Allied Telesis AT-GS980MX/28PSM-10 – 24-Port PoE+ Multi-Rate Layer 3 Stackable Switch

Product Overview

The Allied Telesis GS980MX 24-port PoE+ Layer 3 switch (AT-GS980MX/28PSM-10) delivers 24 PoE+ access ports with multi-gigabit capability, 4 x 10G SFP+ uplinks, and full Layer 3 management in a compact 1U wiring closet form factor. Designed for mid-density enterprise campus access deployments, the GS980MX/28PSM combines 20 x Gigabit PoE+ ports with 4 x 5G multi-rate PoE+ ports for flexible connectivity to Wi-Fi 6 access points, IP cameras, and VoIP endpoints. With a 370W PoE budget, VCStack up to 4 units, and AlliedWare Plus operating system, this switch is the right-sized solution for enterprise wiring closets requiring reliable PoE delivery, multi-gigabit uplink capacity, and centralized AMF-based management.

Product Description

The Allied Telesis CentreCOM GS980MX/28PSM is the 24-port PoE+ member of the GS980MX Series — a platform engineered for high-capacity, resilient, and easily managed access layer deployments. The switch features 20 x 10/100/1000T PoE+ (IEEE 802.3at, up to 30W per port) RJ-45 ports and 4 x 5G multi-rate PoE+ ports for Wi-Fi 6 AP connectivity over existing Cat5e/Cat6 cabling. Four 10GBase-X SFP+ expansion slots provide high-throughput fiber or DAC uplinks to distribution layer switches. With a total PoE budget of 370W, the GS980MX/28PSM can simultaneously power a full complement of wireless access points, IP cameras, and IP phone endpoints without PoE budget constraints. Layer 3 functionality includes static routing, RIPv1/v2, ECMP routing, and full IPv4/IPv6 dual-stack support with IPv6 Ready certification. The AlliedWare Plus operating system provides a comprehensive feature set including 4094 VLANs, 16K MAC addresses, 10KB/9KB jumbo frames, hardware ACLs, QoS policy enforcement, and comprehensive security features including DHCP snooping, dynamic ARP inspection, and 802.1x port authentication. As an AMF edge node, the GS980MX/28PSM integrates with Allied Telesis Autonomous Management Framework for zero-touch provisioning, automatic configuration backup and recovery, and centralized management through Vista Manager EX. AMF-Security enables self-defending network behavior, automatically isolating and quarantining suspect endpoints to contain lateral threat movement. Diagnostic tools include TDR cable fault location, optical DDM, UDLD, port mirroring, active fiber monitoring, and automatic link flap detection with port shutdown. VCStack allows up to 4 GS980MX units to be stacked, locally or via VCStack LD over long-distance fiber, forming a unified logical switch for management and resilience.

Key Features

• 20x Gigabit PoE+ + 4x 5G Multi-Rate PoE+ Ports — 24 total PoE+ access ports with IEEE 802.3at (30W) support and multi-gigabit speeds for Wi-Fi 6 AP connectivity.
• 4x 10GBase-X SFP+ Uplinks — 10G fiber or DAC uplinks for high-throughput aggregation to distribution or core switches.
• 370W Total PoE Budget — Sufficient PoE capacity for 24-port full-density deployments of APs, cameras, and VoIP endpoints.
• VCStack up to 4 Units — Stack up to 4 GS980MX switches for logical single-device management and scalable port capacity.
• AlliedWare Plus OS — Enterprise-class operating system with standard CLI, advanced routing, QoS, and security capabilities.
• AMF Edge Node — Autonomous Management Framework provides zero-touch provisioning, auto-recovery, and network-wide centralized control.
• AMF-Security Compatible — Automated threat containment through endpoint quarantine and self-defending network integration.
• Layer 3 Routing — Static routing, RIPv1/v2, ECMP, IPv6 static routing, SNMPv6, SSHv6, and Syslogv6 management.
• Multi-Gigabit 5G Access Ports — 4 x 5G ports auto-negotiate over Cat5e/Cat6 for Wi-Fi 6 AP backhaul without recabling.
• 1.5MB Packet Buffer, 4094 VLANs, 16K MACs — Enterprise-grade capacity for dense access layer environments.
• Comprehensive Diagnostics — TDR, DDM, UDLD, AFM, port mirroring, link flap detection, and BIST.
• IPv6 Ready Certified — Full dual-stack IPv4/IPv6 support conformance-tested by the IPv6 Forum.

Typical Applications

• Mid-density enterprise campus wiring closets with 24-port PoE+ requirements
• Wi-Fi 6 access point aggregation with multi-gigabit 5G backhaul over existing copper cabling
• IP video surveillance deployments with simultaneous PoE delivery to cameras and NVR infrastructure
• Enterprise VoIP and unified communications endpoint connectivity
• Stacked deployments using VCStack for scalable, single-system managed access layers
• Networks using AMF for automated provisioning, backup, and security response

Technical Specifications

Frequently Asked Questions

Q: How does the GS980MX/28PSM compare to the GS980MX/18HSM?

The 28PSM provides 24 PoE+ ports at up to 30W per port (IEEE 802.3at) with a 370W budget, versus the 18HSM's 16 ports at up to 90W per port (IEEE 802.3bt) with a 720W budget. Choose the 28PSM for higher port-count mid-density deployments; choose the 18HSM when individual devices require more than 30W.

Q: Can this switch power Wi-Fi 6 access points over existing cabling?

Yes. The 4 x 5G multi-rate ports auto-negotiate at 2.5G or 5G over Cat5e and Cat6 cabling. This enables multi-gigabit backhaul to Wi-Fi 6 APs without physical recabling, while providing PoE+ power delivery simultaneously.

Q: What is the maximum PoE power budget and how is it allocated?

The total PoE budget is 370W across all 24 ports. Individual port allocation depends on connected device negotiation — up to 30W (PoE+), 15.4W (PoE), or 7.5W per port. The switch manages budget dynamically based on actual device consumption.

Q: What Layer 3 routing protocols are supported?

The GS980MX/28PSM supports static routing and RIPv1/v2 for IPv4, static routing for IPv6, and ECMP routing. OSPF and BGP are not supported on this model. For environments requiring OSPF, consider the x530L Series with the Premium license.

Q: How many units can be stacked?

Up to 4 GS980MX units can be stacked using VCStack through the dedicated stacking ports. VCStack LD supports stacking over long-distance fiber links for distributed building deployments.

Q: What security features are included?

The GS980MX/28PSM includes 802.1x port authentication, MAC-based authentication, DHCP snooping, dynamic ARP inspection, IPv6 hardware ACLs, AMF-Security integration for automated endpoint quarantine, and BPDU/STP protection.

Q: Where can I purchase the AT-GS980MX/28PSM-10?

The AT-GS980MX/28PSM-10 is available from Creation Networks. Visit creationnetworks.net for pricing, availability, and volume quote requests.