Extreme Networks X440-G2-24fx-GE4 | 24-Port Fiber Switch | High-Performance Network Infrastructure for Industrial Automation

The X440-G2-24fx-GE4 delivers significant performance and architectural advantages for modern industrial automation networks. Built on a non-blocking switching fabric, it offers wire-speed forwarding across all 24 fiber ports—critical for high-bandwidth applications like machine vision, real-time analytics, or distributed I/O over Ethernet. Compared to legacy industrial switches, it provides true Layer 3 routing in hardware, enabling efficient inter-VLAN communication without external routers, which reduces latency and simplifies topology. A key differentiator is its support for advanced traffic engineering: hardware-based Quality of Service (QoS) with eight queues per port ensures deterministic delivery of control traffic (e.g., PROFINET IRT or EtherNet/IP CIP Sync), while features like ERPS (Ethernet Ring Protection Switching) deliver sub-50ms failover for ring topologies common in factory floors. From a total cost of ownership (TCO) perspective, the switch eliminates the need for separate security appliances or protocol converters by natively supporting MACsec encryption, ACLs, and role-based access control. Furthermore, integration with ExtremeCloud IQ enables zero-touch provisioning, centralized firmware management, and AI-driven anomaly detection—dramatically reducing engineering hours during deployment and ongoing operations.

This switch integrates seamlessly into converged OT/IT environments using industry-standard protocols and modern management paradigms. It is managed through Extreme’s unified platform—ExtremeCloud IQ—which supports on-premises, private cloud, or public cloud deployment, offering lifecycle management from commissioning to decommissioning. The switch fully supports industrial Ethernet protocols: it can prioritize PROFINET, EtherNet/IP, and Modbus TCP traffic via DSCP or 802.1p tagging, and its IGMP snooping optimizes multicast delivery for video surveillance or HMI updates. For higher-level connectivity, it provides native OPC UA PubSub over UDP and supports MQTT bridging when paired with edge software stacks, facilitating direct data flow to SCADA, MES, or cloud platforms like AWS IoT or Azure. In terms of scalability, the X440-G2-24fx-GE4 serves as an ideal aggregation point: its four 10GbE uplinks connect to core switches or servers, while stacking (via dedicated 40G ports on compatible models) allows logical unification of multiple units for increased resiliency. Although this specific model lacks PoE, it pairs effectively with PoE-capable X440-G2 variants in a hierarchical design. The platform also supports virtualization technologies like VXLAN, enabling secure overlay networks for multi-tenant or segmented architectures—essential for compliance with IEC 62443 cybersecurity standards.