Black Box LB532A-M-R2 Network Extender

Overview
Ethernet extension, especially in harsh environments, is now incredibly easy and economical. You can connect industrial Ethernet devices and remote LANs over your existing CATx voice-grade twisted pair cable at speeds and distances you didn’t think possible.

Get the best possible speed.
Make connections at speeds up to 15 Mbps and across distances ranging from 0 to 6.4 miles (10km). An auto-rate feature senses the ideal speed/distance configuration and ensures that you achieve the highest possible speed on each connection. While you can configure your desired rate via DIP switches or Telnet, if conditions aren’t ideal, the extender will automatically set the rate.

Use as a repeater in multidrop applications
Need to connect multiple devices? Use the extender as a repeater to transmit 4.3 miles per hop. Now you can stretch your Ethernet links more than four miles to connect multiple industrial devices, such as cameras, kiosks, train switches, etc., daisychain style. It’s the ideal solution for transportation, security, stadium, campus, highway, and other industrial applications

Withstands temperature extremes
This rugged extender can withstand temperature extremes of -40° F to 185° F so you can use it to connect Ethernet-enabled industrial devices such as sensors, cameras, security equipment, etc. It’s ideal for use in transportation systems, manufacturing, and other harsh, remote environments. The aluminum enclosure meets IP40 specifications and a DIN rail clip is included. The unit is designed to be used in a controlled environment and not to be exposed to the weather.

Clear, reliable transmissions
You can go far beyond the 100-meter Ethernet distance on an existing twisted-pair cable and be assured of clear, reliable transmissions, even in noisy environments. You’ll eliminate the expense and hassle of installing new fiber or low-capacitance cable.

Use in pairs
This MDE units are designed to be used with the local unit as the starting point. You’ll need one MDE unit for each connection.

Quadruple your connections
The remote extender features a built-in, four-port, auto-sensing 10-/100BASE-TX Ethernet switch so you can connect four additional devices. A built-in auto-MDIX (automatic medium-dependent interface crossover) means you can use either straight-through or crossover cable, whichever is handy, to connect your Ethernet devices.

Easy setup
Plug-and-play means that you’ll be up and running in seconds. The auto-MDIX also detects the polarity of the cable on each port and automatically configures the signaling to match. There’s no user configuration on your part whatsoever.

The extender operates at layer 2 and transparently passes all higher-layer protocols including VLAN tagging, multicast addressing, VPN passthrough for IPsec, and all IP-video compression schemes. All common industrial protocols are also transparently supported, including MODBUS/TCP and PROFINET IO. In addition, the extender features automatic learning, aging, and filtering to keep local, traffic local ensuring efficient utilization of the long-range link.

LB532A-MDE Distance per Hop
Distance on CAT5/5e/6 UTP, 24 AWG (0.5 mm)