry PoE devices. For additional redundancy and power, it also supports the use of an internal redundant power supply and an external redundant power supply, ensuring that power will never be an issue.
The GWN7806PL Pro and GWN7806PH Pro are the 48-port models. These larger devices offer six SFP+ ports with the same 10 Gbps capacities for both single-mode and multimode fiber as well as an RJ-45 copper option. Due to their higher physical capacities, these devices feature more flash memory at 128 MB as well as 512 MB of RAM. They also have a dual-core MIPS InterAptive 1 GHz CPU. They have a total non-blocking throughput of 108 Gbps and a switching capability of 216 Gbps.
Both switches also support stacking, where up to 8 devices can be combined into a single logical switch with a total of 384 RJ-45 ports and 48 SFP+ uplink ports for those especially user-dense scenarios. They also support internal and external redundant power supplies as well.
The primary difference between the two models is power output. The GWN7806PL supports IEEE 802.3at with a maximum power output per port at 30 W, while the GWN7806PH delivers IEEE 802.3bt capabilities with 60 W of power per port. The maximum total PoE power per switch is 400 W for the PL and 720 W for the PH.
Here are some of the most notable network features of all these devices:
The following table highlights the differences among these four devices.
Finally, here’s a quick list summarizing the key differences between models for easy comparison:
Some businesses may require devices with fewer ports or without unnecessary features for specific deployments. Three additional Pro-series devices will be available soon, with 8-port and 16-port models as well as a 24-port model without PoE. We’ll review these in the upcoming months as they become available, so stay tuned!
The GWN7800 Pro series offers powerful, flexible, and scalable switching products for modern SMB networks. With strong performance upgrades, extensive PoE options, high-speed uplinks, and a rich set of layer 2 features, these switches give you enterprise capabilities at an accessible cost. Overall, the GWN7800 Pro lineup provides a reliable, future-ready foundation for building secure, high-performance access networks.
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