Description
More Information for the Cisco WS-C2960X-48LPS-L Ethernet Switch
The Cisco WS-C2960X-48LPS-L is a prominent networking device in the IT industry, serving as a Layer 2 Ethernet switch. In this article, we will delve into the intricacies of this Cisco Catalyst 2960-X model, exploring its features, benefits, and applications. Whether you’re an IT professional seeking information or a business owner considering network upgrades, this comprehensive guide will help you make informed decisions.
What Is Cisco WS-C2960X-48LPS-L?
The Cisco WS-C2960X-48LPS-L is a member of the Catalyst 2960-X series, a lineup of switches designed to meet the evolving needs of modern networks. This particular model is a 48-port switch, which means it provides connectivity for up to 48 devices. It’s categorized as a Layer 2 switch, and it comes with Power over Ethernet (PoE) capabilities. But what do all these terms mean, and how do they affect your network?
Understanding Layer 2 Switches
- Layer 2 Network Functions: Layer 2 switches operate at the Data Link Layer (Layer 2) of the OSI model. This means they primarily deal with Ethernet frames and MAC addresses. They play a crucial role in LAN (Local Area Network) environments, facilitating communication between devices within the same network. In essence, Layer 2 switches make it possible for devices to send data to each other, both within and outside of their subnet.
- VLAN Support: The WS-C2960X-48LPS-L, like other Layer 2 switches, supports Virtual LANs (VLANs). VLANs are a way to segment a network into smaller, isolated broadcast domains. This segmentation enhances security, optimizes network traffic, and simplifies network management. With VLAN support, the WS-C2960X-48LPS-L can efficiently manage and separate traffic for different departments or purposes.
Cisco Catalyst 2960-X Series
The Cisco Catalyst 2960-X series is a popular choice in the networking industry for various reasons. Let’s explore some key attributes of this series.
- Reliability and Performance: Cisco is known for its reputation for providing high-quality and reliable networking equipment. The Catalyst 2960-X series is no exception. These switches are built to handle the demands of modern networks, offering a combination of performance and resilience. They are suitable for a wide range of applications, from small businesses to large enterprises.
- Scalability: Scalability is a vital consideration when choosing networking equipment. The Catalyst 2960-X series is designed with scalability in mind. With multiple models available, businesses can select the right switch that suits their current needs and future growth. The WS-C2960X-48LPS-L, with its 48 ports, provides ample room for expansion.
- Energy Efficiency: In today’s world, energy efficiency is a critical concern. The Catalyst 2960-X series incorporates energy-saving features to reduce power consumption while maintaining performance. The WS-C2960X-48LPS-L, in particular, is known for its PoE capabilities, which we will discuss in detail shortly. PoE allows the switch to deliver power to connected devices, reducing the need for additional power sources.
Cisco WS-C2960X-48LPS-L: In-Depth
Now, let’s take a closer look at the Cisco WS-C2960X-48LPS-L itself. What sets this model apart, and what are its main features and benefits?
- 48 Ports: As the name suggests, the WS-C2960X-48LPS-L comes with 48 Ethernet ports. These ports can be used to connect various network devices, such as computers, printers, IP phones, cameras, and more. Having 48 ports means you can connect a substantial number of devices without needing additional switches or complex configurations.
- Power over Ethernet (PoE): One of the standout features of the WS-C2960X-48LPS-L is its PoE capability. Power over Ethernet allows the switch to deliver both data and electrical power to connected devices. This feature is particularly beneficial for devices like IP phones, wireless access points, and security cameras. By providing power over the Ethernet cable, you simplify the deployment of these devices, reduce cabling clutter, and save on installation costs.
- PoE+ Support: The WS-C2960X-48LPS-L supports PoE+, which is an enhanced version of PoE. PoE+ provides higher power levels compared to standard PoE, making it suitable for a wider range of devices, including those with higher power requirements. With PoE+, you can confidently connect devices that demand more power without any issues.
- Layer 2 Features: As a Layer 2 switch, the WS-C2960X-48LPS-L excels in handling Ethernet frames and MAC addresses. It supports features like MAC address learning, MAC address aging, and MAC address filtering, which are essential for maintaining a healthy and efficient network. The switch also supports a variety of Layer 2 protocols, making it a versatile solution for different network setups.
- Advanced Security: Network security is a top priority for any business. The WS-C2960X-48LPS-L offers several security features to help safeguard your network. These features include Access Control Lists (ACLs), IEEE 802.1x port security, and DHCP snooping. These security measures help protect your network from unauthorized access and potential threats.
- Quality of Service (QoS): Quality of Service (QoS) is essential for ensuring that critical applications and services receive priority on your network. The WS-C2960X-48LPS-L provides QoS capabilities, allowing you to prioritize traffic based on criteria such as port, IP address, and protocol. This ensures that essential applications run smoothly, even during periods of high network activity.
- Easy Management: The Catalyst 2960-X series switches come with various management options to make network administration more straightforward. These switches support web-based management, a command-line interface (CLI), and a Simple Network Management Protocol (SNMP). This flexibility in management options ensures that you can choose the method that best suits your IT team’s skills and your network’s requirements.
- Stackable: If you need to expand your network further, the WS-C2960X-48LPS-L is stackable. This means you can connect multiple switches to create a single, unified network. Stackable switches are cost-effective and offer redundancy and increased performance. The stackable capability of this switch allows for network growth without the need for extensive configuration changes.
- Multigigabit Technology: As network demands evolve, faster connection speeds become essential. The WS-C2960X-48LPS-L supports multigigabit technology, allowing for network connections of up to 10 Gbps. This is particularly useful for organizations with high bandwidth requirements, such as those dealing with large file transfers, video streaming, and data-intensive applications.
- Redundant Power Supply: Network downtime can be costly and disruptive. The WS-C2960X-48LPS-L offers the option for a redundant power supply to enhance reliability. With dual power supply units, the switch can continue functioning even if one power source fails, ensuring uninterrupted network operation.
Use Cases
Now that we’ve covered the features and benefits of the WS-C2960X-48LPS-L, let’s explore some common use cases where this switch can be an excellent choice.
- Small to Medium Businesses: Small and medium-sized businesses (SMBs) can benefit from the Cisco WS-C2960X-48LPS-L. With its 48 ports, it can accommodate a variety of devices, including computers, printers, and IP phones. The PoE capabilities are especially useful for SMBs looking to deploy VoIP systems or security cameras without the need for extra power sources.
- Education: Educational institutions often require a robust and flexible network infrastructure. The WS-C2960X-48LPS-L can provide the necessary connectivity for classrooms, computer labs, and administrative offices. VLAN support allows for network segmentation, ensuring that different departments or classrooms have their own isolated networks.
- Healthcare: Hospitals and healthcare facilities rely on networks to support critical applications like electronic health records (EHR) and patient monitoring systems. The WS-C2960X-48LPS-L’s PoE+ capabilities are beneficial for powering medical devices and IP cameras. Additionally, the switch’s security features help maintain patient data confidentiality.
- Hospitality: Hotels, resorts, and other hospitality businesses require reliable and high-performance networks to provide Internet access to guests and manage their operations. The WS-C2960X-48LPS-L can serve as a reliable backbone for these networks, ensuring seamless connectivity for guests and staff.
- Manufacturing: Manufacturing facilities often have diverse networking needs, from connecting machinery and sensors to managing inventory systems. The WS-C2960X-48LPS-L’s multigigabit technology can support high-speed data transfers for automation and monitoring systems.
Competitive Advantages
Why choose the Cisco WS-C2960X-48LPS-L over other network switches on the market? Let’s explore some of its competitive advantages.
- Cisco’s Reputation: Cisco is a leading name in the networking industry, known for its quality and innovation. Choosing a Cisco Switch means investing in a reputable brand with a long history of delivering top-notch networking solutions.
- Robust Feature Set: The WS-C2960X-48LPS-L offers a comprehensive set of features, including PoE, PoE+ support, Layer 2 capabilities, advanced security, QoS, and more. These features make it a versatile and powerful switch suitable for a wide range of applications.
- Scalability: The Catalyst 2960-X series provides scalability options to meet the evolving needs of businesses. Whether you’re a small business or a large enterprise, you can find a model that suits your current requirements and allows for future growth.
- Energy Efficiency: The energy-saving features of the WS-C2960X-48LPS-L help reduce operational costs while being environmentally friendly. The ability to provide power to devices through PoE also contributes to energy efficiency.
- Redundancy: The option for a redundant power supply enhances network reliability and minimizes downtime. This feature is particularly crucial for businesses that rely on uninterrupted network services.
- Stackable: Stackable switches simplify network expansion and management. Adding more switches to your network is straightforward and cost-effective, reducing complexity.
Considerations Before Purchase
Before investing in the Cisco WS-C2960X-48LPS-L or any other networking equipment, it’s important to consider a few key factors.
- Network Requirements: Assess your current and future network requirements. Consider the number of devices you need to connect, the bandwidth demands, and the need for features like PoE and multigigabit technology.
- Budget: Budget constraints are a reality for most organizations. Determine your budget and choose a switch that provides the necessary features within your financial limits.
- Compatibility: Ensure that the Cisco WS-C2960X-48LPS-L is compatible with your existing network infrastructure. This includes considering compatibility with other switches, routers, and network devices.
- Support and Maintenance: Consider the availability of support and maintenance services for your networking equipment. Reliable support can be essential in resolving issues and ensuring network uptime.
- Future Growth: Plan for future growth and expansion. Select a switch that accommodates your current needs while leaving room for additional devices and network enhancements.
Features and Benefits of Catalyst Switch
The WS-C2960X-48LPS-L Cisco Catalyst 2960-X Ethernet Switch is a popular network switch that provides reliable and high-performance switching capabilities for small to medium-sized businesses. Some of the features and benefits of this switch include:
- 48 Gigabit Ethernet Ports: The WS-C2960X-48LPS-L switch comes with 48 Ethernet ports, which allow you to connect multiple devices to your network. These ports support a data transfer rate of 1 Gbps, which provides fast data transfer speeds.
- Power over Ethernet (PoE): This switch supports Power over Ethernet (PoE) technology, which allows you to power network devices such as IP phones, wireless access points, and IP cameras, without the need for separate power cables.
- PoE+ Support: The WS-C2960X-48LPS-L switch supports PoE+ technology, which provides higher power to connected devices, up to 30 watts per port, compared to the standard PoE technology.
- Energy-Efficient Design: The switch has an energy-efficient design that reduces power consumption without compromising performance. It supports Cisco EnergyWise technology, which allows you to monitor and manage power consumption across your network.
- Advanced Security Features: The WS-C2960X-48LPS-L switch provides advanced security features such as port security, Access Control Lists (ACLs), and Secure Shell (SSH) Protocol, which help to protect your network from unauthorized access and attacks.
- Easy Deployment and Management: The switch has an intuitive web-based interface and supports Cisco Network Assistant software, which makes it easy to deploy, configure, and manage your network.
- Scalable and Flexible: The WS-C2960X-48LPS-L switch is scalable and flexible, allowing you to add more switches to your network as your business grows. It also supports a range of advanced features such as Quality of Service (QoS), which helps to prioritize network traffic, and Link Aggregation Control Protocol (LACP), which allows you to combine multiple ports into a single logical link.
Spanning Tree Protocol (STP)
The Spanning Tree Protocol (STP) is a networking protocol used to prevent loops in a network topology by dynamically creating a loop-free logical topology. The WS-C2960X-48LPS-L Cisco Catalyst 2960-X 48 Ports Ethernet Switch supports the STP protocol, which helps ensure that the network remains stable and does not suffer from any broadcast storms or other issues that can arise due to loops.
The STP protocol works by creating a logical tree of connected switches that ensures that there is only one path between any two points in the network. This tree is created by selecting a root switch, which is the central point of the network. Each switch in the network then determines the shortest path to the root switch and blocks any other paths that would create a loop.
In the case of the WS-C2960X-48LPS-L Cisco Catalyst 2960-X 48 Ports Ethernet Switch, the switch supports the IEEE 802.1D STP standard, which is the original STP standard. This standard defines the process by which switches in a network determine the root switch, calculate the shortest path to the root switch, and block redundant paths to prevent loops.
The STP protocol operates in several stages. In the first stage, each switch in the network sends out a Bridge Protocol Data Unit (BPDU) to discover the topology of the network. The BPDU contains information about the switch’s identity, its priority level, and the port through which the BPDU was sent.
In the second stage, the switches exchange BPDU information to determine the root switch. The root switch is selected based on its priority level, with the switch with the lowest priority level being chosen as the root. If two switches have the same priority level, the switch with the lowest MAC address is chosen as the root.
In the third stage, each switch calculates the shortest path to the root switch by selecting the port with the lowest cost. The cost of a port is determined by its bandwidth, with higher bandwidth ports having a lower cost. If two ports have the same bandwidth, the port with the lowest MAC address is chosen.
In the final stage, each switch blocks any redundant ports to prevent loops. A port is considered redundant if it does not contribute to the shortest path to the root switch. The blocked ports are kept in a state of listening, during which they continue to receive BPDU information from other switches to ensure that the network remains stable and that the switch can quickly adapt to any changes in the network topology.
General Information about this Cisco WS-C2960X-48LPS-L
- Manufacturer: Cisco
- Model Number or SKU# WS-C2960X-48LPS-L
- Product Line: Catalyst
- Product Series: 2960-X
- Product Type: Ethernet Switch
Interfaces & Ports for 48 Ports Switch
- Total Number of Network Ports 48
- Number of Network (RJ-45) Ports: 48
- Port/Expansion Slot Details: 48 x Gigabit Ethernet Network
- Port/Expansion Slot Details: 4 x Gigabit Ethernet Expansion Slot
Performance of Managed Switch
- Media Type Supported: Twisted Pair
- Ethernet Technology: Gigabit Ethernet
- Network Technology: 10/100/1000Base-T
I/O Expansions for Ethernet Switch
- Number of Total Expansion Slots: 5
- Expansion Slot Type: SFP
- Expansion Slot Type: Stacking Module
Power Description
- PoE (RJ-45) Port: Yes
- Input Voltage: 110 V AC
- Input Voltage: 220 V AC
Management Protocol
- SNMP 1, RMON 1, RMON 2, RMON 3, RMON 9, Telnet,
- SNMP 3, SNMP 2c, HTTP, TFTP, SSH, CLI
Network & Communication
- Layer Supported: 2
Compliant Standards
- IEEE 802.3, IEEE 802.3u, IEEE 802.3z, IEEE 802.1D, IEEE 802.1Q,
- IEEE 802.3ab, IEEE 802.1p, IEEE 802.3af, IEEE 802.3x, IEEE 802.3ad (LACP),
- IEEE 802.1w, IEEE 802.1x, IEEE 802.3ae, IEEE 802.1s, IEEE 802.1ae, IEEE 802.1ab (LLDP),
- IEEE 802.3at, IEEE 802.3az, IEEE 802.1AX
Miscellaneous
- MTBF: 276,870 hours
Environmental Parameters
- Min Operating Temperature: 23 °F
- Max Operating Temperature: 113 °F
- Humidity Range Operating: 10 – 95% (non-condensing)
- Min Storage Temperature -13 °F
- Max Storage Temperature: 158 °F
- Humidity Range Storage: 10 – 95% (non-condensing)
In summary, the Cisco WS-C2960X-48LPS-L Catalyst 2960-X 48 Ports Layer 2 Ethernet Switch is a powerful and versatile networking solution with a wide range of features designed to meet the needs of modern businesses. Its combination of high port density, Power over Ethernet support, advanced security features, and energy-efficient design makes it a compelling choice for a variety of applications, from enterprise networks to educational institutions and healthcare facilities.
By understanding the features, benefits, and considerations associated with this switch, businesses and IT professionals can make informed decisions about their networking infrastructure. Whether you’re looking to upgrade an existing network or set up a new one, the Cisco WS-C2960X-48LPS-L is a reliable and robust option worth considering.
Investing in a high-quality network switch like the Cisco WS-C2960X-48LPS-L is an investment in the efficiency and security of your network, helping to support the growth and success of your organization in an increasingly interconnected world.
