D-Link unveiled its latest line of networking switches, with the vendor targeting them at small offices, enterprise edge networks, high-density smart campus environments.

The hardware firm’s new DMS-1250 series 2.5 Gb/s (2.5G) switches span from compact 10-port models to high-capacity 28-ports models, and across copper and power-over-Ethernet (PoE) configurations.

D-Link touts its switches as a way to bridge the gap in networking infrastructure, offering 2.5G speeds that are between standard 1G and 10G connections while utilizing existing Cat5e and Cat6 cabling, which cannot support full 10G throughput.

The DMS-1250 series offers 2.5G downlink ports, 10GE/10G SFP+ uplinks to boost backbone performance, and 6-kilovolt (kV) surge protection on all ports.

The 90-watt per port PoE capability means the switches can support edge devices that require more power than basic network equipment, like security cameras and enterprise-grade wireless access points.

D-Link’s offering features integrated networking capabilities, including the link aggregation control protocol (LACP) for dynamically bundling multiple physical Ethernet links into a single link to support increased bandwidth and provide improved fault tolerance. The switches also support static routing to enable precise traffic control across complex networks.

The DMS-1250 series supports authentication protocols like remote authentication dial-in user service (RADIUS) and terminal access controller access control system plus (TACACS+), covering centralized authentication, authorization, and accounting (AAA).

They also come with D-Link's Safeguard Engine technology, which is designed to protect switches from packet flooding.

D-Link also released three unmanaged switch models – the DMS-108P, DMS-1016, and DMS-1024 – designed for plug-and-play deployment in environments that don't require advanced configuration or monitoring capabilities.