Have you ever wondered what those letters and numbers in the Cisco Catalyst switch names actually mean?
I Cisco Catalyst switch model names can be very confusing.
Let’s get see every possible letter, number, and combination that Cisco has used across its Catalyst switches, including old, new, and legacy models.
Series Numbers
Series numbers identify the general family of the switch and give an indication of its positioning within Cisco’s product lineup:
2900, 2960, 3650, 3750: Older Catalyst switch families, mostly found in legacy deployments.
9200, 9300, 9400, 9500, 9600: Modern Catalyst switch series, with the higher numbers indicating more advanced capabilities.
WS: Workgroup Switch, used in older Cisco switches such as the 2960 series.
Port Counts
Port numbers indicate the number of Ethernet interfaces available on the switch:
8, 12, 16, 24, 48, 96: Common port counts across many series.
Example: 24 and 48 are very typical for access-layer switches.
8 or 16 ports are more typical for compact or office switches.
Uplink Types
Uplink types refer to the speed and media type used for the uplink connections (the ports that connect to higher-level devices):
G: Gigabit Ethernet (1G) uplinks.
10G: 10-Gigabit Ethernet uplinks.
40G: 40-Gigabit Ethernet uplinks.
100G: 100-Gigabit Ethernet uplinks.
TW: Indicates uplinks with a 10G base (T) and 40G uplinks (W).
SFP: Small Form-Factor Pluggable module uplinks, typically used for fiber connectivity.
SFP+: Enhanced SFP modules that support 10G speeds.
QSFP: Quad Small Form-factor Pluggable for higher speed uplinks (40G or 100G).
Feature Letters and Combinations
These letters typically indicate specific features or capabilities of the switch, such as PoE support, stackability, or high performance. These can be a single letter or a combination of letters:
Power over Ethernet (PoE):
P: PoE (Power over Ethernet), supporting standard power delivery over Ethernet cables.
LP: Lite PoE, a lower power variant of PoE.
FP: Full PoE, providing more power than standard PoE (usually for PoE+ or PoE++).
UP: Universal PoE, supports multiple PoE standards, including PoE++ (high power).
Licensing and Software Features:
E: Essentials license, indicating the base-level software features.
A: Advantage license, which includes more advanced features such as Layer 3 routing and enhanced security.
L: LAN Base, used in older switches to indicate a more basic Layer 2/Layer 3 feature set.
PL: Premier license, used in some models to represent the most feature-rich configuration.
NE: Network Essentials, an older term used in some Cisco switches for a basic software package.
NA: Network Advantage, the advanced software package.
S: Standard software configuration.
Stackability:
S: Stackable, indicating that the switch supports stacking, allowing multiple switches to be connected and act as a single unit.
X: Often used to denote more advanced or newer models that support stacking and higher speeds (e.g., 10G ports).
X: In certain cases, also indicates 10 Gigabit Ethernet support.
Uplink & Expansion:
T: Indicates copper-based uplinks (non-PoE).
TL: Indicates 10G base copper Ethernet with a Lite feature set.
D: Indicates dual uplink ports, commonly SFP or SFP+.
W: Wireless, indicating that the switch may support wireless functionality or can act as a wireless controller.
MX: Modular switch supporting expansion cards and modular uplinks.
Performance:
R: Redundancy features, such as redundant supervisor modules or power supplies, mostly in modular switches (e.g., the 9400 series).
V: Variable-speed fans, which allow for quieter operation.
H: High performance, typically used to indicate switches with higher throughput or enhanced uplink speeds.
C: Compact, used for smaller switches designed for tight spaces.
N: Fanless, indicating the switch operates without fans, often used in quiet office environments.
Y: Often refers to switches with enhanced uplinks or higher throughput (e.g., 40G or 100G).
K: Crypto, indicating encryption support (common in switches with enhanced security features).
Z: Zero-touch provisioning, indicating automation or simplified deployment.
Supervisor Engines:
Supervisor engines are found in modular switches like the 9400 and 9600 series and manage the control plane. Common designations include:
SUP-1XL: Supervisor Engine 1XL, offering high throughput and advanced routing.
SUP-1T: Supervisor Engine with 1 Terabit capacity.
SUP-2T: Supervisor Engine with 2 Terabit capacity.
SUP-720: Supervisor Engine found in older models with 720 Gbps capacity.
SUP-1XL-Y: A variation of SUP-1XL, offering higher performance and enhanced uplink options.
Old/Legacy Letters and Terms
Older Catalyst switches and legacy models used slightly different letters and combinations. Here are some common legacy codes:
WS: Workgroup Switch, used in older models like the 2960 and 3750 series.
SMI: Standard Multilayer Image, used in older Catalyst models to denote the basic feature set.
EMI: Enhanced Multilayer Image, used to indicate more advanced Layer 3 routing capabilities.
LAN Lite: Older term for a limited feature set, primarily Layer 2 only, with minimal Layer 3 support.
NEB: New Enterprise Branch, found in older models that were designed for remote office or branch deployments.
Common Number Designations
24, 48: Port counts (24-port, 48-port switch models).
96: Indicates high port density, usually with a modular chassis or stackable configurations.
4: Sometimes refers to the number of uplink ports.
6, 7: Refers to the number of slots in a chassis model for modular switches like the Catalyst 9600.
Examples of Full Model Names and Their Meanings
To further understand how Cisco Catalyst switch model names work, let’s look at five diverse examples that showcase different combinations of letters, numbers, and features:
Cisco Catalyst WS-C2960X-48LPD-L
WS: Workgroup Switch (legacy term for older series).
C2960X: Cisco Catalyst 2960-X series, an enhanced model of the 2960 family.
48: 48 Ethernet ports.
L: Lite PoE, providing lower PoE power compared to full PoE.
P: PoE+ support, offering more power for devices like IP phones and cameras.
D: Dual SFP+ uplink ports, typically for fiber connections.
L: LAN Base license, which provides basic Layer 2/3 functionality.
Type: Legacy fixed-configuration switch with dual uplinks and Lite PoE.
Cisco Catalyst C9300-24T-E
C9300: Cisco Catalyst 9300 series, a modern, high-performance switch family designed for enterprise use.
24: 24 Ethernet ports.
T: Indicates copper Ethernet (non-PoE), meaning no PoE power is supplied.
E: Essentials license, offering a basic feature set for Layer 2/Layer 3 switching.
Type: Modern fixed-configuration switch without PoE, licensed for standard enterprise functions.
Cisco Catalyst C9200L-48PXG-A
C9200L: Cisco Catalyst 9200-Lite series, a more cost-effective and smaller sibling to the 9300 series.
48: 48 Ethernet ports.
P: Power over Ethernet (PoE+) support, capable of powering devices over Ethernet cables.
X: 10-Gigabit Ethernet support for higher-speed networking.
G: Gigabit Ethernet uplinks.
A: Advantage license, which includes advanced features like Layer 3 routing and security.
Type: Modern Lite switch with 48 ports, PoE+, and high-speed uplinks, targeted for cost-conscious enterprises that need advanced features.
Cisco Catalyst C9606R-SUP-2T-6TW-A
C9606R: Cisco Catalyst 9600 series, a modular, high-performance chassis switch with 6 slots for line cards.
R: Redundancy support for supervisor engines and power supplies.
SUP-2T: Supervisor Engine 2T, offering 2 Terabits per second of switching capacity.
6TW: Six uplink ports with 10G base (T) and 40G uplinks (W) for high-speed connections.
A: Advantage license, providing advanced routing, security, and automation features.
Type: High-end modular chassis switch, suitable for large-scale deployments with redundancy and high-speed uplinks.
Cisco Catalyst C9500-40X-E
C9500: Cisco Catalyst 9500 series, a high-performance fixed core switch for enterprise environments.
40: 40 Ethernet ports.
X: 10-Gigabit Ethernet support, providing high throughput for data centers or aggregation layers.
E: Essentials license, indicating the basic feature set.
Type: High-performance fixed-core switch for enterprise data centers, with 40 10G ports and the Essentials software license.
Comentarios