Hello everyone! Cisco Catalyst 2960 Series switches are widely used in enterprise networks and are widely selected for their high cost-effectiveness and reliability. Today, I will focus on comparing the differences between Catalyst 2960 S and 2960 X Series switches to help you understand how these two products meet different network needs.
The Catalyst 2960 S Series is suitable for the basic needs of small and medium-sized enterprises with its PoE, QoS, and stacking functions, while the 2960 X Series has been upgraded in performance and energy efficiency, suitable for the higher requirements of medium and large enterprises or campus networks. Through this article, you will clearly understand the hardware configuration and application scenario comparison between the two. If you need targeted solutions or product recommendations, please feel free to contact us.
What is Cisco Catalyst 2960 Series Switches
Cisco Catalyst 2960 Series Switches are high-performance enterprise-class access layer switches that provide Gigabit Ethernet connectivity and basic network management functions. Suitable for small to medium-sized enterprise environments, supporting various security features and traffic management functions. This series includes models that support PoE and non-PoE, suitable for network access, device power supply and efficient data transmission.
1. Positioning of Catalyst 2960 series switches:
- Catalyst 2960 series switches belong to Cisco’s low-end switch product line.
- This series of switches is mainly aimed at the network environment of small and medium-sized enterprises and branches.
2. Commonalities of Catalyst 2960 series switches:
- Interface type:
- Provide 10/100/1000Mbps Ethernet electrical port interface.
- Support SFP optical module uplink.
- Security features:
- Supports security features such as port security, DHCP protection, and IP source protection.
- Can prevent common network attacks.
- Basic functions:
- Supports basic Layer 2 switching functions such as VLAN, spanning tree protocol, and LACP.
- With rich management and monitoring functions.
- PoE support:
- Some models support PoE and PoE+ power supply functions.
- Can power terminal devices such as IP cameras and wireless APs.
In general, the Catalyst 2960 series switches are widely used in the network infrastructure construction of small and medium-sized enterprises and branch offices with their excellent cost-effectiveness and practical functions. Whether it is basic Layer 2 switching or PoE power supply support, the Catalyst 2960 series can meet the needs of small and medium-sized enterprise networks.
Cisco Catalyst 2960 S Series Switch Overview
The Cisco Catalyst 2960-S Series Switch is an enterprise-class access layer switch that provides high performance and reliability. It supports Gigabit Ethernet connections and has enhanced security and traffic management functions. Some models support PoE and are suitable for devices such as IP cameras, wireless access points, and VoIP phones. This series is designed to meet the network needs of small to medium-sized enterprises, providing stable network access and simplified management.
1. Features of Catalyst 2960-S series:
- Support PoE and PoE+ power supply functions:
- Can provide power supply for terminal devices such as IP cameras and wireless APs.
- Provide rich QoS functions:
- Support complex QoS policy configuration to ensure the priority and bandwidth of key business traffic.
- Support stacking technology:
- Up to 8 switches can be stacked to improve network redundancy and scalability.
2. Hardware configuration of Catalyst 2960-S series:
- Number of interfaces:
- Provides 24 or 48 10/100/1000Mbps Ethernet electrical ports.
- Also has multiple SFP/SFP+ optical/electrical multiplexing uplink interfaces.
- Bandwidth capability:
- Provides up to 128Gbps switching capacity.
- A single interface supports up to 2Gbps line-speed forwarding performance.
- Stacking Capability:
- Supports hardware stacking of 8 switches.
- Stacking bandwidth is up to 80Gbps.
In general, the Catalyst 2960-S series switches have more powerful performance and more flexible functions than the traditional Catalyst 2960 series. It can meet the needs of small and medium-sized enterprises and branch office network environments that require more advanced features, and provide users with highly reliable and scalable Layer 2 switching solutions.
Cisco Catalyst 2960 X Series Switches
The Cisco Catalyst 2960-X Series Switches are enterprise-class, high-performance access layer switches that support Gigabit Ethernet and up to 10G uplinks. Providing enhanced security, manageability and energy efficiency, some models support PoE and PoE+, suitable for IP cameras, wireless access points and VoIP phones. It is suitable for medium-sized enterprises and branch offices to meet the needs of modern network environments.
1. Features of the Catalyst 2960-X series:
- Upgraded on the basis of Catalyst 2960-S:
- Provides better performance and energy efficiency.
- Supports more advanced hardware features:
- Added 10GbE SFP+ optical-electrical multiplexing uplink interface.
- Supports higher port density and scalability.
2. Hardware configuration of Catalyst 2960-X series:
- Number of interfaces:
- Provides 24 or 48 10/100/1000Mbps Ethernet electrical ports.
- Has multiple SFP and SFP+ optical-electrical multiplexing uplink interfaces.
- Bandwidth capability:
- Provides up to 176Gbps switching capacity.
- A single interface supports up to 2Gbps line-speed forwarding performance.
- Stacking capability:
- Supports hardware stacking of 2 switches.
- Stacking bandwidth is up to 80Gbps.
- PoE support:
- Some models support PoE and PoE+ power supply functions.
- Can power terminal devices such as IP cameras and wireless APs.
In general, the Catalyst 2960-X series is an upgraded version of the Catalyst 2960-S, with significant improvements in performance, energy efficiency and functionality. It provides a more powerful and flexible Layer 2 switching solution for small and medium-sized enterprises and branch office networks.
Comparison of Application Scenarios of Catalyst 2960 S and 2960 X Series
The Catalyst 2960-S series is suitable for the access layer of small and medium-sized enterprises, providing stable Gigabit Ethernet connections and basic network management functions. The 2960-X series supports higher performance and scalability, is suitable for larger enterprise environments, and provides higher throughput and stronger PoE support. The 2960-X series is suitable for scenarios with higher requirements for network performance and device power supply.
1. Typical scenarios for Catalyst 2960-S:
- Small and medium-sized enterprise branch office network:
- The performance and functional characteristics of the Catalyst 2960-S series switches are very suitable for small and medium-sized enterprise branch office environments.
- Basic network management functions such as PoE and QoS are required:
- Catalyst 2960-S provides basic but important network management functions such as PoE power supply and QoS adjustment.
- It can meet the needs of small and medium-sized branches for these functions.
2. Typical scenarios for Catalyst 2960-X:
- Medium and large enterprises or campus networks:
- The Catalyst 2960-X series has better performance and scalability, and is more suitable for medium and large enterprises or campus network environments.
- Need higher performance and scalability:
- Catalyst 2960-X provides higher interface density, bandwidth and stacking capabilities.
- Can better meet the needs of medium and large networks for high performance and scalability.
In general, Catalyst 2960-S is more suitable for small and medium-sized branch office networks and meets basic network management needs; while Catalyst 2960-X is more suitable for medium and large enterprise or campus network environments, providing more powerful performance and functional expansion capabilities. Users need to choose the appropriate Catalyst 2960 series switch model according to their own network scale and needs.
Summary
I hope that through this detailed comparison of Cisco Catalyst 2960 S and 2960 X Series switches, you can clearly understand which switch is best for your network needs. The Catalyst 2960 S Series is suitable for basic network functions, while the 2960 X Series provides higher performance and scalability. Whether you need to upgrade an existing network or make a new deployment, we can provide professional advice and high-quality product services.
If you have any questions or need further assistance, please contact me immediately. I will provide you with the best network solutions to ensure that your enterprise network is efficient and stable. Choose our products and services, and let us work together to promote your network development to new heights!
Cisco Catalyst 2960 S and 2960 X Switches FAQ
The Cisco Catalyst 2960-X offers higher performance, improved features, and enhanced scalability compared to the 2960-S, including a more advanced hardware platform and support for newer technologies.
The 2960-X features a more powerful CPU, increased memory, and higher throughput capabilities compared to the 2960-S. It also supports improved stacking with up to 8 switches in a stack versus the 2960-S’s limit of 4.
The 2960-X offers enhanced PoE+ capabilities, providing up to 25.5 watts per port, whereas the 2960-S supports standard PoE with up to 15.4 watts per port. The 2960-X models also offer more efficient power management.
Both the 2960-S and 2960-X support similar port densities, with models available in 24-port and 48-port configurations. However, the 2960-X supports additional features and higher performance on these ports.
Yes, the 2960-X supports more advanced software features, including improved network security, better quality of service (QoS) capabilities, and enhanced IPv6 support compared to the 2960-S.
The 2960-X supports Cisco StackWise-160 technology, which allows for stacking of up to 8 switches, providing greater flexibility and higher bandwidth compared to the 2960-S’s StackWise technology, which supports stacking of up to 4 switches.
The 2960-X includes improved management options with enhanced web-based and CLI management interfaces, offering more advanced configuration and monitoring tools compared to the 2960-S.
The 2960-X models offer more efficient and higher capacity power supplies, including support for redundant power supplies, while the 2960-S has more basic power supply options.
The 2960-X is designed with improved cooling and efficiency, allowing for better performance in high-density environments. The 2960-X models are also generally more energy-efficient compared to the 2960-S.
Choosing the 2960-X over the 2960-S provides enhanced performance, better scalability, advanced features, and improved energy efficiency. This makes the 2960-X a better option for future-proofing network infrastructure and meeting higher performance demands.