AutomationDirect adds Gigabit and lower-cost PoE+ options to STRIDE PRO unmanaged-plus switch range

New models bring up to eight Gigabit ports and network-monitoring features aimed at machine-cell diagnostics, device connectivity, and uptime response.

AutomationDirect has expanded its STRIDE PRO Unmanaged+ industrial Ethernet switch lineup with additional Gigabit models offering up to eight ports and new lower-cost Power over Ethernet Plus, or PoE+, models.

The added products sit between basic unmanaged switches and fully managed industrial network hardware. AutomationDirect said the Unmanaged+ line adds IGMP snooping, port monitoring, port alarms, port mirroring, and VLAN support without requiring the configuration burden associated with managed switches.

For plant and field-operations buyers, the practical value is not higher production throughput by itself. The switches support the communications layer behind PLCs, HMIs, cameras, drives, sensors, wireless access points, and other connected equipment. A network fault can stop a machine cycle, blind an operator to alarms, or interrupt a vision inspection process even when the mechanical equipment remains available.

IGMP snooping is intended to limit multicast traffic by sending data only to devices that require it, rather than flooding the network. That can matter in applications using multiple data-producing devices, including machine-vision cameras or distributed operator displays, where unnecessary traffic can complicate troubleshooting and consume network capacity.

AutomationDirect also said the switches can mirror traffic from a selected port to a monitoring port. Maintenance or controls teams can use that capability to capture and inspect network traffic during intermittent faults without disconnecting the production device under investigation.

The port-alarm function monitors Ethernet connection status and can signal when a cable connection changes, an unauthorized device connects, or an authorized device goes offline. In a staffed plant, that can help electricians, controls technicians, and maintenance personnel identify whether a fault involves a machine component or the network connection supporting it. In remote utility, water, or distributed industrial assets, the same alarm function may help shorten the time between a communications failure and a field dispatch.

The lower-cost PoE+ additions could reduce the need for separate local power supplies where devices can accept power over Ethernet. Typical candidates include industrial cameras, wireless radios, access-control equipment, and some connected sensors. Buyers still need to confirm each device’s power draw, total switch power budget, cable length, environmental rating, and electrical protection requirements before using PoE+ as a replacement for dedicated device power.

The Gigabit additions offer higher link capacity than Fast Ethernet models, but AutomationDirect did not publish model numbers, pricing, power budgets, switching capacity, environmental specifications, or availability dates in its announcement. It also did not identify whether the expanded range represents newly launched hardware or additions to existing inventory.

For operations teams, the investment case will depend less on switch purchase price than on avoided troubleshooting time and prevented downtime. A port alarm or mirrored traffic capture does not repair a failed cable, camera, or controller, but it can give technicians a faster starting point. That makes unmanaged-plus hardware most relevant where a basic switch no longer provides enough fault visibility, while a managed-switch deployment would add more configuration and network-administration work than the application justifies.