Exterior

The switch is no larger than it should be for how many ports there are. We actually expected it to be slightly larger overall.


At the front of the left side are two LED indicators and two buttons. Hidden inside the chassis, the latter can only be gotten to with a sharp object. One resets and the other defaults the switch. On top of each port are LED indicators for some information on traffic and the Ethernet connection. Below are two tables that go over the color codes of these LED indicators. A USB port at the front of the right side can be used to load or save a configuration or update the firmware.


Here is a description of the XS728T's front, as seen in Netgear's own product manual.


You should remember that a yellow light is indicative of problems once the switch has fully booted. Netgear should probably use a red LED to indicate failure instead.


The green light is for 10G connections while the yellow light is for 1G connections. Blinking of these LEDs means there is traffic to and from the switch.


One side has exhaust grilles while the other has four fans that push hot air out of the chassis.


On the bottom of the XS728T is a sticker with its input specifications, model number, and default password, and an IP address to its web interface.


At the rear are the AC receptacle and a Kensington lock. Netgear should also install an on/off switch as it could prove pretty useful in a few situations. You probably won't power down a switch, but there should be a corresponding switch for when you have to do so nonetheless.