Ruckus Launches New Versatile Switch Family for Next Generation Networks

Ruckus announced a new family of switches to support next-generation network edge and aggregation/core requirements. The Ruckus ICX^®7650 family delivers high-performance switching capabilities to meet current and future network demands, including high-density 802.11ac / 802.11ax Wi-Fi deployments, UHD video streaming, line rate encryption and single point of management.

The Ruckus ICX 7650 is the industry’s highest performing, scalable edge switch to deliver support for 100 Gigabit Ethernet—the highest port density for IEEE 802.3bz (Multi-gigabit) Ethernet ports, along with the highest number of IEEE 802.3bt-ready (90 W PoE) ports on the market today. This family is the first fixed configuration switch to offer 100 Gigabit Ethernet for campus networks.

“As more wireless users access cloud and data-intensive applications on their devices, the demand for high-speed, resilient edge networks continues to increase,” said Sudarshan Boosupalli, country head India & SAARC, Ruckus. “The innovative technology behind the ICX 7650 switch family captures all these requirements, enabling users to scale and future-proof their network infrastructure to meet the increasing demand of wired and wireless network requirements for seven to ten years.”

The high-performance Ruckus ICX 7650 family offers a flexible, scalable architecture for simplified management and is available as a multi-gigabit access switch or a medium core/aggregation switch. The ICX 7650 is the industry’s first Multi-gigabit (IEEE 802.3bz) Ethernet stackable switch with 100GbE connectivity, In-Service Software Upgrades (ISSU) for high availability in a stack, up to 90 Watts (IEEE 802.3bt ready) of PoE power per port and dual hot-swappable power supplies and fans for added resiliency. The ICX 7650 has fixed 40 Gigabit and 100 Gigabit Ethernet ports that can be used as uplinks or stacking ports, further supplementing user bandwidth requirements by providing modular uplinks that can scale from 10 to 100 Gigabits. With all the features of ICX switches, such as simplified management with campus fabric and advanced stacking capabilities, these switches are ideal for customers in markets with high-bandwidth requirements including education, hospitality, federal government and small-to-medium enterprise (SME).

“The new Ruckus ICX 7650 switch expands Ruckus’ offering in multi-gigabit Ethernet switching, delivering more multi-gigabit ports, higher performance with up to 100G uplinks and more PoE power to support high density wireless deployments, including future Wi-Fi standards such as 802.11ax and beyond,” said Nolan Greene, senior research analyst, enterprise networks, IDC. “This new family of switches is well suited for many vertical segments including Primary and Higher Education, Carpeted Enterprise, Large Public Venues and Government markets that value a high performance, future-proof network platform.”

Features for Ruckus ICX 7650 Family

The new ICX7650 family includes three new models including: 1) the ICX7650-48ZP multi-gigabit access switch; 2) the ICX7650-48F core/aggregation switch; and 3) ICX7650-48P high-performance gigabit switch.

• The ICX 7650-48ZP access switch provides 24 ports of Multi-gigabit (IEEE 802.3bz) Ethernet ports to also support 90 W of PoE power (IEEE 802.3bt ready), as well as 24 ports of Gigabit Ethernet to support PoE+.
• The ICX 7650-48F core/aggregation switch provides a high-performance platform with up to 24 10G and 24 1G fiber ports with the premium L3 features of a large core switch as well as 256-bit MACsec line rate encryption.
• The ICX 7650-48P can be flexibly deployed in multiple management models – as a stack of up to 12 switches, stacked over long distances up to 10 km, or in a fabric bringing the ease of plug- and-play while retaining a secure and scalable design.

With the advancement of Wi-Fi technologies delivered by 802.11ac and 802.11ax capable APs, customers require networks that will support their current and future needs. The ICX 7650 provides the right network infrastructure delivering high-performance connectivity for existing and future Wi-Fi networks where reliability, simplified management and future-proofing is essential.

Pricing and Availability

The Ruckus ICX 7650 switch will be available in Q1 2018. Pricing starts at $11,900 USD. (ICX7650-48P-E with one power supply and one fan). For more information, please visit the ICX 7650 product page on the Ruckus website.