The licensed Cisco Catalyst switches are a family of network switches designed and manufactured by Cisco Systems. The switches are designed to operate in enterprise and service provider environments and provide high-performance, reliability, and scalability for data center and campus networks.
The licensed Cisco Catalyst switch family offers a wide range of features and capabilities to meet the needs of businesses of all sizes. The switches support a variety of technologies, including VLANs, Quality of Service (QoS), multicast routing, and advanced security features.
One of the most significant benefits of Cisco Catalyst switches is their ability to provide reliable and secure connectivity for networked devices. The switches offer advanced features that ensure optimal network performance, including high-bandwidth switching and advanced traffic management.
Another advantage of Cisco Catalyst switches is their scalability. The switches are designed to support a wide range of network sizes, from small networks with just a few devices to large enterprise networks with thousands of devices. The switches can also be easily expanded as network needs grow.
The licensed Catalyst switches are available in a variety of form factors, including modular and fixed configurations. The modular switches allow businesses to customize their network infrastructure to meet specific needs, while the fixed switches are designed for ease of deployment and management.
The licensed Cisco Catalyst switch family also offers a range of management and automation tools that make it easy for businesses to monitor and manage their networks. The switches support a variety of management protocols, including SNMP, Telnet, SSH, and CLI, and can be easily integrated with network management platforms such as Cisco Prime Infrastructure.
In addition to their advanced networking features, Cisco Catalyst switches also offer a range of advanced security features to protect the network from threats. These features include access control lists (ACLs), port security, and IEEE 802.1X authentication.
Types of Cisco Catalyst
The licensed Cisco Catalyst is a family of network switches manufactured by Cisco Systems, a leading company in the networking and communications industry. Cisco Catalyst switches are known for their high performance, reliability, and scalability, making them an ideal choice for organizations of all sizes.
There are various types of Cisco Catalyst switches, each designed for specific applications and environments. In this article, we will discuss the different types of Cisco Catalyst switches, their features, and their use cases.
Cisco Catalyst 2960 Series Switches
The licensed Cisco Catalyst 2960 series switches are entry-level switches that offer basic features and low cost of ownership. These switches are ideal for small businesses or branch offices that require simple network connectivity. The 2960 series switches offer features such as VLAN support, QoS, and IGMP snooping, making them suitable for applications such as voice and video.
Cisco Catalyst 3650 Series Switches
The Cisco Catalyst 3650 series switches are mid-range switches that offer advanced features such as stacking, PoE+, and IP Base or IP Services software. These switches are ideal for medium-sized businesses or enterprise branch offices that require high-performance, secure, and scalable networks.
The 3650 series switches also offer Cisco’s Unified Access Data Plane (UADP) technology, which provides advanced routing, forwarding, and application visibility and control. This technology enables the switches to deliver services such as policy-based access control, network segmentation, and application-aware traffic management.
Cisco Catalyst 3850 Series Switches
The licensed Cisco Catalyst 3850 series switches are high-end switches that offer advanced features such as stacking, PoE+, and IP Base or IP Services software. These switches are ideal for large enterprises that require high-performance, secure, and scalable networks. The 3850 series switches also offer Cisco’s UADP technology, which provides advanced routing, forwarding, and application visibility and control.
In addition, the 3850 series switches offer Cisco’s TrustSec technology, which provides secure access and identity-based networking services. This technology enables the switches to deliver services such as access control, policy enforcement, and threat defense.
Cisco Catalyst 4500-X Series Switches
The licensed Cisco Catalyst 4500-X series switches are modular switches that offer high performance, scalability, and resiliency. These switches are ideal for campus networks, data centers, and service provider networks that require high-speed connectivity and high availability.
The 4500-X series switches offer features such as hot-swappable power supplies, fan trays, and line cards, which make them easy to maintain and upgrade. They also offer Cisco’s Virtual Switching System (VSS) technology, which provides active-active redundancy and load balancing.
Cisco Catalyst 6500 Series Switches
The licensed Cisco Catalyst 6500 series switches are modular switches that offer high performance, scalability, and resiliency. These switches are ideal for large campus networks, data centers, and service provider networks that require high-speed connectivity and high availability.
The 6500 series switches offer features such as hot-swappable power supplies, fan trays, and line cards, which make them easy to maintain and upgrade. They also offer Cisco’s VSS technology, which provides active-active redundancy and load balancing. In addition, the 6500 series switches offer Cisco’s FabricPath technology, which provides multipath forwarding and high scalability.
Cisco Catalyst 9000 Series Switches
The Cisco Catalyst 9000 series switches are the latest and most advanced switches in the Cisco Catalyst family. These switches offer advanced features such as programmability, automation, and analytics, making them ideal for digital-ready networks.
The 9000 series switches offer Cisco’s Digital Network Architecture (DNA) technology, which provides end-to-end network automation and analytics.
Features of Cisco Catalyst
The licensed Cisco Catalyst switches are renowned for their robustness, scalability, and advanced features that make them ideal for use in large-scale enterprise networks. These switches offer high performance, security, and reliability, which are essential in today’s networking landscape. In this article, we will discuss some of the key features of Cisco Catalyst switches.
High Performance
Cisco Catalyst switches are designed to deliver high performance to meet the demanding requirements of today’s data-intensive applications. They use advanced hardware and software technologies that provide high bandwidth and low latency. These switches support advanced traffic management techniques such as Quality of Service (QoS) and Multicast that ensure that the network is always available and responsive.
Scalability
Cisco Catalyst switches are scalable and can be easily expanded to accommodate the growth of the network. They support a range of expansion modules, including high-density Ethernet and Fiber modules, which enable organizations to increase their network capacity and performance. Additionally, Cisco Catalyst switches support Virtual Switching System (VSS) technology that allows two physical switches to be configured as a single virtual switch, providing increased scalability and availability.
Security
The licensed Cisco Catalyst switches provide advanced security features that protect the network from unauthorized access, intrusion, and other security threats. They support a range of security protocols, including 802.1X, Port Security, DHCP Snooping, Dynamic ARP Inspection, and IP Source Guard. Additionally, Cisco Catalyst switches support Advanced Security Services such as TrustSec, which provides end-to-end security and Identity-Based Networking, which allows network access based on user identity.
Reliability
Cisco Catalyst switches are designed for high availability and reliability. They use advanced hardware and software technologies that provide redundancy and failover capabilities, ensuring that the network is always available. Additionally, Cisco Catalyst switches support hot-swappable power supplies and fan modules, which allow for easy maintenance and replacement without disrupting network operations.
Management
The licensed Cisco Catalyst switches provide comprehensive management capabilities that enable network administrators to monitor, configure, and troubleshoot the network. They support a range of management protocols, including SNMP, CLI, and Web-based GUI. Additionally, Cisco Catalyst switches support advanced management features such as Cisco Prime Infrastructure, which provides centralized management and monitoring of the network, and Cisco Network Assistant, which provides a simple graphical interface for managing the network.
Compatibility
Cisco Catalyst switches are compatible with a range of devices and applications, making them ideal for use in complex enterprise networks. They support a range of protocols and standards, including IPv6, MPLS, and BGP. Additionally, Cisco Catalyst switches are interoperable with a range of third-party applications and devices, ensuring that they can be easily integrated into existing network infrastructures.
Use cases of Cisco Catalyst
There are various use cases of Cisco Catalyst switches, some of which are highlighted below:
LAN Connectivity
The primary use of Cisco Catalyst switches is to provide local area network (LAN) connectivity. These switches can connect multiple devices, such as computers, servers, and printers, within the same LAN. They enable seamless communication between these devices, allowing employees to collaborate effectively.
Network Segmentation
The licensed Cisco Catalyst switches can be used to segment a network, creating separate subnets or VLANs. This allows for greater control over network traffic and improves security by limiting the access of unauthorized users. By segmenting a network, an enterprise can also ensure that bandwidth is utilized efficiently and that network traffic is not congested.
Power over Ethernet (PoE)
Cisco Catalyst switches can provide power to network devices, such as IP phones, wireless access points, and security cameras, through Power over Ethernet (PoE) technology. This eliminates the need for separate power sources for these devices, simplifying installation and reducing costs.
Quality of Service (QoS)
Cisco Catalyst switches provide Quality of Service (QoS) capabilities, enabling enterprises to prioritize certain types of traffic over others. For example, voice and video traffic can be given higher priority than data traffic to ensure that they are delivered with low latency and without interruptions.
Security
The licensed Cisco Catalyst switches provide advanced security features, including access control lists (ACLs), port security, and MAC address filtering, to prevent unauthorized access and protect against network attacks. They also support virtual private network (VPN) connections, allowing remote workers to connect securely to the enterprise network.
High Availability
Cisco Catalyst switches provide high availability features, such as link aggregation, virtual port channels (vPCs), and redundant power supplies, to ensure that the network is always up and running. These features minimize downtime and ensure that critical applications and services are always available.
Network Monitoring
The licensed Cisco Catalyst switches provide network monitoring capabilities, allowing administrators to monitor network traffic, track device connectivity, and troubleshoot network issues. They also support Simple Network Management Protocol (SNMP) and other management protocols, enabling remote monitoring and management of the network.
Cloud Connectivity
Cisco Catalyst switches provide cloud connectivity features, enabling enterprises to integrate their network with cloud services. For example, enterprises can use Cisco’s cloud-based management platform, Cisco Meraki, to manage their network switches from a central location and simplify network management.
Overally, Cisco Catalyst switches are an excellent choice for businesses that require a reliable and scalable network infrastructure. With their advanced networking features, management and automation tools, and advanced security features, the switches offer everything businesses need to build and maintain a high-performance network.
