Comnet continues to expand its Ethernet product offering, making it, according to the company, one of the most comprehensive lines available with models designed for use with fiber optic and copper media. With the introduction of Copperline, multiple-channel Ethernet extenders, un-managed Ethernet switches and PoE mid-span power injectors, a full range of products are now available to provide a wide variety of solutions for virtually any network application. These products are designed for applications where existing copper media, such as coaxial cable or twisted pair (UTP) is currently installed and are a cost-effective alternative to installing new media.

According to Andrew Acquarulo Jr., Comet President and COO, "As more and more facilities are making the transition from analogue to IP video, there already exists a large installed base of copper media, be it coaxial cable or twisted pair wiring. We anticipated this potential need for long distance Ethernet-over-legacy-copper transmission and subsequently introduced our EoVDSL line over a year ago as a cost saving measure when installing an Ethernet network. The demand for Ethernet over copper product has continued to increase dramatically and we developed Copperline to satisfy that demand.”

“Copperline will consist of one, four, eight and sixteen channel models that utilise coaxial cable or twisted pair. The higher port count models solve density challenges, allowing up to 16 channels to be supported in a one RU high rack-mount chassis. Copperline will also offer a unique un-managed switch that allows four ports of 10/100TX Ethernet be transported extended distance over a single coaxial cable or UTP,” Acquarulo concluded.

“By introducing Copperline, Comnet continues to recognise the needs of the market and develop products accordingly. Although Comnet was founded with a core competency focused on fibre optic transmission, we’re evolving the company to be a single source for all types of transmission through different media”, commented Frank Haight, Comnet Vice President of Marketing. “Our research identified Ethernet-over-copper as a great solution for applications that were making the transition from analogue to IP. Copperline was developed to fulfill that need”, Haight concluded.