Rugged PoE Switch Selection Guide: Power Budget, Supply Sizing, and Uplinks on Cisco IE
A rugged PoE switch is sized from the devices it powers. Add up what each camera, access point, and sensor...
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Switches
Switching resources for access, aggregation, core, data center, industrial, and PoE deployments. This category helps buyers and engineers compare switch families, confirm uplink and stacking needs, plan replacements, evaluate module compatibility, and select hardware for real network design requirements.
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Latest in Switches
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Cisco MDS 9100 Port Licensing: What You Need to Add More Ports
A Cisco MDS 9100 port license increases the number of Fibre Channel ports authorized for use on the corresponding switch. To...
C9404R vs C9407R vs C9410R: Which Catalyst 9400 Chassis Should You Choose?
C9404R provides two line-card slots in 6 rack units, C9407R provides five in 10 rack units, and C9410R provides eight...
Cisco Catalyst 9400 Supervisor and Line Card Compatibility
C9400-LC-12QC, C9400-LC-24XY, C9400-LC-48HX, C9400-LC-48TX and C9400-LC-48XS require C9400X-SUP-2 or C9400X-SUP-2XL. The other nine line cards in the matrix below support all...
How to Check Cisco Warranty Status by Serial Number: 4 Ways
To check Cisco warranty status by serial number, start with the chassis serial number printed on the device label. Without...
Cisco StackWise Virtual Explained: Architecture, Forwarding, and Failure Recovery
Quick answer: Cisco StackWise Virtual combines two supported, directly connected switches into one logical system, with a shared control and management...
Cisco Catalyst 9500 Architecture and Design Guide: UADP, Silicon One, SDM, and Deployment Choices
Quick answer: Three forwarding architectures share the Catalyst 9500 name. Earlier base C9500 models use the UADP 2.0 family, current high-performance...
How to Configure a Cisco IE1000: Express Setup and Device Manager Guide
Run Express Setup on a factory-default Cisco IE1000 to set its management address, management VLAN, gateway, time source, and a...
Cisco IOS XE Upgrade Guide for Switches and Routers
No single command sequence upgrades every IOS XE device safely. Establish the exact platform, current release, operating mode, boot mode,...
Cisco IOS vs IOS XE: Architecture, CLI, and Platform Differences
Classic Cisco IOS is the older, more tightly integrated network operating system used on many earlier Cisco routers and switches....
Cisco Nexus 9000 and 3000 NX-OS License Guide & Selector
Choose the switch’s license class first, then the feature tier, consumption model, term, and any add-ons. Essentials covers common routing,...
Cisco MDS 9148T vs 9148V: Choosing Between 32G and 64G Fibre Channel
The Cisco MDS 9148T and MDS 9148V are both 48-port, 1RU fixed Fibre Channel switches in the MDS 9100 Series,...
Cisco Industrial Switches for Substations: Which Models Qualify and How to Choose
For substation deployments, Cisco’s current platform answer is the Catalyst IE9300 Rugged Series: a 1RU rack-mount switch certified to IEC...
When to Choose 4G vs 4X vs 8X Network Modules in Catalyst Switches
In Cisco Catalyst uplink naming, 4G means four 1G SFP ports, 4X means four 10G SFP+ ports, and 8X means...
Cisco Nexus 9300 100G vs 400G vs 800G: Which Fabric Speed Fits?
On the Cisco Nexus 9300, 100G, 400G, and 800G are three current platform generations, and the right one is decided...
Cisco Nexus 9300 NX-OS Mode vs ACI Mode: Which to Choose Before You Order
Cisco Nexus 9300 switches run either Cisco NX-OS or Cisco ACI, and the two modes are mutually exclusive boot images...
Cisco Catalyst 9000 Series Switches: The Complete 2026 Guide
Everything you need to evaluate, compare, and select the right Catalyst 9000 switch — from the entry-level 9200 to the...
Cisco Catalyst IE9300 Rugged Series Guide: Models, PoE, Licensing & SFP
The Cisco Catalyst IE9300 Rugged Series is a family of eight hardened, stackable rackmount switches that bring Cisco IOS XE...
How to Read Cisco Switch Port Numbers: Interface Numbering Explained
A Cisco switch port name like GigabitEthernet1/0/1 reads as an interface type followed by three numbers — stack member / module / port....
Patch Panel vs Switch: Do You Need Both?
A patch panel and a switch do completely different jobs: a patch panel passively terminates and organizes your cabling, while a switch actively forwards...
What Is an Uplink Port on a Switch?
An uplink port is the switch port that connects “up” to the next device in the network hierarchy — a...
Cisco IE Switch PoE Not Working: Industrial Troubleshooting Guide
When a Cisco Industrial Ethernet (IE) switch powers on but delivers no PoE, the cause is usually the power input,...
Cisco IE4000 and IE4010 Replacement: EOL Dates and Migration Paths
The Cisco Industrial Ethernet 4000 and 4010 Series are both end-of-life, on different timelines and with different replacements. The IE4000’s...
Cisco IE2000 Replacement: EOL Status and the IE3100 Upgrade Path
The Cisco Industrial Ethernet 2000 Series is end-of-life. Cisco’s last day to order was July 26, 2024, and the last...
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