Cisco sold its Catalyst access switches under a few model numbers that each cover several generations, and the letters in the part number tell the generation, the ports and the software. This guide covers the Catalyst 2960 family, the 3560, 3650 and 3750-X, the 4948 and its power supplies, the Catalyst 9200L and 9300L models Cisco names to follow them, and the Meraki MS switches. Every figure comes from Cisco and Meraki data sheets and end of sale notices, listed under Sources.
The short answer
For 10/100 or gigabit ports at the edge, look at the 2960 family; for PoE+ with stacking, the 3650 or the 3750-X; for a 1RU gigabit switch with 4 SFP+ ports, the 4948E. Cisco has ended sale of the 2960, 2960-Plus, 2960L, 2960-X, 3750-X, 4948E-F and WS-C3650-24PS-S, and names Catalyst 9200L and 9300L models to follow the 2960-X and the 3650. The Meraki models here are the MS355-48X2 and the MS120-8FP.
The models side by side
| Model | Ports | Switching | End of sale |
|---|---|---|---|
| WS-C2960-48PST-S | 48 x 10/100 RJ-45 PoE, 2 x 1000BASE-T, 2 x SFP | Not stated | October 31, 2014 (2960) |
| WS-C2960G-48TC-L | 48 x 10/100/1000 RJ-45, 4 dual-purpose uplinks | Not stated | Not stated |
| WS-C2960S-48TS-L | 48 x 10/100/1000 RJ-45, 4 x SFP | 77.4 Mpps | Not stated |
| Catalyst 2960-X | Not stated | 216 Gbps, 71.4 to 130.9 Mpps | October 31, 2022 |
| WS-C2960L-24TQ-LL | 24 x 10/100/1000 RJ-45, 4 x 10G SFP+ | Not stated | October 31, 2021 (2960L) |
| WS-C3650-24PS | 24 x 10/100/1000 PoE+, 4 x 1G | 92 Gbps | October 31, 2021 (WS-C3650-24PS-S) |
| Catalyst 3750-X | Not stated | 160 Gbps fabric, up to 101.2 Mpps | October 30, 2016 |
| WS-C4948E-F | 48 x 10/100/1000, 4 x SFP+ | Not stated | October 31, 2017 |
Catalyst 2960: several generations under one name
The original 2960 models such as the WS-C2960-48PST-S have 48 10/100 ports with 2 1000BASE-T and 2 SFP uplinks. The 2960G models such as the WS-C2960G-48TC-L have 48 10/100/1000 ports with 4 dual-purpose uplinks, each 10/100/1000 or SFP. The WS-C2960S-48TS-L has 48 10/100/1000 ports and 4 SFP uplinks at 77.4 Mpps, with optional FlexStack. The 2960-X models give 216 Gbps and from 71.4 Mpps on the 24 port models to 130.9 Mpps on the WS-C2960X-48FPD-L, with optional FlexStack-Plus. The WS-C2960L-24TQ-LL has 24 10/100/1000 ports and 4 10G SFP+ uplinks. On the 2960-Plus, the WS-C2960+48PST-L has 370 W of PoE available, enough for up to 24 ports at 15.4 W (802.3af).
The letter at the end of an original 2960 part number names the software image: -L models carry LAN Base and -S models LAN Lite, as in the WS-C2960-48TT-L and the WS-C2960-48PST-S.
Catalyst 3560, 3650 and 3750-X
The page for these holds the 3550, 3560, 3650, 3750 and 4948. The 3750-X models give a 160 Gbps switching fabric and up to 101.2 Mpps on the 48 port models in 1RU, with 715 W or 1100 W AC supplies on the PoE models; the WS-C3750X-48PF-S has the 1100 W supply and 800 W of PoE available. The WS-C3650-24PS has 24 10/100/1000 PoE+ ports and 4 1G uplinks, 92 Gbps, a 640 W supply with 390 W of PoE, in 1RU, and stacks optionally with StackWise-160 and the C3650-STACK-KIT at 160 Gbps. The WS-C3560E-24PD-S has 24 10/100/1000 PoE ports and 2 10GE X2 ports on a 750 W AC supply.
Catalyst 4948 and its power supplies
The WS-C4948-10GE gives 136 Gbps. The WS-C4948E-F has 48 10/100/1000 ports and 4 SFP+ ports with front exhaust airflow, and ships with no power supply; the WS-C4948E-F-E includes a 300 W AC supply. The PWR-C49E-300AC-F is the 300 W AC front exhaust supply for the 4948E-F, and the PWR-C49-300DC is a 300 W DC supply for the Catalyst 4948, 1+1 redundant and load sharing.
What Cisco names to follow them
Cisco's end of sale notices name the C9200L-24P-4G for the WS-C2960X-24PS-L and the C9200L-48P-4X for the WS-C2960X-48FPD-L, and the C9300L-24P-4G-A for the WS-C3650-24PS-S. The C9300L-24T-4X-E has dual redundant power bays and ships with one 350 W AC supply by default. For the Catalyst 9300 against the 9400, read Cisco Catalyst 9300 vs 9400.
Meraki MS
The 1U MS355-48X2 gives 688 Gbps of switching capacity and 400 Gbps of stacking bandwidth over 2 hardware stack ports. It runs on dual hot swap 1025 W AC power supplies, draws up to 1793 W, has 3 hot swap fans and 1 dedicated management interface, works from 0 to 45 C, and weighs 16.15 lbs (7.33 kg). The MS120-8FP has a fixed internal power supply and draws 161 W at most and 9 W idle.
What to check before you buy
- The generation in a 2960 part number: 2960, 2960G, 2960S, 2960X, 2960L or 2960+.
- The software letter on an original 2960: -L for LAN Base, -S for LAN Lite.
- The PoE budget: 370 W on the WS-C2960+48PST-L, 390 W on the WS-C3650-24PS, 800 W on the WS-C3750X-48PF-S.
- Stacking: FlexStack on the 2960-S, FlexStack-Plus on the 2960-X, StackWise-160 on the 3650.
- Power on a 4948E-F: the WS-C4948E-F ships with none, the WS-C4948E-F-E with a 300 W AC supply.
Lifecycle: what the dates mean
Cisco gives October 31, 2014 as the end of sale date for the 2960, October 31, 2021 for the 2960-Plus and 2960L, October 31, 2022 for the 2960-X, October 30, 2016 for the 3750-X, October 31, 2017 for the 4948E-F and its PWR-C49 supplies, and October 31, 2021 for the WS-C3650-24PS-S. For the 2960-X support dates, read Cisco Catalyst 2960-X after end of sale. A switch keeps forwarding after its end of sale, and a spare of the same part number keeps a closet matched.
Where to look
Each family has its own page listing what is in stock: the Catalyst 2960, the Catalyst 3560, 3650 and 4948, the Catalyst 9300 and 9400, Cisco power supplies and Meraki MS switches. Pages in stock today include the WS-C2960X-48FPD-L, the WS-C3650-24PS-E, the WS-C4948E-F-E, the C9300L-24T-4X-E and the MS355-48X2. For the whole maker, read the Cisco guide. Request a quote for a part that is not listed, or sell the switches you retire.
Sources
- End-of-Sale and End-of-Life Announcement for the Cisco Catalyst 2960 Series Switches
- End-of-Sale and End-of-Life Announcement for the Cisco Catalyst 2960G 24 and 48-Port Switches
- Cisco Catalyst 2960-X and 2960-XR Series Switches Data Sheet
- End-of-Sale and End-of-Life Announcement for the Cisco Catalyst C2960+ Series Switches
- End-of-Sale and End-of-Life Announcement for the Cisco Catalyst C2960L Series Switches
- End-of-Sale and End-of-Life Announcement for the Cisco Catalyst 2960X Product Family
- Cisco Catalyst 2960-L Series Switches Data Sheet
- Cisco Catalyst 2960-S Series Switches Data Sheet
- Cisco Catalyst 2960-Plus Series Switches Data Sheet
- Cisco Catalyst 3750-X and 3560-X Series Switches Data Sheet
- Cisco Catalyst 3650 Series Switches Data Sheet
- Cisco Catalyst 4948 10 Gigabit Ethernet Switch Data Sheet
- End-of-Sale and End-of-Life Announcement for the Cisco Catalyst 3650
- End-of-Sale and End-of-Life Announcement for the Cisco Catalyst 3560-X and 3750-X Series Switches
- End-of-Sale and End-of-Life Announcement for the Cisco Catalyst 3750G, 3560G, 3750-E, and 3560-E
- End-of-Sale and End-of-Life Announcement for the Cisco Catalyst 4948E Ethernet Switch
- Release Notes for Catalyst 4900M, Catalyst 4948E and Catalyst 4948E-F Series Switches
- Cisco Catalyst 9400 Supervisor Engine Modules Data Sheet
- End-of-Sale and End-of-Life Announcement for Cisco Catalyst 9400 Series Supervisor 1 Module
- Cisco Catalyst 9400 Series Switches Data Sheet
- Cisco Catalyst 9400 Series Switches Data Sheet (PDF)
- Cisco Catalyst 9300 Series Switches Data Sheet
- Cisco Catalyst 6807-XL Modular Switch Data Sheet
- Cisco Catalyst 6807-XL Switch Hardware Installation Guide: Power Supply Specifications
- Guide to Supported Hardware for Cisco 7600 Series Routers
- Cisco Catalyst 4948 Switch Data Sheet
- Meraki MS355 Datasheet
- Meraki MS120 Datasheet
