To complement its existing technology offering, Duxbury Networking introduced its first switch model in early 2019. Two years later, the company’s offering has rapidly grown with market demand for high-quality switches and other connectivity products at an affordable price.
“We added some unmanaged PoE switches and managed PoE switches soon afterwards. We now have more than 15 line items that include industrial switches and solar switches as well as some desktop and portable LTE routers,” says Tobie van Schalkwyk, product manager at Duxbury Networking.
The products, which are all available from local resellers or via Takealot, undergo stringent testing and R&D, ensuring that they are suitable for use in local conditions.
“Each product we launch is sourced from larger OEM companies and tested in our environment for an extended period to make sure they meet our high standards. Our return rate on our current products is very low due to the extensive research and development phase they are exposed to before we launch them. All our products carry the necessary internationally recognised safety reports (IEEE standards) and local NRCS (National Regulator for Compulsory Specifications) and ICASA (Independent Communications Authority of South Africa) approvals, where applicable,” says Van Schalkwyk.
Duxbury switches
The Duxbury switches are targeted at applications in small businesses and home offices requiring the installation of Power-over-Ethernet (PoE) devices, such as IP phones, IP cameras and access points. The Duxbury range will keep on expanding to meet the need for specialised, value-added products as well as the volume distribution of its market-leading offerings. Duxbury currently offers unmanaged and managed Layer 2 and Layer 3 switches, some of which have 10 Gbps fibre ports.
“Our switches not only represent an easy and cost-effective way to add more Ethernet ports to a small network, they also give users an opportunity to leverage the full potential of increasingly popular IP-based networking solutions – such as security systems – at a budget price,” says Van Schalkwyk.
The Duxbury range is cover by a limited lifetime warranty. “This means as long as we import the model you will be covered under warranty. If for some reason unforeseeable we decide to stop the importation of a product we will cover the product for a further five years,” Van Schalkwyk points out.
“We were one of the first companies in South Africa to introduce extended PoE on our switches to the market. Extended PoE is a technology where you can provide PoE to devices (cameras or access points) up to 250 metres away. There is normally a 100-metre limitation to provide PoE to devices, so this feature, which is available on most of our switches, is of huge benefit to customers,” he adds.
Duxbury Wi-Fi and LTE
Duxbury’s LTE router and pocket routers allow users to access worldwide mobile broadband networks from anywhere in the world. “You simply insert your SIM card and share your 3G/4G internet connection through a secure wireless network or by using any of the four 10/100 Ethernet ports. Once connected, you can transfer data and stream media. The 4G LTE routers let you connect to your 3G/4G mobile connection with fast downlink speeds of up to 150 Mbps and uplink speeds up to 50 Mbps, giving you the speed you need for fast Internet access,” Van Schalkwyk explains.
“Our LTE routers support fail-over. This allows customers to use either fibre or ADSL as their main connection, but if something goes wrong the router will automatically switch over to LTE connectivity until the problem is resolved. Customers also have the option to use LTE as their main connection and use the WAN port as their fail-over option,” says Van Schalkwyk.
To boost and assist with wireless connectivity Duxbury also launched two Wi-Fi products – a range extender and the AC1200 wireless MESH system. The entry level N300 range extender will help people to cover dead spots in their homes or small offices at a very affordable price.
“We are always looking to expand the Duxbury range and will keep on adding new and popular products, like the new affordable wireless AC1200 MESH system we have just launched to allow customers to access cost-effective technology. The system ships with one router and two nodes, giving you three devices to cover a larger area. AC1200 will also ensure a smooth and fast streaming experience,” says Van Schalkwyk.