Solvonex is one of the largest Engenius Network Resellers and Integrators in Indiana
It has been over five years since we started implementing Engenius Networks solutions on a regular basis at Solvonex. We ramped up orders and installations even more after the 2020 pandemic and have been very successful in the SMB and educational space as well as some more complex enterprise solutions recently. Where other vendors failed to produce products in a timely manner, Engenius came through for us.
Something we really like about the Engenius lineup is the cloud management options. If you are an IT network admin or cybersecurity person, you are probably thinking, “OH MY! Not cloud management! Ahh!” or something similar. The good news is that Engenius has several options for multi-factor authentication which is our standard demand of any vendor at this point. We don’t mess around with security and demand our vendors be good at it. The other thing to understand and consider about the industry is that many or even most hardware manufacturers are headed toward cloud controllers or cloud management anyway. Do you miss the old days of having to walk up with a console cable to jack into a switch? Those options and local Gui administration are still available, but for near real-time telemetry on what a switch and wireless AP is doing, cloud management on or offsite is the ticket.
All cloud managed network solutions will take a few moments or minutes to sync down the setting changes or update after a considerable configuration update. That is expected, and we have never had any issues with Engenius cloud managed products causing us an issue while waiting. Another great option is if you do have to factory reset a switch or AP after it has been configured in the cloud, the unit will boot up, grab an IP address (assuming you have DHCP available locally) and will check in with the cloud configuration to, wait for it, download the same configuration again! That gives you the ability to have someone on-site such as a help desk resource or even a cabling technician provide “smart hands” work for you at a remote site while you do your administration work remotely.
The new WIFI 6 and WIFI 7 options on the wireless access point side are blazing fast with good antennas. We regularly create solutions for multi-dwelling units and warehouses as well as outdoor venues, so wireless design is sort of our thing. The network ports on the newer access points are 2.5Gbps all the way to 10Gbps, which is great for a lot of throughput!
The Engenius switch lineup also has 1Gbps copper and mGig options. Several models carry SFP+ slots for short or long range 10Gbps fiber connections. There is even a fiber aggregation switch. Very cool stuff!
Let’s go beyond switches and wireless APs for a moment and talk about other devices Engenius offers such as PDUs are power distribution units. Their new PDU lineup is also cloud managed and can make remote administration and power monitoring a snap. We are looking at doing an unboxing and test video in the coming weeks as show and tell.
Full disclosure: Yes, we sell and support Engenius solutions, but we also bought this one with our own money. Engenius knows us to be straight shooters, and we do collaborate with them frequently on feedback for any issues or problems we have with their products. Not every product is perfect, but we believe it to be our job as a good partner to provide feedback to help them figure out any issues or bugs to have the best possible outcome for our vendors, our clients, and for Solvonex. Hint: We don’t sell lousy gear!
As of the date of this article, we have over one hundred Engenius switches and several hundred wireless access points deployed along with several wireless bridges for athletic fields. Edge switching options from Engenius have been great for schools and warehouses. Wireless access points have been mounted inside, outside, vertical, and horizontal. Here is a link to a newer product promotional video from Engenius: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rGTstj421Oc
Engenius Networks has many solutions to offer SMB, education, and enterprise. You may ask next about things like VLANs and routing. Yes, there are no issues with VLANs. Easy as can be! Engenius switching currently does not do Layer 3 routing, however. For those solutions we rely on our firewall vendors or core switch vendors, but we are always talking to Engenius about true Layer 3 routing so stay tuned!
We at Solvonex strongly feel that Engenius solutions fit a great number of our clients’ vertical markets and even niche needs. One project we are considering is how to build out a network in a fraternity house and bring them up to par with the latest and greatest bandwidth hungry applications. Engenius should be able to get us there if the project does move forward. More on that later!
Contact us to find out more about Engenius Network solutions and how we can help you with your network needs to Solve Your Next!
