Cisco 2960 S and 2960 X
Cisco has been coming up with new and improved platforms and device models. This keeps Cisco customers up to date with the latest technological advancements and meeting ever-changing Business and IT demands.
One such case is when Cisco announced the new 2960-X series Catalyst switches which had many features overlapping with the old 2960-S platform. Notable here to share that ‘S’ series is an older series, and Cisco is pricing it to discourage the customer from buying the older technology.
The newly introduced 2960-X series switches provide Layer 3 routing capability, application-aware intelligence, and almost double in scalability.
Related – IP ROUTING ON 2960 SWITCH
They are the greenest Cisco Catalyst access switches ever. These switches are built to reduce total cost of ownership.
Compared with Cisco 2960-X (excludes XR series) added features are enlisted below :
- Dual-core CPU at 600 MHz
- Cisco FlexStack-Plus stacking with 80 Gbps bandwidth and up to 8-member stack
- NetFlow-Lite on all downlink and uplink ports
- Switch Hibernation mode integrated with Cisco EnergyWise
- Energy-Efficient Ethernet (EEE) downlink ports
- 24 port fan less model with 2 SFP and 2* 10/100/1000 uplinks.
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Difference between 2960-X and 2960-S
Below table shares the difference between 2960-X and 2960-S series switches –
| PARAMETER | CISCO 2960-X | CISCO 2960-S |
|---|---|---|
| Indicative list price | $6800 | $8495 |
| Stacking | Flexstack-Plus | Flexstack |
| Stacking bandwidth | 80 Gbps | 40 Gbps |
| Stack members | 8 | 4 |
| SDN Support (Cisco onePK) | Yes | No |
| MAC Address | 16000 | 8000 |
| Total VLANs | 4096 (Only 1023 Active) | 255 |
| CPU | Dual Core | Single Core |
| Dimension | 1 Rack Unit (W x H x D) 17.5 x 1.75 x 14.50 in | 1 Rack Unit (W x H x D) 17.5 x 1.73 x 9.3 in |
| Flash | 128MB | 64MB |
| DRAM | 512 MB | 256 MB |
| IGMP Group and Multicast Routes | 1K | 228 |
| Etherchannel groups | 24 | 6 |
| Egress Buffer (Total) | 4 MB | 2 MB |
| SPAN Sessions | 4 | 2 |
| NetFlow Lite | Yes | No |
| EEE (Energy Efficient Ethernet) | Yes | No |
| Hibernation Mode | Yes | No |
| MACSec (HW Ready) | Yes | No |
Download the difference table here.
Related- Cisco Catalyst 9400 vs 9500
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
I am here to share my knowledge and experience in the field of networking with the goal being – “The more you share, the more you learn.”
I am a biotechnologist by qualification and a Network Enthusiast by interest. I developed interest in networking being in the company of a passionate Network Professional, my husband.
I am a strong believer of the fact that “learning is a constant process of discovering yourself.”
– Rashmi Bhardwaj (Author/Editor)
