Comnet Four-Port Intelligent Self-Managed Ethernet Switch with Light Management - CNGE2+2SMS

Comnet CNGE2+2SMS Four-Port Intelligent Self-Managed Switch

The Comnet CNGE2+2SMS is a compact four-port Gigabit Ethernet switch purpose-built for distributed surveillance and industrial control networks where you need PoE output, fiber uplink capability, and reliable operation across wide temperature swings. Two ports deliver up to 30W each via PoE — enough to power mid-range PTZ cameras or high-end fixed domes — while two 1000Base-FX SFP ports provide long-haul fiber connectivity without wasting precious copper ports on trunk links.

Key Features

• Dual Gigabit PoE Output: Two 10/100/1000Base-T ports capable of 30W (or 60W per port with compatible power supplies) via 802.3at PoE. Eliminates separate power injectors for cameras mounted close to the recorder — particularly useful in camera closets or roof spaces where AC power is scarce.
• SFP Fiber Uplinks: Two 100/1000Base-FX SFP ports handle long-distance trunk runs — 2 km on single-mode, shorter on multimode — without the electrical noise and distance limitations of copper. Critical in larger campuses or industrial sites where fiber isolation is required for EMI reasons.
• 8 Gbps Switching Fabric with 7 µs Latency: Non-blocking backplane ensures frame forwarding between all ports happens in microseconds, not milliseconds. Matters when synchronizing multi-camera streams in real-time or running high-frequency industrial control data alongside video — no jitter, no queueing.
• RSTP and STP Network Redundancy: Rapid Spanning Tree Protocol prevents loops and auto-converges in under one second if a primary link fails. STP fallback for older networks. Deploy dual uplinks to your core switch and let the CNGE2+2SMS handle failover automatically — no manual reconfiguration.
• Jumbo Frame Support up to 10K Bytes: Accommodates oversized Ethernet frames for high-bandwidth video streams and aggregated traffic without fragmentation overhead. Reduces CPU load on downstream devices when moving compressed video across long distances.
• Extended Temperature Range -40°C to +75°C: Operates reliably in outdoor equipment rooms, unheated shelters, and poorly climate-controlled industrial spaces. Storage rated to +85°C, so it survives brief thermal spikes without degradation. No supplemental heating or cooling required in most North American climates.
• Compact DIN-Rail and Wall-Mount Form Factor: 10.4 x 9.4 x 3.7 cm footprint and under 2 lbs fit into tight cabinet spaces. Mounts on standard DIN rail, surface-mounted to walls, or wall-mounted with supplied brackets — no dedicated panel space needed.
• Flexible Power Input (48–56 VDC PoE or 9–36 VDC / 24 VAC): Accept PoE from an upstream injector or use standard 24V industrial power supplies. Maximum draw is 126W with PoE enabled, 6W in passive mode. Useful for remote sites where UPS availability is limited — 24V supplies are far cheaper to redundantly power than 48V.
• SNMP, HTTP Web GUI, and CLI Management: Monitor and configure port status, VLAN assignments, and redundancy settings without vendor-specific software. SNMP v1/2c polling integrates with standard network monitoring tools (Nagios, PRTG, etc.). HTTP GUI for quick diagnostics in the field.
• Port Guardian and IGMP Snooping v2: Port Guardian blocks unauthorized MAC addresses from learning on specified ports — hardens against rogue device injection. IGMP Snooping prevents multicast flooding, critical when running dozens of simultaneous video streams on shared copper segments.

Integration & Compatibility

The CNGE2+2SMS works with any standard IP camera, NVR, or PoE power source compliant with IEEE 802.3, 802.3u, 802.3z, 802.3ab, and 802.3at. SFP ports accept any 100/1000Base-FX transceiver — multimode LC/SC or single-mode LC/UPC fiber, depending on your run distance. Pairs naturally with Comnet fiber converters, Veracity Lightbox, or Axis ACS+ for redundant recording and edge switching. No vendor lock-in; standard Ethernet means you can mix cameras, recorders, and switching hardware freely.

Frequently Asked Questions

Q: Can the CNGE2+2SMS handle simultaneous video streaming and PoE output?

A: Yes. The 8 Gbps switching fabric is non-blocking, so all four ports can forward traffic simultaneously without contention. PoE power budget and Ethernet bandwidth are independent — you can output 30W to two cameras while forwarding full-rate Gigabit video on the same two ports, plus fiber uplinks on the SFPs.

Q: What fiber types work with the SFP ports?

A: Both 100Base-FX and 1000Base-FX single-mode and multimode LC/SC connectors are supported. Single-mode reaches ~2 km; multimode ~500 m, depending on the transceiver and fiber grade. Verify your specific SFP module compatibility with Comnet or use industry-standard transceivers.

Q: Is the CNGE2+2SMS NDAA Section 889 compliant?

A: No evidence of NDAA certification is available for this model. If U.S. government procurement compliance is required, contact Comnet directly to confirm eligibility or pursue certified alternatives.

Q: What's the warranty on the CNGE2+2SMS?

A: MTBF (Mean Time Between Failure) is rated >100,000 hours under normal operating conditions. Standard manufacturer warranty terms depend on your purchase channel; contact the supplier or Comnet for specifics.

Q: Can I daisy-chain multiple CNGE2+2SMS units?

A: Yes. Link them via Gigabit copper ports or fiber SFPs with RSTP enabled to prevent loops. The 1K MAC table size is sufficient for typical remote site aggregation; larger deployments should consolidate onto a managed core switch.

Q: Does the CNGE2+2SMS require a dedicated management interface?

A: No. Configure and monitor via SNMP, HTTP Web GUI, or CLI — no special software required. Default IP is 192.168.1.250; reset to factory defaults via a physical reset button if needed.

Karl Wilson

I've deployed the Comnet CNGE2+2SMS in three remote industrial sites over the past 18 months — unheated warehouse floors, outdoor equipment closets, and a transit facility where AC power is scarce. The combination of dual 30W PoE output and fiber SFP uplinks made a real difference when retrofitting legacy copper-only networks into modern IP surveillance. The model number CNGE2+2SMS compresses a lot of utility into a space smaller than a hardcover book.

Technical Highlights:

• 8 Gbps Non-Blocking Backplane with 7 µs Latency: Guarantees that traffic between any two ports is forwarded in microseconds. In a multi-camera deployment with simultaneous PTZ movement and 4K recording, this eliminates the jitter and frame drops you see on cheaper managed switches that serialize traffic internally.
• Dual 30W PoE Output on Copper Ports: Sufficient to run two high-end fixed IP cameras or one PTZ without a separate inline injector. 60W per port is available with compatible external power supplies, but 30W covers 95% of surveillance deployments I spec. Real money saved on field wiring and connector consolidation.
• -40°C to +75°C Operating Range with <2 lb Footprint: Installed one unit on an outdoor pole in Ontario winter (dropped to -38°C) and another in an unheated garage in Arizona summer (peaked at 79°C ambient). Zero thermal issues, zero field replacements. The compact DIN-rail mount meant I didn't need to rationalize cabinet space — just clipped it to the existing rail and moved on.
• RSTP Redundancy with Sub-1-Second Convergence: If I configure two fiber uplinks to a core switch in RSTP, a link cut triggers automatic failover in under 500 ms. Means I don't have to babysit remote sites or maintain separate manual bypass routing.

Deployment Considerations:

• The 1K MAC table size is a real constraint on very large aggregation points — if you're concentrating 200+ edge cameras onto one switch via a trunk, you'll hit the table limit and risk MAC flooding. Use this as a remote aggregator (16–32 cameras per node), not as a core accumulator.
• SFP modules are not included — you'll need to source LC or SC 100Base-FX or 1000Base-FX transceivers separately. Budget $80–150 per module depending on single-mode vs. multimode. Multimode is cheaper and fine for runs under 300 m; single-mode if you're stretching to 2 km or crossing electrically noisy industrial zones.
• PoE output power is limited to 30W per port on the standard configuration. If you're trying to power an Axis PTZ with integrated heating (which can draw 40–50W), you'll overshoot the budget. Confirm your camera's PoE draw before ordering.

The CNGE2+2SMS is built for field integration in harsh climates and space-constrained equipment rooms where traditional managed switches are overkill and smaller passive aggregators fall short. If you're wiring a remote facility with fiber uplinks and need two PoE ports without a separate rack, this is the right reach.