NETGEAR GSS108E Manual

Hardware Installation Guide
8-Port and 16-Port Gigabit Ethernet
(PoE+) Smart Managed Plus Click Switch
Models
GSS108E
GSS116E
GSS108EPP
NETGEAR, Inc.
350 E. Plumeria DriveJanuary 2019
San Jose, CA 95134, USA202-11712-04

Support
Thank you for purchasing this NETGEAR product. You can visit
https://www.netgear.com/support/ to register your product, get help, access the latest
downloads and user manuals, and join our community. We recommend that you use
only official NETGEAR support resources.
Compliance and Conformity
For regulatory compliance information including the EU Declaration of Conformity, visit
https://www.netgear.com/about/regulatory/.
See the regulatory compliance document before connecting the power supply.
Do not use this device outdoors. If you connect cables or devices that are outdoors to
this device, see http://kb.netgear.com/000057103 for safety and warranty information.
Trademarks
© NETGEAR, Inc., NETGEAR, and the NETGEAR Logo are trademarks of NETGEAR, Inc.
Any non-NETGEAR trademarks are used for reference purposes only.
Revision History
CommentsPublish DatePublication Part
Number
•Reorganized the entire guide and published it in a new format.
•Updated the product names.
•Removed information about the resource CD.
•Revised the information in all existing chapters and sections.
•Added in Chapter 1: Overview on page 6.
•Added in Chapter 2: Factory Defaults button on page 18.
•Added in Chapter 3: Network switching on page 20.
•Added in Chapter 4: Step 1: Prepare the site on page 27, Step 2: Protect
against electrostatic discharge on page 28, Step 5: Connect devices to the
switch on page 34, Step 6: Check the installation on page 34, and Step 9:
Manage the switch on page 36.
•Added in chapter 5: PoE troubleshooting suggestions (model GSS108EPP)
on page 39.
January 2019202-11712-04
Made adjustments to illustrations with the new bracket design.April 2017202-11712-03
•Updated illustrations with the new bracket design.
•Made some editorial changes.
March 2017202-11712-02
First publication.October 2016202-11712-01
2
8-Port and 16-Port Gigabit Ethernet (PoE+) Smart Managed Plus Click Switch

Contents
Chapter 1 Introduction
Overview................................................................................................6
Features.................................................................................................7
Safety instructions and warnings........................................................9
Chapter 2 Hardware Overview
Model GSS108E hardware................................................................13
Front panel model GSS108E........................................................13
Status LEDs model GSS108E........................................................13
Back panel model GSS108E.........................................................14
Model GSS116E hardware................................................................14
Front panel model GSS116E........................................................14
Status LEDs model GSS116E........................................................15
Back panel model GSS116E.........................................................15
Model GSS108EPP hardware............................................................16
Front panel model GSS108EPP....................................................16
Status LEDs model GSS108EPP...................................................16
Back panel model GSS108EPP.....................................................17
Switch hardware interfaces...............................................................17
RJ-45 ports for 10/100/1000M BASE-T Ethernet connectivity..17
USB charging ports (model GSS108E)........................................18
Factory Defaults button.................................................................18
Chapter 3 Applications
Network switching..............................................................................20
Static LAG connections (models GSS116E and GSS108EPP).......20
PoE applications (model GSS108EPP).............................................21
PoE overview (model GSS108EPP)..............................................21
Connect PoE equipment in a home (model GSS108EPP)........22
Connect PoE equipment in a business environment (model
GSS108EPP)....................................................................................23
Use the USB charging ports (model GSS108E)..............................24
Chapter 4 Installation
Step 1: Prepare the site......................................................................27
Step 2: Protect against electrostatic discharge..............................28
3

Step 3: Unpack the switch.................................................................28
Step 4: Install the switch....................................................................29
Mount the switch to a wall stud or to a solid surface.................29
Mount the switch to a drywall.......................................................31
Attach the switch to a pole or table leg......................................32
Step 5: Connect devices to the switch.............................................34
Step 6: Check the installation...........................................................34
Step 7: Apply power and check the LEDs.......................................34
Step 8: Use the straps for cable retention.......................................35
Step 9: Manage the switch................................................................36
Chapter 5 Troubleshooting
Troubleshooting chart.......................................................................38
PoE troubleshooting suggestions (model GSS108EPP)................39
Additional troubleshooting suggestions.........................................39
4
8-Port and 16-Port Gigabit Ethernet (PoE+) Smart Managed Plus Click Switch

1
Introduction
The NETGEAR Smart Managed Plus Click Switches use the 1-2-3-4 Click Mounting
system, which lets you easily mount the switch vertically or horizontally on a wall, pole,
or table leg. The internal power supply allows for a simple power cord from the switch
to an outlet. The switches are fanless for silent operation and you can turn off the LEDs
to minimize distractions.
This hardware installation guide is for the following switch models:
•GSS108E. 8-Port Gigabit Ethernet Smart Managed Plus Click Switch.
•GSS116E. 16-Port Gigabit Ethernet Smart Managed Plus Click Switch.
•GSS108EPP. 8-Port Gigabit Ethernet Smart Managed Plus Click Switch with
4-Port PoE+.
This hardware installation guide complements the installation guide that came with your
switch.
This chapter serves as an introduction to the switch and includes the following sections:
• Overview
• Features
• Safety instructions and warnings
Note: For more information about the topics that are covered in this manual, visit the
support website at netgear.com/support/.
Note: For technical specifications, see the data sheet at
netgear.com/business/products/switches/web-managed/. For switch documentation,
visit netgear.com/support/download/.
5

Overview
The switch provides eight or sixteen 10/100/1000BASE-T RJ-45 copper ports that support
nonstop 10/100/1000M Layer 2 networks. On model GSS108EPP, RJ-45 ports 1-4
support PoE+ with a total PoE power budget of 47W for the switch.
For information about application samples, see Applications on page 19.
The switch provides administrative management options that let you configure, monitor,
and control the network. Using the local browser–based management interface, in this
guide referred to as the local browser interface, you can configure the switch and the
network, including the ports, VLANs for traffic control, link aggregation (on models
GSS116E and GSS108EPP) for increased bandwidth, and Quality of Service (QoS) for
prioritizing traffic.
For initial discovery of the switch on the network, use one of the following methods, all
of which are described in detail in the user manual:
•NETGEAR Insight mobile app
•NETGEAR Switch Discovery Tool
•NETGEAR ProSAFE Plus Utility
You can also get the IP address of the switch from the DHCP server in the network or
use an IP scanner utility.
After discovery, you can configure the switch using the local browser interface for
advanced setup and configuration of features, or the NETGEAR ProSAFE Plus Utility for
configuration of most features. For more information, see the user manual, which you
can download from netgear.com/support/download/.
The switch is IEEE compliant and offers low latency. All ports can automatically negotiate
to the highest speed, which makes the switch very suitable for a mixed environment
with Fast Ethernet and Gigabit Ethernet.
Use Category 5e (Cat 5e) or higher-rated Ethernet cables terminated with RJ-45
connectors to make Gigabit connections.
Hardware Installation Guide6Introduction
8-Port and 16-Port Gigabit Ethernet (PoE+) Smart Managed Plus Click Switch

Features
The switch supports the following key hardware features:
•8 or 16 Gigabit Ethernet ports.
•PoE+ support on model GSS108EPP:
- 4 Gigabit Ethernet ports that support PoE+ (802.3at).
-Total PoE power budget of 47W for the switch.
•Switching fabric (duplex mode, all ports line-rate) as follows:
-16 Gbps for models GSS108E and GSS108EPP.
-32 Gbps for model GSS116E.
•1-2-3-4 Click Mounting system, which lets you easily mount the switch vertically or
horizontally on a wall, pole, or table leg.
•Full compatibility with IEEE standards:
- IEEE 802.3 Ethernet
- IEEE 802.3i 10BASE-T
- IEEE 802.3u 100BASE-T
- IEEE 802.3ab 1000BASE-T
-IEEE 802.3x Full-duplex flow control
- IEEE 802.1Q VLAN tagging
-IEEE 802.1p Class of Service (QoS)
-IEEE 802.3az Energy Efficient Ethernet (EEE)
-IEEE 802.1af (PoE, model GSS108EPP only)
- IEEE 802.1at (PoE+, model GSS108EPP only)
•AutoSensing and autonegotiating capabilities for all ports.
•Auto Uplink technology is supported on all ports.
•Automatic address learning function to build the packet-forwarding information
table. The table contains Media Access Control (MAC) addresses as follows:
-Up to 8K for models GSS108E and GSS116E.
-Up to 4K for model GSS108EPP.
Hardware Installation Guide7Introduction
8-Port and 16-Port Gigabit Ethernet (PoE+) Smart Managed Plus Click Switch

•Store-and-forward transmission.
•Flow control to minimize packet loss and frame drops.
•Half-duplex backpressure control.
•Per-port status LEDs and system status LEDs.
•Per-port PoE status LEDs and system PoE Max LED for model GSS108EPP only.
•NETGEAR green power-saving features:
-Energy efficiency mode that fully conforms to the IEEE802.3az standard.
- Per-port automatic change to a lower power mode when the port link is down.
Among the key software features, the switch provides traffic management and multicast
efficiency:
•Traffic management:
- Dynamic MAC address management.
- IEEE 802.1Q–based or port-based VLAN.
- QoS based on weighted round robin (WRR).
-Port-based and IEEE 802.1p–based Quality of Service (QoS).
-QoS based on Type of Service (ToS).
- DSCP support.
- Rate limiting.
•Multicast efficiency:
-IGMP snooping, v1, v2 and v3 (source filtering is not supported).
-Blocking of unknown multicast traffic.
- Static multicast router port.
Certain features such as USB charging ports, link aggregation, and PoE+ ports are
available on specific switch models, as follows:
•USB charging ports. See USB charging ports (model GSS108E) on page 18.
•Link aggregation . See Static LAG connections (models GSS116E and GSS108EPP)
on page 20.
•PoE+ ports. See PoE applications (model GSS108EPP) on page 21.
Hardware Installation Guide8Introduction
8-Port and 16-Port Gigabit Ethernet (PoE+) Smart Managed Plus Click Switch

Safety instructions and warnings
Use the following safety guidelines to ensure your own personal safety and to help
protect your system from potential damage.
To reduce the risk of bodily injury, electrical shock, fire, and damage to the equipment,
observe the following precautions:
•This product is designed for indoor use only in a temperature-controlled and
humidity-controlled environment. For more information, see the environmental
specifications in the appendix or the data sheet.
Any device that is located outdoors and connected to this product must be properly
grounded and surge protected.
Failure to follow these guidelines can result in damage to your NETGEAR product,
which might not be covered by NETGEAR’s warranty, to the extent permissible by
applicable law.
•Observe and follow service markings:
- Do not service any product except as explained in your system documentation.
Some devices should never be opened.
-If applicable to your device, opening or removing covers that are marked with
the triangular symbol with a lightning bolt can expose you to electrical shock.
We recommend that only a trained technician services components inside these
compartments.
•If any of the following conditions occur, unplug the product from the electrical outlet
and replace the part or contact your trained service provider:
- Depending on your device, the power adapter, power adapter cable, power
cable, extension cable, or plug is damaged.
-An object fell into the product.
- The product was exposed to water.
- The product was dropped or damaged.
-The product does not operate correctly when you follow the operating
instructions.
•Keep your system away from radiators and heat sources. Also, do not block cooling
vents.
•Do not spill food or liquids on your system components, and never operate the
product in a wet environment. If the system gets wet, see the appropriate section in
your troubleshooting guide, or contact your trained service provider.
Hardware Installation Guide9Introduction
8-Port and 16-Port Gigabit Ethernet (PoE+) Smart Managed Plus Click Switch

•Do not push any objects into the openings of your system. Doing so can cause fire
or electric shock by shorting out interior components.
•Use the product only with approved equipment.
•If applicable to your device, allow the product to cool before removing covers or
touching internal components.
•Operate the product only from the type of external power source indicated on the
electrical ratings label. If you are not sure of the type of power source required,
consult your service provider or local power company.
•To avoid damaging your system, if your device uses a power supply with a voltage
selector, be sure that the selector is set to match the power at your location:
-115V, 60 Hz in most of North and South America and some Far Eastern countries
such as South Korea and Taiwan
- 100V, 50 Hz in eastern Japan and 100V, 60 Hz in western Japan
-230V, 50 Hz in most of Europe, the Middle East, and the Far East
•Be sure that attached devices are electrically rated to operate with the power available
in your location.
•Depending on your device, use only a supplied power adapter or approved power
cable:
If your device uses a power adapter:
-If you were not provided with a power adapter, contact your local NETGEAR
reseller.
-The power adapter must be rated for the product and for the voltage and current
marked on the product electrical ratings label.
If your device uses a power cable:
-If you were not provided with a power cable for your system or for any
AC-powered option intended for your system, purchase a power cable approved
for your country.
-The power cable must be rated for the product and for the voltage and current
marked on the product electrical ratings label. The voltage and current rating of
the cable must be greater than the ratings marked on the product.
•To help prevent electric shock, plug the system and peripheral power cables into
properly grounded electrical outlets.
•If applicable to your device, the peripheral power cables are equipped with
three-prong plugs to help ensure proper grounding. Do not use adapter plugs or
remove the grounding prong from a cable. If you must use an extension cable, use
a three-wire cable with properly grounded plugs.
Hardware Installation Guide10Introduction
8-Port and 16-Port Gigabit Ethernet (PoE+) Smart Managed Plus Click Switch

•Observe extension cable and power strip ratings. Make sure that the total ampere
rating of all products plugged into the extension cable or power strip does not
exceed 80 percent of the ampere ratings limit for the extension cable or power strip.
•To help protect your system from sudden, transient increases and decreases in
electrical power, use a surge suppressor, line conditioner, or uninterruptible power
supply (UPS).
•Position system cables, power adapter cables, or power cables carefully. Route
cables so that they cannot be stepped on or tripped over. Be sure that nothing rests
on any cables.
•Do not modify power adapters, power adapter cables, power cables or plugs. Consult
a licensed electrician or your power company for site modifications.
•Always follow your local and national wiring rules.
Hardware Installation Guide11Introduction
8-Port and 16-Port Gigabit Ethernet (PoE+) Smart Managed Plus Click Switch

2
Hardware Overview
This chapter describes the switch hardware features and includes the following sections:
• Model GSS108E hardware
• Model GSS116E hardware
• Model GSS108EPP hardware
• Switch hardware interfaces
12

Model GSS108E hardware
Model GSS108E provides eight Gigabit Ethernet ports and two USB charging ports.
Front panel model GSS108E
The following figure shows the front panel of model GSS108E.
Figure 1. Front panel model GSS108E
From the left to the right, the front panel contains the following components:
•Two USB charging ports (see USB charging ports (model GSS108E) on page 18).
•Eight independent 10/100/1000BASE-T RJ-45 ports, each with a left LED and a right
LED that, combined, indicate link, speed, and activity (see Status LEDs model
GSS108E on page 13).
•A rectangular Power LED (see Status LEDs model GSS108E on page 13).
•An AC power receptacle, placed at a 45-degree angle. (The switch integrates a fixed,
internal power supply unit.)
Status LEDs model GSS108E
The following table describes the RJ-45 port LEDs for ports 1–8 and the Power LED on
the front panel of model GSS108E. The Power LED is located to the right of port 8.
Table 1. Front panel LEDs for model GSS108E
DescriptionLEDs
Right port LEDsLeft port LEDs
A valid 1000 Mbps Ethernet port link is established.OffSolid green
The port is transmitting or receiving packets at 1000 Mbps.OffBlinking green
A valid 10 Mbps or 100 Mbps Ethernet port link is established.Solid greenOff
The port is transmitting or receiving packets at 10 Mbps or 100 Mbps.Blinking greenOff
Hardware Installation Guide13Hardware Overview
8-Port and 16-Port Gigabit Ethernet (PoE+) Smart Managed Plus Click Switch

Table 1. Front panel LEDs for model GSS108E (Continued)
DescriptionLEDs
No Ethernet link port is established.OffOff
The switch is powered on.Solid green
Power LED
Power is not supplied to the switch.Off
Back panel model GSS108E
The back panel does not contain any components other than a recessed Factory Default
button (see Factory Defaults button on page 18).
The following figure shows the back panel.
Figure 2. Back panel model GSS108E
Model GSS116E hardware
Model GSS116E provides 16 Gigabit Ethernet ports.
Front panel model GSS116E
The following figure shows the front panel of model GSS116E.
Figure 3. Front panel model GSS116E
Hardware Installation Guide14Hardware Overview
8-Port and 16-Port Gigabit Ethernet (PoE+) Smart Managed Plus Click Switch

From the left to the right, the front panel contains the following components:
•Sixteen independent 10/100/1000BASE-T RJ-45 ports, each with a left LED and a
right LED that, combined, indicate link, speed, and activity (see Status LEDs model
GSS116E on page 15).
•A rectangular Power LED (see Status LEDs model GSS116E on page 15).
•An AC power receptacle, placed at a 45-degree angle. (The switch integrates a fixed,
internal power supply unit.)
Status LEDs model GSS116E
The following table describes the RJ-45 port LEDs for ports 1–16 and the Power LED
on the front panel of model GSS116E. The Power LED is located to the right of port 16.
Table 2. Front panel LEDs for model GSS116E
DescriptionLEDs
Right port LEDsLeft port LEDs
A valid 1000 Mbps Ethernet port link is established.OffSolid green
The port is transmitting or receiving packets at 1000 Mbps.OffBlinking green
A valid 10 Mbps or 100 Mbps Ethernet port link is established.Solid greenOff
The port is transmitting or receiving packets at 10 Mbps or 100 Mbps.Blinking greenOff
No Ethernet link port is established.OffOff
The switch is powered on.Solid green
Power LED
Power is not supplied to the switch.Off
Back panel model GSS116E
The back panel does not contain any components other than a recessed Factory Default
button (see Factory Defaults button on page 18).
The following figure shows the back panel.
Figure 4. Back panel model GSS116E
Hardware Installation Guide15Hardware Overview
8-Port and 16-Port Gigabit Ethernet (PoE+) Smart Managed Plus Click Switch

Model GSS108EPP hardware
Model GSS108EPP provides eight Gigabit Ethernet ports, of which the four leftmost
ports are PoE+ ports.
Front panel model GSS108EPP
The following figure shows the front panel of model GSS108EPP
Figure 5. Front panel model GSS108EPP
From the left to the right, the front panel contains the following components:
•A Power LED and PoE Max LED (see Status LEDs model GSS108EPP on page 16).
•Eight independent 10/100/1000BASE-T RJ-45 ports, of which ports 1–4 are PoE+
port. All ports provide a left LED that functions as the combined link, speed, and
activity LED. The PoE+ ports provide a right LED that indicates the PoE status (see
Status LEDs model GSS108EPP on page 16).
•An AC power receptacle, placed at a 45-degree angle. (The switch integrates a fixed,
internal power supply unit.)
Status LEDs model GSS108EPP
The following table describes the status LEDs on the front panel of model GSS108EPP
from left to right.
Table 3. Front panel status LEDs model GSS108EPP
DescriptionLED
Solid green. The switch is powered on.
Off. Power is not supplied to the switch.
Power LED
Off. Sufficient (more than 7W of) PoE power is available.
Solid amber. Less than 7W of PoE power is available.
Blinking amber. At least once during the previous two minutes, less than 7W of
PoE power was available.
PoE Max LED
Hardware Installation Guide16Hardware Overview
8-Port and 16-Port Gigabit Ethernet (PoE+) Smart Managed Plus Click Switch

Table 3. Front panel status LEDs model GSS108EPP (Continued)
DescriptionLED
Solid green. A valid 1000 Mbps Ethernet port link is established.
Blinking green. The port is transmitting or receiving packets at 1000 Mbps.
Solid yellow. A valid 10 Mbps or 100 Mbps Ethernet port link is established.
Blinking yellow. The port is transmitting or receiving packets at 10 Mbps or 100
Mbps.
Off. No Ethernet port link is established.
RJ-45 left port LEDs for
ports 1–8
These LEDs indicate the link
status, speed, and activity of
the port.
Off. The port is not delivering PoE.
Solid green. The port is delivering PoE.
Solid yellow. A PoE fault occurred. For more information, see PoE troubleshooting
suggestions (model GSS108EPP) on page 39.
RJ-45 right port LEDs for
ports 1–4 only
These LEDs indicate the PoE
status the port.
Back panel model GSS108EPP
The back panel does not contain any components other than a recessed Factory Default
button (see Factory Defaults button on page 18).
The following figure shows the back panel.
Figure 6. Back panel model GSS108EPP
Switch hardware interfaces
The following sections describe the hardware interfaces on the switch.
RJ-45 ports for 10/100/1000M BASE-T Ethernet connectivity
All RJ-45 copper ports support autosensing. When you insert a cable into an RJ-45 port,
the switch automatically ascertains the maximum speed (10 Mbps, 100 Mbps, or 1 Gbps)
and duplex mode (half-duplex or full-duplex) of the attached device. All ports support
a Cat 5e cable (or higher-rated Ethernet cable) terminated with an 8-pin RJ-45 connector.
Hardware Installation Guide17Hardware Overview
8-Port and 16-Port Gigabit Ethernet (PoE+) Smart Managed Plus Click Switch

To simplify the procedure for attaching devices, all RJ-45 ports support Auto Uplink
technology. This technology allows attaching devices to the RJ-45 ports with either
straight-through or crossover cables.
When you insert a cable into the switch’s RJ-45 port, the switch automatically performs
the following actions:
•Senses whether the cable is a straight-through or crossover cable.
•Determines whether the link to the attached device requires a normal connection
(such as when you are connecting the port to a computer) or an uplink connection
(such as when you are connecting the port to a router, switch, or hub).
•Automatically configures the RJ-45 port to enable communications with the attached
device. The Auto Uplink technology compensates for setting uplink connections
while eliminating concern about whether to use crossover or straight-through cables
when you attach devices.
On model GSS108EPP, the four leftmost RJ-45 copper ports support PoE+.
USB charging ports (model GSS108E)
Model GSS108E provides two quick-access USB charging ports for tablets or
smartphones. You can use the USB charging ports to charge compatible devices.
When charging devices, keep the following in mind:
•The USB charging ports can be used only to charge phones, tablets, and other
USB-chargeable devices.
•Do not connect USB storage devices or flash drives to the USB charging ports. The
USB charging ports are not designed for this purpose.
•Connecting a device to a USB charging port does not create a network connection
to the switch or to the network that includes the switch.
Each USB charging port can provide 10W maximum. The two ports together can provide
15W maximum.
Factory Defaults button
The switch provides a Factory Defaults button on the back panel so that you can return
the switch to its factory settings.
To return the switch to its factory default settings:
1. Insert a device such as a straightened paper clip into the opening.
2. Press the recessed Factory Defaults button for about three seconds.
The switch reboots and returns to its factory settings.
Hardware Installation Guide18Hardware Overview
8-Port and 16-Port Gigabit Ethernet (PoE+) Smart Managed Plus Click Switch

3
Applications
The switch is designed to provide flexibility in configuring network connections. The
switch can be used as your only network traffic–distribution device for PoE devices
(model GSS108EPP) and non-PoE devices (all models) or with 10 Mbps, 100 Mbps, and
1 Gbps Ethernet hubs, routers, access points, and other switches.
This chapter includes the following sections:
• Network switching
• Static LAG connections (models GSS116E and GSS108EPP)
• PoE applications (model GSS108EPP)
• Use the USB charging ports (model GSS108E)
19

Network switching
You can use the switch as a network switch to build a network that provides up to 1 Gbps
access to desktop computers, access points, surveillance cameras, a NAS, servers such
as a file server, an IPTV, and so on. Connect the switch to a network router that, in turn,
is connected to an Internet.
With 1 Gbps connections, the switch always functions in full-duplex mode. Any switch
port that is connected to a computer or file server can provide up to 2 Gbps bidirectional
throughput. Models GSS116E and GSS108EPP support link aggregation for increased
throughput and redundancy (see Static LAG connections (models GSS116E and
GSS108EPP) on page 20).
You must connect one LAN port on the switch to a LAN port on a network router that
is connected to the Internet.
Figure 7. Sample connections for network switching in a home or small office
Static LAG connections (models GSS116E
and GSS108EPP)
Model GSS116E and model GSS108EPP support link aggregation and link aggregation
groups (LAGs) with other devices (for example, other switches or ReadyNAS storage
platforms) that also are capable of link aggregation and LAGs. LAGs allow you to combine
multiple Ethernet links into a single logical link. Network devices treat the aggregation
as if it were a single link, which increases the throughput by load sharing and allows for
fault tolerance.
Hardware Installation Guide20Applications
8-Port and 16-Port Gigabit Ethernet (PoE+) Smart Managed Plus Click Switch