blog about Cisco Catalyst 2960S Series Gains Traction in Enterprise Networks

For businesses seeking an economical yet feature-rich access-layer switch, the Cisco Catalyst 2960-S series presents an ideal solution. Designed to meet the wired connectivity needs of traditional desktop environments, this switch series incorporates advanced Quality of Service (QoS), robust security policies, and intelligent management tools to significantly reduce total cost of ownership while delivering a reliable and secure network infrastructure.

The Cisco Catalyst 2960-S series comprises fixed-configuration Gigabit Ethernet switches specifically engineered for campus and branch office access applications. These switches integrate innovative technologies including FlexStack stacking, PoE+ power delivery, and Cisco Catalyst SmartOperations tools to enable secure, reliable business operations at lower total cost.

• 24 or 48 Gigabit Ethernet ports
• 1G SFP or 1G/10G SFP+ uplink slots
• Optional Cisco FlexStack technology with 20 Gbps stacking throughput
• IEEE 802.3at-compliant PoE+ support (up to 30W per port)
• Total PoE/PoE+ budget up to 740W
• USB interface for management and file transfers
• LAN Base or LAN Lite Cisco IOS software feature sets
• SmartOperations tools for simplified deployment and reduced management costs
• Enhanced Limited Lifetime Warranty (E-LLW) with next-business-day replacement

• Cost-effective wired connectivity for traditional desktop environments
• QoS implementation for voice and mission-critical application prioritization
• Basic security policy enforcement to restrict network access and mitigate threats
• Operational simplification and automation to reduce total cost of ownership

Cisco FlexStack technology enables the stacking of up to four 2960-S switches into a single logical unit. This optional, hot-swappable module works with any Catalyst 2960-S switch running LAN Base software. Stack members automatically upgrade to the stack's Cisco IOS version and join seamlessly without manual intervention.

The FlexStack architecture provides a unified data plane, consolidated configuration, and single IP address management. Key advantages include:

• Reduced Total Cost of Ownership: Simplified administration decreases maintenance workload
• Improved Availability: Enhanced network reliability through stack-wide features including EtherChannel, SPAN, and FlexLink

Note that cross-stack functionality must be disabled before removing stacking modules from active stack members. FlexStack also supports hybrid configurations combining 2960-S and 2960-SF switches to deliver both Gigabit and Fast Ethernet ports within a single stack.

The Catalyst 2960-S series supports IEEE 802.3af PoE and 802.3at PoE+ (up to 30W per port), reducing deployment costs for IP phones, wireless access points, and other PoE-enabled devices. This eliminates the need for wall power supplies and additional electrical wiring.

The 2960-S series incorporates multiple security mechanisms to restrict network access and mitigate threats:

• Access Control: Includes flexible authentication, 802.1x monitoring mode, and RADIUS authorization changes
• Cisco SXP: Simplifies security policy enforcement across the network
• Threat Protection: Features port security, dynamic ARP inspection, and IP source guard
• IPv6 First-Hop Security: Protects against malicious router advertisements and IPv6-specific threats

The 2960-S series delivers sophisticated traffic management capabilities:

• Four egress queues per port with strict priority queuing
• Shaped Round Robin (SRR) scheduling and Weighted Tail Drop (WTD) congestion avoidance
• Flow-based rate limiting with up to 64 policers per port
• 802.1p CoS and DSCP field classification based on multiple packet attributes
• Stack-wide QoS configuration support

This comprehensive toolset streamlines LAN planning, deployment, monitoring, and troubleshooting:

• Smart Install: Enables zero-touch deployment through automated IOS image installation
• Auto Smartports: Automatically configures ports based on connected device type
• Smart Troubleshooting: Incorporates extensive diagnostic commands and system health checks

EnergyWise technology enables measurement and management of network-connected device power consumption, delivering measurable energy savings and reduced emissions. All 2960-S series switches include this capability.

The 2960-S series offers both CLI for detailed configuration and support for Cisco network management solutions.

Available in LAN Base and LAN Lite feature sets, the 2960-S series comes with Enhanced Limited Lifetime Warranty (E-LLW) including next-business-day hardware replacement (when available) and 90 days of 8x5 TAC support.