The adoption of AV-over-IP is moving more audio, video and control functions onto converged networks.
This shift creates new opportunities for integrators, but also increases requirements in areas such as synchronisation, multicast, segmentation, redundancy and the management of increasingly complex installations.
Against this backdrop, NETGEAR Enterprise will present several new developments for the professional AV market at IBC2026, taking place from 11 to 14 September at RAI Amsterdam. Highlights include NETGEAR Align Controller, the company’s first dedicated AV platform, alongside new software capabilities and its range of M4350 and M4250 managed switches.
A platform for centralising AV infrastructure
NETGEAR Align Controller introduces a layer above the switching infrastructure, designed specifically for audiovisual networks. The device combines functions that previously could have required several separate devices or services within a single platform.
These include hosting NETGEAR Engage, the company’s configuration and management platform, as well as grandmaster clock capabilities, network services and cloud connectivity.
This consolidation aims to reduce the number of devices required in an installation and simplify both deployment and ongoing maintenance. For integrators, it means fewer devices to install, power and manage, while potentially reducing points of failure within the infrastructure.
Align Controller enables AV-over-IP networks to be configured and monitored both locally and remotely, while also operating as a network gateway and discovery server.
Its open architecture also supports third-party applications, creating an infrastructure that can evolve alongside the installation and expand its capabilities through new applications and services.
The platform supports technologies and standards used in professional audio and video infrastructures, including AES67, PTPv2, SMPTE ST 2110 and gPTP AVB, facilitating the development of interoperable environments. Align Controller will be demonstrated live during IBC2026.
Simplified configuration through AV profiles
Another key pillar of NETGEAR’s strategy is its ecosystem of certified profiles, integrated into NETGEAR Engage and NETGEAR AV OS.
The company currently offers profiles for 45 protocols commonly used in professional AV environments and an ecosystem comprising more than 600 manufacturers.
These profiles automatically preconfigure the network parameters associated with each protocol, reducing the need to manually create VLAN, timing or QoS configurations for every new system.
For integrators, this approach makes it easier to add audio, video and control devices from different manufacturers to the network, while reducing the configuration work required for multi-system projects.
Interoperability is particularly important in installations where different AV-over-IP technologies, control networks and multiple functional areas coexist on the same IP infrastructure.
High-density switching for AV installations
NETGEAR will also showcase its M4350 family, designed for AV-over-IP installations requiring greater bandwidth, PoE power and scalability from the access layer through to the aggregation and core layers.
The M4350-16M4V features 16 2.5G PoE++ ports, locking Neutrik connectors and a modular interface that can be configured with four 25G SFP28 links or replaced with copper 10GBASE-T modules or multimode and single-mode fibre connections. This architecture allows the same switch to be adapted to different topologies and project requirements without replacing the entire device.
Meanwhile, the M4350-16C provides 16 100G connectivity ports for the aggregation and core layers of installations that need to carry large volumes of audiovisual traffic.
The M4250 family completes the offering for smaller-scale AV-over-IP projects. Designed for audiovisual applications over IP networks, it brings the same profile-based approach to more compact installations.
Greater redundancy and multicast control
NETGEAR Enterprise will also preview several enhancements planned for a coordinated update to NETGEAR Engage and the firmware of selected M4350 models.
One of the main new features will be the addition of Multi-Chassis Link Aggregation (MLAG) to selected fibre M4350 switches. This capability will enable redundant architectures in which the loss of one switch does not result in the loss of the network’s synchronisation reference.
The update will also introduce a multi-PTP boundary clock, allowing a single M4350 switch to manage up to four independent VLANs, each with its own boundary clock and Best Master Clock algorithm.
This function is particularly relevant in complex AV installations where different rooms, areas or systems need to remain isolated from one another while maintaining their own synchronisation domains.
The third enhancement will be the addition of IGMP Layer 3 via PIM-SM in Engage, extending multicast management beyond exclusively Layer 2 networks.
This function will make it possible to transport multicast traffic between different subnets using the same management interface, reducing the need for additional routing hardware in certain architectures.
The combination of these capabilities points towards more scalable audiovisual networks, able to grow from small installations to high-density infrastructures with multiple VLANs, synchronisation domains and multicast streams.
