Software-based platforms
As the professional AV industry moves to software-based platforms, there’s growing demand for network solutions that deliver exceptional audio, video, and control performance without complex setup. The collaboration between Q-SYS and NETGEAR addresses this transformation by combining the Q-SYS Full Stack AV Platform with NETGEAR’s purpose-built AV Line switching infrastructure.
The collaboration between the two global leaders shows how intelligent software-based audio, video, and control systems work with enterprise-grade networking to create plug-and-play installations. These systems deliver power, media transport, and centralized management across corporate environments, educational institutions, and collaborative spaces worldwide.
Revolutionary Software-Based Integration
Q-SYS delivers exceptional unified platform performance through its software-based audio, video, and control engine. This eliminates traditional AV silos while maintaining enterprise-grade performance for demanding applications. The Q-SYS Platform leverages Q-LAN protocol suite for seamless audio and video distribution, device discovery, synchronization, and control across standard IT networks.
The NS Series Gen 2 network switches are NETGEAR-manufactured, enterprise-grade solutions pre-configured specifically to meet the rigorous performance requirements of Q-SYS, AES67, and Dante protocols. These switches provide real-time transport of Q-LAN, AES67, and Dante audio streams in addition to Q-LAN video streaming and distribution, simultaneously within the same VLAN, without requiring manual QoS configuration.
NETGEAR’s specialized switching infrastructure provides the bandwidth, timing precision, and protocol awareness supporting the Q-SYS software-based platform architecture. The combination enables integrators to create complex enterprise AV systems where audio, video, and control elements can be independently managed through Q-SYS Designer while benefiting from NETGEAR’s reliable network backbone and intelligent multicast management.
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Plug-and-Play Enterprise Performance
The switches deliver true plug-and-play deployment through comprehensive pre-configuration. Each switch features standard PoE on all ports (excluding uplinks and SFP ports), providing combined power, data, and control for Q-SYS devices, while PoE++ models support up to 90 Watts for higher-power requirements like Q-SYS NV Series video endpoints.
Together, NETGEAR and Q-SYS deliver consistent performance whether powering a single conference room or campus-wide installations. Each deployment benefits from award-winning unified platform capabilities from Q-SYS and NETGEAR’s proven enterprise networking reliability. Integrated NETGEAR IGMP Plus technology provides automatic multi-cast data management between multiple switches, while optional built-in DHCP servers enable automated connectivity for standalone AV systems.
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Comprehensive Control Ecosystem
The collaboration extends beyond hardware compatibility to encompass deep software integration through the Q-SYS Ecosystem. NETGEAR AV Line switches feature dedicated plugin integration with Q-SYS Designer, enabling monitoring and management of switch status, PoE control, and diagnostic information directly from the Q-SYS environment .
This integration ensures that network infrastructure and AV technology work together seamlessly, with Q-SYS serving as the centralized brain for audio, video, control, and network management functions. The result is a complete ecosystem where IT-standard protocols enable easy integration with modern network infrastructure while maintaining the specialized performance requirements of professional AV applications.
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