WLEX Lexington Transforms Live Production with NETGEAR AV Switches

Background

WLEX-TV operates as a broadcast television station serving Lexington and central Kentucky, producing live content throughout the state, including high-profile events such as the Kentucky Derby. The station’s mobile production capabilities are essential to its operations and require sophisticated AV infrastructure that can be deployed rapidly at remote locations.

The station’s mobile production trailer functions as a complete broadcast facility on wheels, supporting complex multi-camera video workflows alongside Dante-based digital audio distribution. This sophisticated setup enables WLEX to deliver professional broadcast-quality content from any location. Still, it also creates significant technical challenges when network infrastructure fails or requires reconfiguration in the field.

With a small engineering team managing production deployments across multiple venues, the station needed networking equipment that production staff could configure and troubleshoot without extensive IT networking expertise. The existing approach of renting preconfigured equipment from rental houses was becoming increasingly problematic, creating dependencies that affected show reliability and extended setup times.

Challenge

Before implementing their own NETGEAR-based infrastructure, WLEX relied on rented networking equipment from third-party rental houses. This approach created multiple operational challenges that directly affected their ability to produce live broadcasts quickly and reliably.

The rented systems typically arrived configured on third-party switches that had reached end-of-life and end-of-support status. When WLEX needed to make changes to accommodate different show requirements or troubleshoot connectivity issues, they had to contact the rental house for support because the production team lacked the deep networking expertise required to modify complex enterprise switch configurations.

The rental systems frequently arrived misconfigured, with VLANs that didn’t behave as expected – they would communicate when they shouldn’t or fail to communicate when they should. Setting up trunk connections between switches and configuring link aggregation groups consumed valuable engineering time that should have been focused on production rather than network troubleshooting.

These networking challenges had direct impacts on show production: setup times extended well beyond what should have been required, engineering staff spent time troubleshooting network issues instead of preparing for broadcasts, and the dependency on rental house support created delays that affected production schedules.

When WLEX decided to build its own mobile production trailer, the team recognized an opportunity to fundamentally change its networking approach. They needed a solution that would deliver enterprise-grade reliability while being accessible to broadcast engineers rather than requiring IT networking specialists on every deployment.

“Before NETGEAR, we were renting a lot of stuff from rental houses. Things were coming preconfigured on non-NETGEAR switches, which were end of life. Whenever we needed to make changes, we had to call the rental house. VLANs didn’t behave consistently. Deployment was slow, and engineering time was wasted troubleshooting instead of producing the show.”

Jeremy Draper — WLEX Engineering Team

Solution

When WLEX planned to build its own mobile production trailer, the team reconsidered its networking approach and found that NETGEAR’s AV Line of switches could deliver broadcast-class reliability with a far more straightforward setup than the enterprise switches they had been using.

The perception shift was significant. The engineering team initially viewed NETGEAR as a consumer-focused brand. Still, upon further investigation, they discovered purpose-built broadcast networking equipment with preconfigured profiles for broadcast audio and video applications.

The NETGEAR M4250 series switches became the foundation of WLEX’s mobile production infrastructure, with Dante profiles that simplified audio network configuration. Rather than manually configuring VLANs, multicast routing, and quality-of-service settings across multiple switches, the engineering team could select the Dante profile in NETGEAR Engage, connect the switches, and have a robust, properly configured audio network up and running in minutes.

The NETGEAR AV OS™ in each switch provided a crucial advantage: broadcast engineers could configure switches, set up VLANs, and deploy Dante networks using an intuitive web interface designed for AV professionals rather than IT specialists. This accessibility eliminated the bottleneck that had previously required rental house support for every configuration change.

NETGEAR Engage™ management platform became central to WLEX’s production workflow, providing topology visualization that let engineers see the entire network at a glance. Engineers can hover over any port to view its IP address assignment, quickly verify VLAN configurations, and troubleshoot connectivity issues without logging into individual switches.

The flexibility of the NETGEAR infrastructure proved essential for WLEX’s remote production needs. When additional switches were required to extend network coverage, the team could install a NETGEAR switch, add SFP+ fiber modules, run the fiber connection, and configure the new switch through Engage. That process took approximately 10 minutes rather than hours of configuration and troubleshooting.

For internet connectivity, WLEX deployed the NETGEAR PR460X router with dual-WAN (wide area network) failover. This configuration allowed them to use both venue internet and Starlink satellite connectivity, with automatic failover managed through Engage. When the venue’s internet failed during broadcasts, the system would seamlessly transition to Starlink with only a minor interruption, ensuring shows stayed on air.

“We viewed NETGEAR as a consumer product, but we know better now. It’s robust, easy to set up, and I don’t have to worry about anything.”

Jeremy Draper — WLEX Engineering Team

Results

The NETGEAR infrastructure transformation delivered measurable improvements across reliability, efficiency, and operational flexibility for WLEX’s mobile production operations.

The pre-configured profiles and intuitive interface reduced network deployment time from hours to minutes. What previously required coordination with rental house support and extensive troubleshooting could now be accomplished by WLEX’s own engineering team in a fraction of the time. Adding new switches to extend network coverage, a process that once required extensive configuration, now takes approximately 10 minutes.

By owning their networking infrastructure and using AV-designed equipment, WLEX eliminated their reliance on rental house support for configuration changes and troubleshooting. The engineering team can now make field modifications without external support, providing operational independence critical for remote production environments.

After two years of operation, WLEX has experienced zero network-related failures with its NETGEAR switches. The infrastructure has proven robust across numerous production deployments, from local broadcasts to high-profile state-wide events. Configuration persistence across deployments means switches come up in exactly the state they were left in, providing peace of mind during trailer redeployments.

The dual-WAN failover configuration on the NETGEAR PR460X router has protected WLEX broadcasts from venue internet failures. When connectivity issues occur, automatic failover to Starlink satellite internet ensures shows stay on air with barely perceptible interruptions. This reliability has been crucial to maintaining broadcast-quality during live productions.

The success of NETGEAR equipment in the mobile production trailer led WLEX to expand deployment into its main studio facility. When adding a second control room, the station incorporated M4250 switches into the build-out, ensuring the same reliability and ease of configuration as in the trailer. Today, anytime WLEX deploys a Dante network, whether mobile or fixed installation, it’s built on NETGEAR switches.

“The AV interface has made this an easy process. I set it up, it works, and I move on with my day. I will not deploy another Dante network that is not built on NETGEAR switches.”

Jeremy Draper — WLEX Engineering Team

NETGEAR Products Used

• NETGEAR M4250 AV Line switches
• NETGEAR PR460X Multi-WAN router with failover capabilities
• NETGEAR Engage management platform for centralized monitoring and control
• NETGEAR SFP+ fiber modules for high-speed backbone connections

Why NETGEAR Was Chosen

• Purpose-Built for Broadcast and Pro AV Applications: M4250 switches are specifically designed for broadcast audio/video workflows with pre-configured profiles for Dante and many other protocols
• Intuitive AV OS: Web-based management designed for broadcast engineers rather than IT networking specialists, eliminating the complexity of traditional enterprise switches
• Rapid Deployment Capabilities: Pre-configured profiles and simple setup procedures enable network deployment in minutes rather than hours
• Centralized Management: NETGEAR Engage platform provides topology visualization, remote configuration, and unified monitoring across all switches and the router
• Proven Reliability: Two years of operation with zero network-related failures across multiple production deployments
• Enterprise-Grade Features with AV Accessibility: Delivers broadcast-class performance and reliability while remaining accessible to production teams without specialized networking expertise.
• Flexible Expansion: Easy to add switches and extend network coverage with minimal configuration time
• Dual WAN Failover: PR460X router provides automatic failover between venue internet and Starlink, ensuring broadcast continuity

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