Maximum uptime, always-on access, along with enterprise-grade security, are the standards of all Opengear devices in the Network Resilience Platform. This includes our best-in class, award-winning NetOps Console Servers.
When it comes to your network, the most critical component of your infrastructure, you don’t want an alternative, you want the OG.
You’re network engineers, so we don’t have to explain the countless names you can call a console server. Instead, let’s talk about capabilities, because that’s what you really want to know about at 3 AM when you have an issue to resolve. Are you going to be able to remediate a disruption from your home? Or are you getting connectivity on Day One, when you’re sending equipment to an unmanned location?
For almost two decades, the majority of Fortune 500s have trusted their networks to the market leader. Our solutions are purpose-built with input from hundreds of network engineers, like yourself, and future-focused, to meet all your evolving needs.
We’re known as the Smart Out-of-Band leader. Our solutions provide separate access to the production network, giving you the ability to remotely monitor and manage all devices so that an outage won’t affect primary operations. Ensuring continuity and uptime using automated intelligence, Smart Out-of-Band paired with Failover to Cellular™ enables network resilience by providing always-on access. Lighthouse Enterprise gives full network visibility to diagnose and remediate the issue if a disruption occurs. This gives you a complete view of your network through a single pane of glass.
Proven and Purpose-Built Solutions
Let’s talk about how our Netops Console servers, OM1200 and OM2200 Operations Manager, are purpose-built to meet your current needs and anticipate future ones.
Our NetOps Console servers are the first of their kind. Bringing Smart Out-of-Band and NetOps together in one appliance, they enable limitless capabilities for all of your environments. By providing a separate and secure management plane, these appliances exceed the capabilities needed to support emerging network requirements.
You may have heard some false claims by our competitors, so today, we’re going to set the record straight, although our solutions speak for themselves.
There’s a reason Opengear’s award-winning products, worldwide reputation and list of customers are growing. Today, we’ll discuss a few reasons why our NetOps Console Servers are the gold standard.
To start, a great feature of these appliances is that they’re flexible and cost effective – you pay for what you need. We understand that requirements for every network admin are different.
Unlike some of our competitors, who add unnecessary features as defaults and charge for them, at Opengear, you’re only paying for what you need. The best part is, if you don’t need NetOps right away, it can easily be added on as an upgrade later, like with Secure Provisioning. We’re ready when you are. Ensuring plenty of RAM and storage space, our OM appliances have all the resources needed to develop your own NetOps support.
Best yet, we don’t require the purchase of separate solutions for switching. Opengear offers managed switches in our out-of-band solutions, complete with VLAN with IEEE 802. 1Q tagging, with our out-of-band switch and console server all in one.
Our OM1200 and OM2200 are truly vendor-neutral. Also providing strong USB support, when paired with Lighthouse Management Software, you’ll have always-on network access through Smart Out-of-Band and unparalleled flexibility thanks to NetOps automation tools.
Secure Edge Deployments
The OM1200 Operations Manager was specifically designed for secure deployments at the branch and far edge, providing resilience via LTE. Placing a console server at every location, engineers have the presence and proximity to their distributed network, without ever having to step on-site.
The OM1200 allows engineers to:
- Leverage automated failover of call home tunnels via LTE of secondary Ethernet paths
- Automate NetOps processes with an x86 CPU supporting standard Docker containers and a Python runtime environment. Enabling engineers to perform more simultaneous tasks and extend OOB functionality to network management systems
- Protect against configuration and firmware tampering with a TPM 2.0 chip ensuring a secure boot process
- Scale as needed with an open architecture based on Linux Operating System. Standard DevOps tools such as Ansible, Docker and Python can be leveraged for automation
- Limit access as needed with Smart Out-of-Band which includes VLAN support and automated port discovery
- Enable cellular access with an optional Global LTE-A Pro module
- Ensure continued internet connectivity for remote LANS and equipment over a 4G LTE network when the primary link is unavailable with Failover to Cellular
This model supports 4 Serial, 8 Serial and 8 Serial/Ethernet port combinations, with options for 4 and 8 port switches built-in, as well as SFP ports.
High-Density Deployments
The OM2200 Operations Manager also combines the advanced capabilities of Smart Out-of-Band and the flexibility of NetOps. Uniquely configured for high density locations and data centers, it has multiple regional options for dual AC and DC power.
The OM2200 allows engineers to:
- Keep configuration and software files on-site where they’re needed with 64 GB Internal flash memory
- Automate NetOps processes with an x86 CPU supporting standard Docker containers and a Python runtime environment, enabling engineers to perform more simultaneous tasks and extend OOB functionality to network management systems
- Protect against configuration and firmware tampering with a TPM 2.0 chip ensuring a secure boot process
- Scale as needed with an open architecture based on Linux Operating System. Standard DevOps tools such as Ansible, Docker and Python can be leveraged for automation
- Limit access as needed with Smart Out-of-Band which includes VLAN support and automated port discovery
- Enable cellular access with an optional LTE-A Pro module
- Ensure continued internet connectivity for remote LANS and equipment over a 4G LTE when the primary link is unavailable with Failover to Cellular
This model supports 16, 32, 48 Serial port and 24 Serial/24 Ethernet mixed port modules.
Navigate Your Network
Our award-winning Lighthouse software manages all your NetOps console servers and provides access to your console ports via connected appliances at each location. As an API-driven platform with an HTML5 interface, it gives secure access to remote networks regardless of how they’re connected or how a user interacts with the system. In combination with NetOps Console Servers, Lighthouse can push and manage Docker containers to each remote location to provide additional functionality and automation.
You can leverage an added security layer and permission controls with integrated authentication via SAML (Okta, OneLogin, Auth0 and Azure Active Directory and Authentication, Authorization, and Accounting (AAA) protocols (TACACS, RADUIS and LDAP).
When deployed across a distributed enterprise of data centers and edge locations, Lighthouse is the control center of a comprehensive Network Resilience Platform, independent of the production network.
Available in two editions:
Lighthouse Enterprise
- Leverage automated failover of call home tunnels via LTE of secondary Ethernet paths
- Get notifications and alerts through MessageBus functionality that allows integrations with Third Party systems
- Grant users secure, centralized access to remote IP network segments reachable by nodes with Remote IP Access
- Scale as needed, designed with growth in mind, from a few nodes to running “at-scale” in enterprise or hyper-scale environments
- Ensure high availability by running multiple instances across the site to balance connectivity load and ensure redundancy
- Run and automate NetOps routines on your Opengear appliances by deploying Docker containers and accessing the local Python runtime environment
- Add a layer of security and have the ability to control permissions with SAML and AAA protocols (TACAS, RADIUS, LDAP)
Lighthouse Enterprise: Automation Edition (LH:AE)
- Automation Gateway: Manage IP-based management interfaces and services running on a remote network from within a browser, with the same level of simplicity and efficiency as if they were serial consoles.
- Get configuration and operational data to their automation tools and target infrastructure
- Create a resilient network overlay
- Provide a centralized API to access services in remote networks
- Secure Provisioning: Remotely provision new network devices via a connected Opengear console server without an on-site engineer or connected LAN and WAN. Use NetOps tools to automate the configuration and provisioning of a unit
- Accelerate deployments and recovery from outages
- Enable Day One Provisioning and disaster recovery
LH:AE support is extremely flexible and has endless value to you. New to NetOps? We’ve got you covered. Our devices complete the set up and distribution of Secure Provisioning. Are you an advanced automation user? Leverage our management plane to push your automation to the edge using GIT and YAML. Triggering automation updates and changes wherever there’s a NetOps Console server in proximity to the edge, you won’t have to relay anything manually.
Lighthouse is packed with automation benefits like the distribution of firmware, image and configuration files, Python scripts, Ansible playbooks, SNMP traps and APIs. It can also provide direct connections to IP addressable devices via HTTP, HTTPS, SSH, TELNET, VNC, RDP. And, there’s more. Lighthouse is also your cellular signal tester. It’ll test the cellular capabilities of every deployed Opengear device to ensure your Out-of-Band implementation will be up and available at those most critical moments when your network is in trouble. It’s in those times you want to be sure your Smart Out-of-Band solution has been thoroughly and repeatedly tested. This ensures the best signal possible when called upon to provide that secondary channel of communication into your remote network.
Leading Solutions Deployed By Network Engineers
Providing 2 Factor Authentication (2FA), additional security via Lighthouse, there’s no limit to your NetOps and NetDevOps capabilities. We understand the importance of security. Sure, we offer UEFI BIOS, just like some of our competitors, the most common form of motherboard firmware out there today to support larger storage requirements. But you probably aren’t concerned with something this minute. What do you care about? You care that our NetOps Console servers are built with most stringent security standards, ensuring that IT and network services are always available to improve efficiencies.
One of the reasons why we’ve remained the market leader is because of our laser focus, specific to Smart Out-of-Band and secure, remote access. We’ve never claimed to be a gateway router manufacturer, network engineers come to us for our network resilience and automation expertise.
Seamless SD-WAN Deployments
Read our Infographic: “The Tale of Two SD-WAN Deployments”
The new flexibility enabled by SD-WAN brings with it a heightened need for remote engineers to manage on-site devices. The sophistication of the SD-WAN hardware introduces points of failure, which without the proper solutions in place, can become large-scale disruptions.
If you’re like most organizations using SD-WAN for more secure network connections at a lower cost, you need a NetOps Console Server for seamless deployments. To provide benefits such as secured connections of standard broadband via a dynamic VPN tunnel, reduced hardware costs and quick deployments of new networks. The local routers in SD-WAN deployments have become more sophisticated, posing challenges to network connectivity.
SD-WAN isn’t a standalone solution. During the initial rollout or migration from the previous WAN, an organization’s network can be left unstable with frequent updates and glitches. Single points of failure can result in potential downtime.
These points of failure include:
- Access: Dependencies on broadband and cloud access can limit network accessibility
- Updates: Every time a firmware update is executed, there is a risk of a misconfiguration or error which can bring down the router.
- Security: SD-WAN connection must be secure and needs additional security offerings to protect the enterprise
Trust your SD-WAN deployment to Opengear. The OM1200 just recently won the Internet Telephony 2022 SD-WAN Implementation Award. Smart Out-of-Band supports SD-WAN deployments, allowing engineers to access the network at all times.
The Complete Carrier Certified Solution
Several suppliers offer embedded solutions. The main differentiator when it comes to cellular out-of-band solutions is the utilization of pre-packaged cellular boards vs. custom-built modules.
Opengear was the first console server company to have internal, certified cellular. Opengear appliances have a global module, specifically engineered to provide cellular Out-of-Band capabilities. They’re purpose-built from individual components which uniquely provides Smart Out-of-Band with an integrated 4G-LTE cellular capability. These have been certified by the Big 3, AT&T, Verizon and T-Mobile, and more as a complete end device. Most competitors use pre-packaged cellular boards, such as Socket Modems, that were never designed to support critical infrastructure. These types of modems are better suited for ad-hoc installations and small projects. They were never truly integrated into the end device, causing decreased speeds and unreliable services. The Carrier may certify the module from the original manufacturer but will not test the performance of the overall OOB device.
Limitations of Certified, pre-packaged cellular solutions:
- Low performance class, LTE CAT 1, of bandwidth for IoT (serial interface speed range only 56Kbps ~ 921Kbps)
- No native ability to leverage 4G LTE
- Decreased functionality due to pre-built design hindering data usage
- Risk of poor signal strength due to package design
- Stopped functionality due to FOTA updates
- Delayed recertification by the modular supplier when updated
Carrier Certified capabilities:
- Higher performance class, LTE CAT 3 and LTE CAT 6, of bandwidth for IoT (10~50~100 Mbps)
- Plug and play replacement enabling engineers to take out the old, dial up components and install cellular
- Ethernet Failover to Cellular in the event of main router or SD-WAN fails
- Employs radio and modem modules using highspeed USB 2.0 and 3.0 interfaces
- SIM socket access and antenna connections are optimized because designed to host data connection
- Provides the ability to pass large amounts of out-of-band traffic over a narrow band cellular connection without stallingH2Carrier Certification Strengthens the Connection
Our investment in certifications from the Big 3 wireless carriers reassures you that you’re deploying reliable and secure solutions on your network. Choosing Opengear’s Carrier-Certified console servers reduces uncertainty during deployments, with a single point of contact for any cellular-related issues.
This just gives you another reason to choose Opengear.
Accept no (L)Imitations
Although the NetOps Console Servers are in high demand, leveraging our mature channel relationships, we’re ready to serve your needs with as little lead time as possible.
18 years in business. Seven best in class products. Well-established, Two-tier distribution and reseller partner network. One comprehensive platform. The numbers speak for themselves, need we say more?
Opengear products are often imitated, but never duplicated. The NetOps Console servers provide everything needed for your automation, orchestration and security needs.
