Description
Product Overview for the Cisco WS-C4900M 8 Ports Switch
Cisco WS-C4900M Catalyst 4900M 10GBase-X Fast Ethernet 8 Ports Switch is a high-performance network switch designed to meet the demanding needs of modern businesses. This versatile switch is an integral part of Cisco’s extensive product lineup and offers a wide range of features and capabilities that make it an excellent choice for organizations of all sizes. In this detailed guide, we will explore the Cisco WS-C4900M switch, discussing its key features, benefits, use cases, and why it’s a valuable addition to any network infrastructure.
Understanding Cisco WS-C4900M Catalyst 4900M
The Cisco WS-C4900M Catalyst 4900M is a prominent member of Cisco’s Catalyst series of network switches. It is a modular switch designed for high-density Ethernet and Fast Ethernet deployments. Below, we will delve into the specifics of this switch’s features, performance, and design.
- Design and Build: The Cisco WS-C4900M switch features a compact 2U rack-mountable form factor, making it suitable for data centers and enterprise environments with limited space. Its sturdy build quality ensures long-term reliability and stability, even under demanding network conditions.
- Port Configuration: One of the defining characteristics of this switch is its 8 ports that support 10GBase-X Fast Ethernet connections. These ports are designed to handle high-speed data transfer, making them ideal for applications that require substantial bandwidth, such as data centers, cloud computing, and large-scale content delivery networks (CDNs).
- Scalability: The modular nature of the Cisco WS-C4900M Catalyst 4900M allows for scalability. With a range of available line cards and modules, users can expand their network as needed. This scalability ensures that the switch can grow with your organization, accommodating increasing network demands.
Key Features of Cisco WS-C4900M Switch
The Cisco WS-C4900M Catalyst 4900M switch is loaded with features that cater to the requirements of modern networking. Here are some of the key features that make it a valuable addition to any network infrastructure:
- High-speed 10GBase-X Ports: The eight 10GBase-X ports provide high-speed connectivity for data-intensive applications and ensure seamless data transfer within the network.
- Modular Design: The switch’s modular design allows for flexibility in configuration. Users can select the appropriate line cards and modules to suit their specific needs, making it a versatile choice for different applications.
- Redundancy and Reliability: The switch is designed with redundancy in mind, featuring hot-swappable power supplies and fans. This redundancy ensures uninterrupted operation and minimizes downtime.
- Advanced Security: Cisco’s Catalyst series switches are known for their robust security features, and the WS-C4900M is no exception. It includes features like Access Control Lists (ACLs), Virtual LAN (VLAN) support, and secure shell (SSH) for enhanced network security.
- Layer 3 Routing: The switch supports Layer 3 routing, which enables it to perform inter-VLAN routing, making it suitable for complex network topologies and routing needs.
- Quality of Service (QoS): QoS features in the Cisco WS-C4900M ensure that critical applications receive the necessary network resources, guaranteeing a consistent and high-quality user experience.
- Multicast Support: The switch supports multicast applications, which are essential for streaming media, content distribution, and collaboration tools.
- Management Capabilities: Cisco offers a wide range of management options for this switch, including a Command-Line Interface (CLI), Simple Network Management Protocol (SNMP), and web-based management interfaces.
- Energy-Efficient: With energy-efficient Ethernet (EEE) support, the Cisco WS-C4900M helps reduce power consumption, making it environmentally friendly and cost-effective.
Use Cases for Cisco WS-C4900M Catalyst 4900M
The Cisco WS-C4900M Catalyst 4900M switch is a versatile networking solution suitable for various use cases across different industries. Let’s explore some of the common scenarios where this switch can be a valuable asset:
- Data Centers: The high-speed 10GBase-X ports, scalability, and redundancy features make the Cisco WS-C4900M an excellent choice for data centers. It can handle substantial data traffic and meet the demanding requirements of modern data center operations.
- Cloud Service Providers: Cloud service providers require robust and scalable network infrastructure. This switch is well-suited for connecting multiple servers and handling the data flow associated with cloud computing services.
- Content Delivery Networks (CDNs): CDNs need high bandwidth and low latency to deliver content efficiently. The Cisco WS-C4900M’s 10GBase-X ports and support for multicast applications make it an ideal choice for CDN providers.
- Large Enterprises: Large enterprises with diverse networking needs can benefit from the flexibility of the Cisco WS-C4900M. Its modularity allows for customization, and the Layer 3 routing capabilities support complex network designs.
- Educational Institutions: Educational institutions often require high-speed networks to support e-learning, research, and administrative tasks. This switch can cater to their connectivity needs and ensure a seamless online learning experience.
- Telecommunications: Telecom companies can use the Cisco WS-C4900M for core network infrastructure. The switch’s high performance and reliability are essential for providing uninterrupted services to customers.
Advantages of Using Cisco WS-C4900M Catalyst 4900M
Now that we have discussed the features and use cases, it’s important to highlight the advantages of using the Cisco WS-C4900M Catalyst 4900M switch. These benefits make it a compelling choice for businesses and organizations:
- High Performance: The switch’s 10GBase-X ports deliver high-performance networking, ensuring that data-intensive applications run smoothly without bottlenecks.
- Scalability: As businesses grow, their networking needs evolve. The modularity of the Cisco WS-C4900M allows for easy scalability, saving on initial investment costs.
- Redundancy and Reliability: The hot-swappable power supplies and fans, along with Cisco’s renowned build quality, ensure that the switch operates reliably with minimal downtime.
- Enhanced Security: The switch’s advanced security features protect your network from threats, ensuring the integrity and confidentiality of your data.
- Quality of Service (QoS): QoS features help prioritize critical applications, ensuring that essential services are not affected by network congestion.
- Multicast Support: The ability to support multicast applications is crucial for content providers and those delivering streaming media.
- Easy Management: Cisco offers a range of management options, making it easy to configure and monitor the switch as per your requirements.
- Energy Efficiency: The switch’s support for energy-efficient Ethernet helps reduce power consumption, leading to cost savings and a reduced environmental footprint.
Comparing Cisco WS-C4900M to Other Switches
To better understand the position of the Cisco WS-C4900M Catalyst 4900M switch in the market, it’s essential to compare it to other switches with similar capabilities. Let’s take a look at how it stacks up against some competitors:
- Cisco WS-C4900M vs. Cisco Nexus 9000 Series: Both switches are from Cisco and offer high-performance networking. The Nexus 9000 series provides more advanced features, making it suitable for larger data centers and cloud environments. However, the WS-C4900M is a cost-effective choice for smaller-scale deployments.
- Cisco WS-C4900M vs. Juniper EX Series: Juniper’s EX Series switches are known for their reliability and performance. They are suitable for medium to large enterprises and data centers. The Cisco WS-C4900M is a more compact option with a focus on scalability.
- Cisco WS-C4900M vs. Arista 7050 Series: Arista’s 7050 series switches are designed for data center networking, providing high-speed connectivity and low-latency performance. The Cisco WS-C4900M offers similar capabilities in a more compact form factor.
- Cisco WS-C4900M vs. HPE Aruba 5400R Series: HPE’s Aruba 5400R series switches are known for their flexibility and support for advanced networking protocols. The Cisco WS-C4900M is a more straightforward option, offering high-speed connectivity for data centers and enterprise environments.
It’s important to note that the choice between these switches depends on your organization’s specific needs, budget, and existing infrastructure. Each switch has its unique strengths and is designed to excel in particular scenarios.
Features and Benefits
The WS-C4900M Cisco Catalyst 4900M is designed for high-performance, high-density applications and is capable of delivering a number of advanced performance features.
In terms of switching capacity, the switch can handle up to 320 Gbps of throughput, which allows it to process a large amount of data in a short amount of time.
It also supports non-blocking architecture which means that all of the ports on the switch can operate at their full capacity simultaneously, without any performance degradation. This allows for maximum flexibility in configuring the switch for different network requirements.
Additionally, The model has a high-performance ASIC that provides hardware-based forwarding and queuing, allowing for efficient and consistent performance.
Furthermore, it supports Jumbo Frame (up to 9216 bytes) which allows for larger packet sizes which can improve network performance in some cases.
Benefits of Layer 3 Switch
A Layer 3 switch is a type of network switch that can perform the functions of a traditional network router, in addition to the functions of a traditional network switch. This means that a Layer 3 switch can forward packets based on their IP address, in addition to forwarding them based on their MAC address (as a traditional switch would). This capability provides a number of benefits over traditional Layer 2 switches.
- Routing: One of the most significant benefits of a Layer 3 switch is that it allows for routing at the switch level. This means that packets can be forwarded based on their IP address, rather than just their MAC address, providing a higher level of granularity and control over network traffic.
- VLAN: Layer 3 switches can create virtual LANs (VLANs), which segment network traffic and improve security. VLANs can be created based on IP subnets, providing an additional level of segmentation beyond what is possible with traditional Layer 2 switches.
- Quality of Service (QoS): Layer 3 switches can also prioritize network traffic based on IP address, providing more granular Quality of Service (QoS) capabilities. This allows for critical traffic, such as voice and video, to be given priority over less critical traffic.
- Scalability: Layer 3 switches can also be used to create large, scalable networks. They can handle inter-VLAN routing and provide routing between different subnets.
- Security: Layer 3 switches can provide enhanced security features such as access control lists (ACLs) and virtual private networks (VPNs) to protect against network threats.
General Information about this Cisco WS-C4900M
- Manufacturer: Cisco
- Part Number or SKU# WS-C4900M
- Product Line: Catalyst
- Product Series: 4900
- Product Type: Layer 3 Switch
Technical Specifications for 8 Ports Switch
- Ports: Switch 8 ports L3 Managed
- Enclosure Type: Rack-mountable 2U
- Subtype: 10 Gigabit Ethernet
- MAC Address Table Size: 55K entries
- Processor: 1: 1.3 GHz
- Status Indicators: Port status, power, system
I/O Expansions of L3 Managed Switch
- Number of Total Expansion Slots: 11
- Expansion Slot Type: X2
Network & Communication of Slots-11 Ethernet Switch
- Layer Supported: 3
Features
- Layer 3 switching, layer 2 switching, BOOTP support, VLAN support, IGMP snooping, Broadcast Storm Control, IPv6 support, Dynamic Trunking Protocol (DTP) support, Trivial File Transfer Protocol (TFTP) support, Quality of Service (QoS), Jumbo Frames support
Management & Protocols
- Routing Protocol: RIP-1, RIP-2, EIGRP, static IP routing
- Remote Management Protocol: SNMP 1, SNMP 2, RMON 1, RMON 2, RMON 3, RMON 9, Telnet, SNMP 3
- Manageable: Yes
- Management-
- VLAN
- RMON
- SNMP v1,2,3
- Telnet
- QoS
- DHCP
- Web-based management
- CLI
Environmental Parameters
- Min Operating Temperature: 32 °F
- Max Operating Temperature: 104 °F
- Humidity Range Operating: 10 – 90%
Memory
- Standard Memory: 512 MB
- Memory Technology: SDRAM
- Memory Card Supported: Compact Flash (CF) Card
Miscellaneous
- Compliant Standards: NEBS level 3, CISPR 22 Class A, CISPR 24, EN 60950, EN 61000-3-2, EN50082, EN55022, VCCI Class A ITE, IEC 60950, EN 61000-3-3, EN55024, EN55022 Class A, UL 60950, CSA 22.2 No. 60950, EN 61000-6-1, AS/NZS 60950-1, ICES-003 Class A, FCC Part 15 A
In summary, the Cisco WS-C4900M Catalyst 4900M 10GBase-X Fast Ethernet 8 Ports Switch is a powerful networking solution designed to meet the demands of modern businesses. Its high-speed connectivity, modularity, and advanced features make it a versatile choice for a variety of use cases, from data centers to cloud service providers. Its advantages, such as scalability, redundancy, and security, make it a valuable addition to any network infrastructure.
While there are other switches on the market with similar capabilities, the Cisco WS-C4900M stands out for its reliability and cost-effectiveness, particularly for smaller to medium-scale deployments.
Proper setup, configuration, and maintenance are key to ensuring the switch performs optimally. Troubleshooting common issues is essential for maintaining network stability and addressing problems as they arise.
The Cisco WS-C4900M Catalyst 4900M switch is a robust networking solution that offers high performance and flexibility. Whether you’re building a data center, expanding your enterprise network, or providing cloud services, this switch can meet your networking needs effectively, making it a valuable asset in the world of modern networking.
By understanding its features, advantages, and how to configure and troubleshoot it, you can make the most of the Cisco WS-C4900M and ensure your network runs smoothly and reliably.
