Plus Configuration Utility 8 Port Gigabit Ethernet PoE+ Plus Switch (GS308EP)

Question

Almost as soon as I bought this switch the management program,

ProSAFE Plus Utility

seems to have been discontinued. What if any options are there for the GS308EP? I doubt I would purchase anther Netgear product if there is no way to support this one. Bought it a little over a year ago with the management software a key factor in my decision.

schumaku · Answer

The NSDP protocol access was disabled a long time ago, by default, as well as with the firmware updates released over the time as part of the continuous security updates on the Netgear devices, with the new defaults, the Plus Utility configuration access - because it is considered a security risk.
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The&nbsp;PoE+ Gigabit Ethernet Plus Switches Data Sheet | GS305EP, GS305EPP, GS308EP, GS308EPP, GS316EP, GS316EPP&nbsp;does clearly show the "PC utility: No" for all models.&nbsp;
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There is (and never was since it's first publication in January 2021) any word of the legacy Plus Utility in the fine&nbsp;Gigabit Ethernet Plus Switches - GS305EP GS305EPP GS308EP GS308EPP User Manual&nbsp;
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There is nothing that can stop you from continue to use the utility. Netgear still lists it for download for most Plus switches, even if the installation can be kind of a pain, not only due to the outdated Adobe Air runtime (phased out along Adobe Flash a long time go already), also because it requires (blame the old DEC OpenVMS mind for the old term) physical access by a network block level driver - technically the same as many network engineers have installed on their Windows systems anyway long with Wireshark, that's Npcap:
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Said this: The standard and state-of-the-art tool for managing devices and appliances is the Web browser nowadays, and no longer some old time hack applications. All you need is probably the Netgear Switch Discovery Utility, and your computer default Web-browser.
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Disputable why Netgear has never added the UPnP SSDP based discovery option available on newer Plus switches (along with all Netgear Smart Managed switches) - very useful to have the devices on the LAN readily listed eg. in the Windows Explorer network.&nbsp;
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