2/6/2006 -- Cisco Systems Inc.’s enterprise gear has always been a tough sell in the small- and medium-sized business (SMB) space, but Cisco subsidiary Linksys’ stuff, on the other hand, seems tailor-made for SMB customers. So while Cisco announced plans to chase after consumer customers in non-traditional markets, Linksys -- a la George Jefferson -- is moving on up.

All told, Linksys announced eight new WebView Gigabit Ethernet (GigE) and Fast Ethernet switches for small business customers.

The new switches include 16-, 24-, and 48-port GigE models; 24- and 48-port Fast Ethernet models, each with four GigE ports; and 24- and 48-port Fast Ethernet and Power Over Ethernet (PoE) models, each with two GigE ports, as well as a 24-port Fast Ethernet and PoE model with four GigE ports.

All nine switches ship with Linksys’ WebView administrative tool, which simplifies administration for SMB novices. Similarly, all of the WebView switches support automatic MDI/MDI-X crossover detection, so SMBers don't have to worry about cable mismatches, along with polarity detection to help automatically correct wiring errors. The WebView switches are auto-sensing; support head-of-line blocking prevention, which keeps high-speed clients from bogging down in low-speed traffic; and feature fast store-and-forward switching, which prevents damaged packets from being passed into the network.

If Linksys officials are to be believed, the new WebView offerings are just the beginning. "We enhanced our gigabit switches with more features that optimize network performance while providing expandability options as network needs grow," said Richard Platt, vice president of Linksys’ small business systems business unit, in a statement. "Linksys is building out its small business line to offer a complete portfolio of solutions that will meet the needs of all types of small business demands." -Stephen Swoyer