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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:
Figure 2-1 and Figure 2-2 show the Catalyst 3550 switch models, and Table 2-1 describes the switch features.
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| 1 Only Catalyst 3550-24PWR switch |
The switch front panel includes the 10/100 or 10/100/1000 Ethernet ports or 100BASE-FX ports, GBIC module slots, and switch LEDs as shown in Figure 2-3 and described on the following pages.
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Note Figure 2-3 shows the Catalyst 3550-12T switch as an example. All the Catalyst switches have similar components. |
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| 1 Port numbering is from left to right, with port 1 on the far left. For ports grouped in pairs, the first member of the pair (port 1) is above the second member (port 2). The GBIC slots are numbered 1 (left) and 2 (right) or 1 (above) and 2 (below). |
The Fast Ethernet (10/100-Mbps) and Gigabit Ethernet (10/100/1000-Mbps) ports use standard RJ-45 connectors and Ethernet pinouts with internal crossovers. The maximum cable length is 328 feet (100 meters). 100BASE-TX and 1000BASE-T traffic requires twisted four-pair Category 5 cable. 10BASE-T traffic can use Category 3 or Category 4 cable.
Fast Ethernet ports operate at 10 or 100 Mbps in either full- or half-duplex mode. In full-duplex mode, two stations can send and receive traffic at the same time. Normally, 10-Mbps ports operate in half-duplex mode, which means that stations can either receive or send traffic.
You can configure interface speed on Fast Ethernet and Gigabit Ethernet ports. On Fast Ethernet ports, you can configure the duplex mode to full, half, or autonegotiate. On Gigabit Ethernet ports, you can configure ports to full-duplex mode or to autonegotiate; half-duplex mode is not supported.
The default setting is autonegotiate. At this setting, the port senses the speed and duplex settings of the attached device and advertises its own capabilities. If the connected device also supports autonegotiation, the switch port negotiates the best connection (that is, the fastest line speed that both devices support and full-duplex transmission if the attached device supports it) and configures itself accordingly.
The 10/100 ports on the Catalyst 3550-24PWR switch provide protocol support for Cisco IP Phones and Cisco Aironet Access Points:
On a per-port basis, you can control whether or not a Catalyst 3550-24PWR 10/100 port automatically provides power when an IP phone or an access point is connected. There are two inline power settings for each 10/100 port: Auto and Never. When you select the Auto setting for inline power on a port, the port only provides power if an IP phone or an access point is connected to it. The Auto setting is the default. However, when you select the Never setting for inline power on a port, the port does not provide power even if a Cisco IP phone or an access point is connected to it.
The 100BASE-FX ports use 50/125- or 62.5/125-micron multimode fiber-optic cabling. In full-duplex mode, the cable length from a switch to an attached device cannot exceed 6,562 feet (2 kilometers).
The 100BASE-FX ports operate only at 100 Mbps in either full- or half-duplex mode and do not support autonegotiation. The half-duplex mode is the default setting.
You can connect a 100BASE-FX port to an SC or ST port on a target device by using one of the MT-RJ fiber-optic patch cables listed in Table B-1.
You cannot configure speed or duplex mode on GBIC slots, but for certain types of GBICs, you can configure speed to not negotiate (nonegotiate) if connected to a device that does not support autonegotiation.
The GBIC module slots support these modules to provide flexibility in media and distance options:
Cisco-approved CWDM GBIC modules have a serial EEPROM that contains the module serial number, the vendor name and vendor ID, a unique security code, and cyclic redundancy check (CRC). When a CWDM GBIC module is inserted in the switch, the switch software reads the EEPROM to check the serial number, vendor name and vendor ID, and recompute the security code and CRC. If the serial number, the vendor name or vendor ID, the security code, or CRC is invalid, the switch places the port in an error-disabled state.
For more information about GBICs, refer to the documentation included with your GBIC module and to Related Publications for a list of related documentation.
You can use the switch LEDs to monitor switch activity and its performance. Figure 2-3 shows the LEDs and the Mode button that you use to select one of the port modes.
All of the LEDs described in this section except the utilization meter (UTIL) are visible on the CMS home page. The Catalyst 3550 Multilayer Switch Software Configuration Guide describes how to use CMS to configure and monitor individual switches and switch clusters.
The system LED shows whether the system is receiving power and is functioning properly. Table 2-2 lists the LED colors and their meanings.
The RPS LED shows the RPS status. Table 2-3 lists the LED colors and their meanings.
For more information about the Cisco RPS 300 or the Cisco RPS 675, refer to the documentation included with the RPS.
Each RJ-45 port and GBIC module slot has a port LED. These port LEDs, as a group or individually, display information about the switch and about the individual ports. The port mode determines the type of information displayed through the port LEDs. Table 2-4 lists the mode LEDs and their associated port modes and meanings.
To select or change a mode, press the Mode button (or Mode label on the Catalyst 3550-48 switch) until the desired mode is highlighted. When you change port modes, the meanings of the port LED colors also change. Table 2-5 explains how to interpret the port LED colors in different port modes.
You can also use the Mode button to activate the Express Setup program or to clear the switch IP address and all switch settings. See the "Starting Express Setup" section and the "Clearing the Switch IP Address and Configuration" section for more information.
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1 Not available on Catalyst 3550-24PWR switches 2 Available only on Catalyst 3550-24PWR switches |
Table 2-5 Meaning of LED Colors in Different Modes
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1 Not available on Catalyst 3550-24PWR switches 2 Available only on Catalyst 3550-24PWR switches |
The UTIL mode on the switch shows the current bandwidth in use by the switch. (See Figure 2-4 to Figure 2-8.) If all possible port LEDs are green, bandwidth utilization is in the 50 to 100 percent range. Every port LED that is off (black) divides this range by two.
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Note The port LEDs on the Catalyst 3550-24PWR switch do not show bandwidth utilization. |
Figure 2-4 shows the bandwidth utilization percentages displayed by the LEDs on the Catalyst 3550-12T switch.
Figure 2-5 shows the bandwidth utilization percentages displayed by the LEDs on the Catalyst 3550-12G switch.
Figure 2-6 shows the bandwidth utilization percentages displayed by the LEDs on the Catalyst 3550-24 and 3550-24-DC switches.
Figure 2-7 shows the bandwidth utilization percentages displayed by the LEDs on the Catalyst 3550-48 switch.
Figure 2-8 shows the bandwidth utilization percentages displayed by the LEDs on the Catalyst 3550-24-FX switch.
Other than the Catalyst 3550-24-DC switch, the switch rear panels have an AC power connector, an RPS connector, and an RJ-45 console port, which are shown in Figure 2-9 and described in this section.
The rear panel of the 3550-24-DC switch has a DC power connector (also referred to as the terminal block header), an RJ-45 console port, and a ground lug. The switch is shipped with a terminal block plug in the DC power connector.
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Note Figure 2-9 shows the Catalyst 3550-12T switch as an example. All the Catalyst switches have similar components. |
For AC-powered switches, the internal power supply is an autoranging unit that supports input voltages between 100 and 240 VAC.
For the Catalyst 2440-24-DC power information, see "DC Power Connections."
For protection against a power supply failure, you can connect a Cisco RPS to the switch. The Cisco RPS can support six external network devices and provide power to one failed device at a time. It automatically senses when the internal power supply of a connected device fails and provides power to the failed device, preventing loss of network traffic.
The Cisco RPS 300 has two output levels: -48 V and 12 V with a total maximum output power of 300 W. The Cisco RPS 675 has two output levels: -48 V and 12 V with a total maximum output power of 675 W.
These Cisco RPS models support the Catalyst 3550 switches:
The Cisco RPS 300 does not support the Catalyst 3550-24-DC or 3550-24PWR switch. The Cisco RPS 675 does not support the Catalyst 3550-24-DC switch.
The RPS 300 and RPS 675 models also support other Cisco devices. Refer to the RPS documentation for more information.
You can connect the switch to a PC by using the console port and the supplied RJ-45-to-DB-9 adapter cable. If you want to connect the switch console port to a terminal, you need to provide an RJ-45-to-DB-25 female DTE adapter. You can order a kit (part number ACS-DSBUASYN=) containing that adapter from Cisco.
The Catalyst 3550 switches offer several management options:
CMS is a graphical user interface that can be launched from anywhere in your network through a web browser such as Netscape Communicator or Microsoft Internet Explorer. CMS is already installed on the switch, and no additional installation is required. From CMS, you can fully configure and monitor a switch or switch clusters, display network topologies to gather link information, and display switch images to modify switch- and port-level settings. For more information, refer to the software configuration guide and the release notes on Cisco.com and the online help for this application.
The switch CLI is based on Cisco IOS software and is enhanced to support desktop-switching features. You can fully configure and monitor the switch and switch cluster members from the CLI. You can access the CLI either by connecting your management station directly to the switch console port or by using Telnet from a remote management station. Refer to the command reference on Cisco.com for more information.
SmartPort macros provide a convenient way to save and share common switch configurations. You can use SmartPort macros to enable features and settings based on the location of a switch in the network and for mass configuration deployments across the network.
Cisco provides a collection of pretested, Cisco-recommended baseline SmartPort macros for Catalyst switches. You can use the macros to build and deploy Cisco-recommended network designs and configurations. For more information about SmartPort macros, refer to the software configuration guide and the SmartPort information available on Cisco.com.
The CiscoView device-management application displays the switch image that you can use to set configuration parameters and to view switch status and performance information. The CiscoView application, which you purchase separately, can be a standalone application or part of an SNMP platform. Refer to the CiscoView documentation for more information.
You can manage switches from a SNMP-compatible management station that is running platforms such as HP OpenView or SunNet Manager. The switch supports a comprehensive set of Management Information Base (MIB) extensions and four Remote Monitoring (RMON) groups. Refer to the software configuration guide on Cisco.com and the documentation that came with your SNMP application for more information.
Cisco IE200 Series Configuration Registrar is a network management device that works with embedded Cisco Networking Services (CNS) agents in the switch software. You can automate initial configurations and configuration updates by generating switch-specific configuration changes, sending them to the switch, executing the configuration change, and logging the results.
Refer to the software configuration guide on Cisco.com for network configuration concepts and examples.
Posted: Mon Feb 9 09:00:21 PST 2004
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