Cisco Systems 3550 manual Product Overview, Features, C H A P T E R

C H A P T E R 1

Product Overview

The Catalyst 3550 family of multilayer switches—also referred to as the switches—are stackable Ethernet switches to which you can connect workstations, Cisco IP Phones, and other network devices such as servers, routers, and other switches. These switches also can be deployed as backbone switches, aggregating Gigabit Ethernet traffic from other network devices.

This chapter provides a functional overview of the Catalyst 3550 switch models. These topics are included:

•Features, page 1-1

•Front-Panel Description, page 1-4

•Rear-Panel Description, page 1-10

•Management Options, page 1-11

Features

Figure 1-1and Figure 1-2show the Catalyst 3550 switch models, and Table 1-1describes the switch features.

Figure 1-1 Catalyst 3550-12T and 3550-12G Switch Models
Switch	Description
WS-C3550-12T	10 autosensing 10/100/1000
	Ethernet ports
	2 GBIC1-based Gigabit	Catalyst 3550
	module slots
WS-C3550-12G	2 autosensing 10/100/1000
	Ethernet ports
	10 GBIC-based Gigabit	Catalyst 3550
	module slots	81594

1. GBIC = Gigabit Interface Converter

Catalyst 3550 Switch Hardware Installation Guide

OL-6155-01 1-1