Description
More Information for the Cisco MS120-48-HW 48 Ports Managed Switch
The Cisco MS120-48-HW Meraki Cloud Managed MS120-48 Switch is a cutting-edge networking solution that offers advanced features and seamless management through the Meraki cloud platform. This 48-port managed rack-mountable switch is designed to meet the evolving demands of modern networks, providing reliability, scalability, and ease of administration.
Overview of Cisco MS120-48-HW
The Cisco MS120-48-HW is a member of the Meraki MS120 series, known for its cloud-managed capabilities. It combines hardware excellence with cloud-based management, offering a unified and user-friendly experience for network administrators.
Key Features
- Cloud Management: The standout feature of the MS120-48-HW is its cloud management capability. This allows administrators to monitor, configure, and troubleshoot the switch remotely through the Meraki cloud dashboard. This significantly simplifies network management tasks and provides real-time insights into the network’s performance.
- 48 Ports: With 48 ports, this switch caters to businesses of various sizes, providing ample connectivity for numerous devices. The ports support both Gigabit Ethernet and Power over Ethernet (PoE), adding flexibility to network deployments.
- Rack-Mountable Design: The rack-mountable design ensures easy integration into standard network racks, optimizing space utilization in data centers or server rooms. The compact form factor makes it suitable for environments with limited space.
- Layer 2 Switching: The MS120-48-HW operates at Layer 2 of the OSI model, facilitating efficient switching and connectivity within a local network. This is essential for creating a stable and responsive network infrastructure.
- Quality of Service (QoS): To prioritize critical network traffic, the switch supports QoS features, allowing administrators to allocate bandwidth based on application requirements. This ensures a consistent and reliable user experience, even during periods of network congestion.
Meraki Cloud Platform
- Centralized Management: The Meraki cloud platform provides a centralized hub for managing Meraki devices, including the MS120-48-HW switch. Administrators can access the dashboard from anywhere with an internet connection, streamlining network operations and reducing the need for on-site configurations.
- Real-time Analytics: One of the advantages of cloud-managed networking is the ability to access real-time analytics. The Meraki dashboard offers insights into network traffic, device health, and application usage. This data empowers administrators to make informed decisions and proactively address potential issues.
- Automated Updates: The Meraki cloud platform ensures that the MS120-48-HW switch is always running the latest firmware and security updates. This automated update process enhances the switch’s performance and protects the network against emerging threats.
Deployment Scenarios
- Enterprise Networks: The MS120-48-HW is well-suited for large enterprise networks where scalability, reliability, and centralized management are critical. The cloud-managed approach simplifies network administration, making it easier to handle complex infrastructures.
- Education Institutions: Educational institutions with a high density of users and devices can benefit from the MS120-48-HW’s robust design and cloud management. The switch’s QoS capabilities are particularly valuable in ensuring a seamless learning experience.
- Small to Medium Businesses (SMBs): SMBs looking for a cost-effective yet powerful networking solution will find the MS120-48-HW to be a suitable choice. Its 48 ports provide room for expansion, and the cloud management feature reduces the need for dedicated IT personnel on-site.
Security Features
- Access Control Lists (ACLs): The switch supports ACLs, allowing administrators to define rules that control traffic entering or leaving the network. This enhances network security by preventing unauthorized access and securing sensitive data.
- Port Security: Port security features enable administrators to restrict access to specific switch ports based on MAC addresses. This helps prevent unauthorized devices from connecting to the network, adding an extra layer of security.
- Secure Management Protocols: The MS120-48-HW supports secure management protocols such as SSH (Secure Shell) and HTTPS (Hypertext Transfer Protocol Secure), ensuring that administrative access to the switch is encrypted and protected against unauthorized access.
Integration with Other Meraki Devices
- Unified Network Ecosystem: The MS120-48-HW seamlessly integrates with other Meraki devices, creating a unified network ecosystem. This includes Meraki wireless access points, security appliances, and cameras. The integration enhances the overall network performance and simplifies management through the centralized Meraki dashboard.
- Automated Interoperability: The Meraki cloud platform automates the interoperability between Meraki devices. For example, if a security alert is triggered by a Meraki camera, the MS120-48-HW switch can respond accordingly by adjusting network access or notifying administrators through the dashboard.
Technical Specifications
- Switching Capacity: The MS120-48-HW offers a specified switching capacity, indicating the maximum amount of data that can be transferred within the switch at any given moment. This is a crucial parameter for assessing the switch’s performance in handling network traffic.
- Power over Ethernet (PoE) Support: PoE support allows the switch to deliver power to connected devices, such as IP cameras, phones, and access points, over the Ethernet cables. This eliminates the need for separate power sources, simplifying device deployment.
- Redundancy and Reliability: The switch includes features for redundancy and reliability, such as link aggregation and Spanning Tree Protocol (STP), ensuring continuous network operation even in the event of a link failure.
Powerful Performance and Reliability
The MS120-48-HW Cisco switch is a 48-port, cloud-managed switch designed for small and medium-sized businesses. It provides powerful performance and reliability through its advanced feature set and support for high-speed networking. The switch is easy to set up and manage, with a user-friendly interface and the ability to be configured and monitored remotely through the cloud. Additionally, it supports a variety of features such as Quality of Service (QoS), VLANs, and Link Aggregation Control Protocol (LACP) to help optimize network performance and ensure high availability.
Security and Management Options
The MS120-48-HW Cisco switch provides advanced security and management options to help protect networks and simplify network administration.
In terms of security, the switch supports a variety of features to help protect against unauthorized access and attacks. These include access control lists (ACLs) to control access to the network, and 802.1X authentication to ensure only authorized devices can connect to the network. Additionally, it supports advanced security features such as DHCP snooping, IP Source Guard, and Dynamic ARP Inspection (DAI) to prevent malicious activity on the network.
In terms of management, the switch is cloud-managed, which allows for easy setup and configuration of the switch, as well as remote monitoring of network performance. This makes it easy for network administrators to identify and resolve issues without the need to physically visit the switch. Additionally, it provides a user-friendly interface, and it allows for granular control over the switch through a web-based GUI or the command-line interface (CLI).
The switch also supports a variety of advanced management features such as Quality of Service (QoS), VLANs, and Link Aggregation Control Protocol (LACP) to help optimize network performance and ensure high availability. Additionally, it has the capability of providing real-time performance monitoring, so administrators can quickly identify and address any performance bottlenecks.
Deployment and Configuration
The MS120-48-HW Cisco switch is designed to be easy to deploy and configure in a variety of environments. The switch is cloud-managed, which allows for easy setup and configuration of the switch through a web-based GUI or the command-line interface (CLI) remotely.
To deploy the switch, you can follow these basic steps:
- Connect the switch to a power source and turn it on.
- Connect the switch to the network through an Ethernet cable.
- Use a web browser to access the switch’s web-based GUI by typing the switch’s IP address into the browser’s address bar.
- Use the web-based GUI to configure the switch’s basic settings, such as IP address, username, and password.
- Once connected to the internet, you can also register the switch with Cisco Meraki Cloud and assign it to the appropriate network.
Once the switch is deployed, network administrators can use the cloud-based management platform to configure and monitor the switch remotely. This allows for easy setup, configuration, and monitoring of the switch without the need to physically visit the switch.
The switch also supports a variety of advanced management features such as Quality of Service (QoS), VLANs, and Link Aggregation Control Protocol (LACP) to help optimize network performance and ensure high availability. Additionally, it has the capability of providing real-time performance monitoring, so administrators can quickly identify and address any performance bottlenecks.
General Information about this Cisco MS120-48-HW
- Manufacturer: Cisco
- Part Number or SKU# MS120-48-HW
- Product Type: Ethernet Switch
- Product Name: Meraki Cloud Managed 48 Ports Managed Switch
Technical Specifications Simplified:
- Device Type: Managed 48-port Switch
- Enclosure Type: Rack-mountable (1U)
- Subtype: Gigabit Ethernet
- Ports: 48 x 10/100/1000 (PoE) + 4 x Gigabit SFP
Performance
- Switching Capacity: 104 Gbps
- Forwarding Rate: 77.38 Mpps
Finally, the Cisco MS120-48-HW Meraki Cloud Managed MS120-48 Switch stands out as a powerful and versatile networking solution. Its cloud-managed approach, extensive feature set, and seamless integration with the Meraki ecosystem make it a compelling choice for businesses of various sizes. Whether deployed in enterprise networks, educational institutions, or SMBs, this switch offers the reliability, scalability, and security needed to meet the demands of modern networking environments. The MS120-48-HW’s user-friendly interface and cloud-based management contribute to a streamlined and efficient network administration experience. As technology continues to evolve, Cisco’s commitment to innovation ensures that the MS120-48-HW remains at the forefront of network infrastructure solutions.
