The leader in industrial automation and control solutions

Common Questions — Frequently Asked Questions

Before anything else, you need to know how to reach the switch’s web interface. Maple Systems unmanaged switches are typically plug-and-play, but Maple’s managed or industrial Ethernet switches require initial setup through their default IP. Here are the first steps:

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Yes, we have several products that support PROFINET. HMI products, Network Switches, CODESYS enabled HMIs

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The default IP address for our Fully-Managed and Lite-Managed Network Switches is 192.168.100.254.

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Commercial switches rely on a single power supply to power the switch, while industrial switches typically run off DC power, and have redundant power inputs. This allows the weakest link (the power supply) to have a hot standby back up, insuring maximum up time.

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Yes, you can daisy chain Maple Systems network switches to scale a network. It’s generally recommended to daisy chain no more than three to four switches.

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The OSI (Open Systems Interconnection) Model is a conceptual framework that defines how data moves through a network in seven layers — from the physical hardware connection to the software…

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Energy Efficient Ethernet (EEE) reduces power consumption during periods of low network activity while maintaining network connectivity. EEE, defined by the IEEE 802.3az standard, allows Ethernet devices to enter low-power…

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10BASE-T is an Ethernet standard for local area networks (LANs) that supports speeds of 10 Mbps over twisted-pair cabling. It is defined by the IEEE 802.3 standard and uses Cat…

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100BASE-TX is an Ethernet standard that supports 100 Mbps speeds over twisted-pair cabling. Defined by the IEEE 802.3u standard, it uses Cat 5 or higher cables and operates in full-duplex…

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1000BASE-T is an Ethernet standard that supports 1 Gbps (1000 Mbps) speeds over twisted-pair cabling. Defined by the IEEE 802.3ab standard, it operates using Cat 5e or higher cables and…

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100BASE-FX is an Ethernet standard that supports 100 Mbps speeds over fiber optic cabling. Defined by the IEEE 802.3u standard, it uses multimode fiber (MMF) with SC, ST, or LC…

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Electromagnetic Susceptibility (EMS) refers to a device’s ability to function correctly in the presence of electromagnetic interference (EMI). It is the opposite of electromagnetic immunity, which indicates a device’s ability…

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Maximum Transmission Units (MTU) refer to the largest size of a packet that can be transmitted over a network. It is determined by the network’s protocol and hardware limitations. MTU…

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EtherNet/IP (Ethernet Industrial Protocol) is an industrial networking protocol that operates over standard Ethernet infrastructure. EtherNet/IP is an open and standardized protocol governed by the ODVA (Open DeviceNet Vendors Association). It uses the standard TCP/IP suite for communication but is specifically designed to handle real-time control and monitoring in industrial environments.

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Jumbo Frame is an Ethernet frame with a Maximum Transmission Unit (MTU) larger than the standard 1500-byte size, typically supporting 9000 bytes or more. This larger MTU reduces the overhead…

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Bandwidth refers to the maximum data transfer rate of a network connection, determining how much data can be transmitted per second. Bandwidth Control allows administrators to regulate network traffic by…

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MAC Management is a feature that allows administrators to manage and configure MAC addresses on a network switch. It provides several capabilities for controlling how MAC addresses are handled within…

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MDI (Medium Dependent Interface) and MDI-X (MDI Crossover) are two types of Ethernet port configurations. MDI ports are typically found on network devices like computers or routers, while MDI-X ports…

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PROFINET (Process Field Network) is an industrial Ethernet-based communication protocol used for automation and control systems. PROFINET is designed to enable real-time communication between industrial equipment in manufacturing environments and…

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A virtual local area network (VLAN) segments a physical network into smaller, isolated networks. It can help improve security and performance on a network. Layer 2 switches may create and…

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A layer 3 network switch operates at the Network Layer of the OSI model. Read more information about the OSI Model. Layer 3 network switches forward data based on IP…

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A layer 2 network switch operates at the Data Link Layer of the OSI model. Read more information about the OSI Model. Layer 2 network switches forward data based on…

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The Open Systems Interconnection (OSI) model is a reference model which describes seven layers of communication between computing systems over a network. These seven layers are as outlined: Layer 1…

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A network switch is a networking appliance that connects multiple devices inside of a Local Area Network (LAN). It communicates by forwarding data based off MAC addresses. Typically switches operate…

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A UDP port is a communication endpoint for transmitting data between devices on a network using the UDP protocol. On Maple Systems products, UDP ports enable fast, connectionless communication for…

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A TCP port is a communication endpoint for transmitting data between devices on a network using the TCP protocol. On Maple Systems products, TCP ports facilitate connections between HMIs, PLCs,…

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UL indicates that the product has been tested to meet the safety standards of the United States by Underwriters Laboratories. UL adds another layer of assurance and peace of mind…

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RoHS, Restriction of Hazardous Substances, is a directive that originated in the European Union that restricts the use of specific hazardous materials in electronic products. A product must be RoHS…

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