Cisco Systems RJ-45-to-AUX Appendix E Switch Features, Access Layer Switches, Cisco Catalyst, 359

Appendix E: Switch Features

This appendix is dedicated to helping you determine which switch needs to be placed in your network. If the wrong switch is placed in each point in your network the load can cause severe problems, including bottlenecks or load failures. We will break down the switches into the layers in which Cisco feels they should reside, based on their latest certification curriculum.

Access Layer Switches

The Access layer is the access point where the workgroup layer or end−user interface enters the network. This layer provides the means to connect to the devices located in the Distribution layer and provide connections to both local and remote devices. The goals of this layer are to pass traffic to the network for valid network users and to filter traffic that is passed along. Because the Access layer is the entry point to the network, only port security−based decisions, such as those based on the Layer 2 hardware addresses, can be made here.

Devices found at this layer and covered in this chapter are as follows:

∙Cisco Catalyst 1900 series

∙Cisco Catalyst 2820 series

∙Cisco Catalyst 2900G series, including the new 2980G series

∙Cisco Catalyst 2900 XL series

∙Cisco Catalyst 3000 series

∙Cisco Catalyst 3500 XL series

∙Cisco Catalyst 3900 series

Cisco Catalyst 1900

The Catalyst 1900 is the entry point for Cisco’s switch line. There are two types of Catalyst 1900 switches: the Standard Edition (SE) and the Enterprise Edition (EN).

The Standard Edition, as explained in Chapter 15, is a low−cost alternative for administrators migrating from a shared hub environment or smaller scale installations. The SE uses a menu−driven IOS and cannot handle some of the more advanced features available in the Enterprise Edition of the IOS.

The Enterprise Edition contains all the features of the Standard Edition but provides several high−end solutions, including Fast EtherChannel, support for Inter−Switch Link (ISL), an IOS Command Line Interface (CLI), and support for Cisco Group Management Protocol (CGMP).

The 1900 series offers two different models: the Cisco Catalyst 1912 and the Cisco Catalyst 1924. They are identified by the number of standard ports. Table E.1 shows the features of each switch.

Table E.1: Features available for the Cisco Catalyst 1912 and Catalyst 1924.

Feature	1912	1924
Ports	12	24
Backplane	1Gbps	1Gbps
Processor	80486 CPU	80486 CPU
Flash	1MB	1MB
DRAM	2MB	2MB
Forwarding rate	370 pps	370 pps
Max MAC addresses	1,024	2,048

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