Connect the Stack Cables

Use the window in the stack cable to align the connector correctly. Insert the cable into the stack port on the back of the switch. Secure the screws tightly. Insert the other end of the cable into the connector of the other switch, and secure the screws tightly.

Always use a Cisco-approved stack cable to connect the switches. Connect only Catalyst 2975 switches in a switch stack. The Catalyst 2975 switch does not support mixed stack configurations. You cannot stack Catalyst 2975 switches with Catalyst 3750 switches or Catalyst 3750-E switches.

STACK 1 STACK 2

CONSOLE

Caution Removing and installing the stack cable can shorten its useful life. Do not remove and insert the cable more often than is absolutely necessary.

Connect to the Switch Ports

This section describes how to connect to the fixed switch ports and to the SFP module slots.

Connect to 10/100/1000 PoE Ports

The 10/100/1000 PoE ports use standard RJ-45 connectors with Ethernet pinouts. The maximum cable length is 328 feet (100 meters). The 100BASE-TX and 1000BASE-T traffic requires Category 5, Category 5e, or Category 6 UTP cable. The 10BASE-T traffic can use Category 3 or Category 4 cable.

The ports provide PoE support for devices compliant with IEEE 802.3af and also provide Cisco pre-standard PoE support for Cisco IP Phones and Cisco Aironet Access Points. Each port can deliver 15.4 W of PoE on any 24 of the 48 ports or any combination of the ports can deliver an average of 7.7 W of PoE at the same time, up to a maximum switch power output of 370 W. By default, a switch PoE port automatically provides power when a valid powered device is connected to it.

The autonegotiation feature is enabled by default on the switch. At this setting, the switch ports configure themselves to operate at the speed of attached devices. If the attached device does not support autonegotiation, you can explicitly set the switch port speed and the duplex parameters. To maximize performance, either let the ports autonegotiate both speed and duplex, or set the port speed and duplex parameters on both ends of the connection.

For simplified cabling, the automatic medium-dependent interface crossover (auto-MDIX) feature is enabled by default on the switch. With auto-MDIX enabled, the switch detects the required cable type for copper Ethernet connections and configures the interface accordingly. Therefore, you can use either a crossover or a straight-through cable for connections to a switch 10/100/1000 PoE port, regardless of the type of device on the other end of the connection.

For information about configuring and monitoring PoE ports, enabling or disabling autonegotiation and auto-MDIX, see the switch software configuration guide on Cisco.com.