NIM-ES2-4 – 4x 10/100/1000BASE-TX Switched Ports – Layer 2 – No PoE – Ethernet Switch NIM
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NIM-ES2-4 Description
The NIM-ES2-4 is the Cisco 4-port Layer 2 Gigabit Ethernet LAN Switch Network Interface Module, ordered as NIM-ES2-4= and the smallest of the three Ethernet switch NIMs Cisco documents together. It adds four 10/100/1000 switched Gigabit Ethernet ports over 10/100/1000BASE-TX to a router that would otherwise terminate those endpoints on separate switching hardware, and Cisco states the module offers line-rate forwarding for Layer 2 traffic on each port. Beyond the port count it carries the same architecture as its larger siblings: direct module-to-module communication through the multigigabit fabric (MGF), four quality-of-service queues per port, Shaped Deficit Weighted Round Robin scheduling, dynamic secure port and intra chassis cascading, alongside autosensing that configures each port for 10, 100 or 1000-Mbps operation, autonegotiation that selects half or full duplex, and Auto-MDIX that detects straight-through against crossover cabling. What it does not carry is inline power: PoE and PoE+ delivery at up to 30W per port with per-port monitoring and policing belongs to the 8-port PoE version, not to this module. The NIMs run in IP Base and later images with no Cisco IOS Software technology or feature licenses required.
Quick Specs
|
Parameter |
Specification |
|---|---|
|
Product ID |
NIM-ES2-4, ordered as NIM-ES2-4= |
|
Module type |
4-port Layer 2 Gigabit Ethernet LAN Switch Network Interface Module |
|
Ports |
4 switched Gigabit Ethernet ports at 10/100/1000BASE-TX |
|
Forwarding |
Line-rate forwarding for Layer 2 traffic on each port |
|
Module interconnect |
Direct module-to-module communication through the multigigabit fabric (MGF) |
|
Port negotiation |
Autosensing at 10, 100 or 1000-Mbps, autonegotiation of half or full duplex, and Auto-MDIX cable detection |
|
Quality of service |
Four QoS queues per port with Shaped Deficit Weighted Round Robin |
|
PoE capability |
None; PoE and PoE+ at up to 30W per port is provided by the 8-port PoE version |
|
Software requirement |
IP Base and later images, with no Cisco IOS technology or feature licenses required |
Application Scenarios
Installed where a branch site needs a handful of switched Ethernet drops served directly from the router rather than from a separate access switch beside it.
Deployed to terminate small clusters of local devices on switched ports that share the router chassis and reach other modules through the multigigabit fabric.
Used where local switched traffic needs per-port queuing, applying the four QoS queues and Shaped Deficit Weighted Round Robin scheduling the module provides.
Related Ordering Boundary
Port Count Against The Eight-Port Module
NIM-ES2-4 provides four switched Gigabit Ethernet ports while NIM-ES2-8 provides eight on the same Layer 2 architecture and without PoE; a site that will terminate more than four local devices consumes the same NIM slot either way, so the port count is the whole difference between those two order lines.
Inline Power Sits Only On The PoE Module
Neither NIM-ES2-4 nor NIM-ES2-8 delivers inline power. NIM-ES2-8-P is the module capable of powering all eight of its ports at up to 30W of PoE or PoE+ per port with per-port monitoring and policing, so a design with powered endpoints has one option among the three.
Software Entitlement Is Not A Separate Line
The Gigabit Ethernet LAN Switch NIMs are supported in IP Base and later images and Cisco states no technology or feature licenses are required, so the module does not add a license line item to the order the way a routing feature set would.
Selection Guide
1. Four Ports As The Deciding Number
The choice between NIM-ES2-4 and NIM-ES2-8 turns entirely on how many local devices terminate on the router, since both occupy one NIM slot and share the same Layer 2 architecture, QoS queueing and MGF interconnect; a site already at four devices with any growth expectation is buying a slot twice by starting here.
2. Powered Endpoints End The Discussion Early
Access points, IP phones and cameras that draw PoE cannot be served by this module at any port count, and the only module of the three that powers its ports is NIM-ES2-8-P; a branch mixing powered and unpowered endpoints either takes that module or keeps a separate PoE switch in the rack.
3. The Fabric Makes It More Than A Port Card
Direct module-to-module communication through the multigigabit fabric means traffic between this NIM and other modules in the same chassis stays inside the router, which is the reason to switch locally on the NIM rather than hairpinning a small device group through an external switch.
4. Line Rate Applies To Layer 2 Only
Cisco describes line-rate forwarding for Layer 2 traffic on each port, so the performance claim covers switched traffic within the module; traffic that has to be routed leaves the switching path and is governed by the host router rather than by this specification.
Ordering Checklist
|
Check Item |
What to Confirm |
Why It Matters |
|---|---|---|
|
Powered endpoint count |
Confirm none of the devices on these four ports require PoE or PoE+. |
This module provides no inline power, so a powered endpoint will not come up on it. |
|
Free NIM slot |
Confirm the host router has an unused Network Interface Module slot. |
The module occupies one NIM slot and cannot be installed without one free. |
|
Software image family |
Confirm the router runs an IP Base or later image. |
The switch NIMs are supported from IP Base upward, though no separate technology or feature license is needed. |
|
Port count against device list |
Confirm the local device count fits within four switched ports. |
Exceeding four devices means a second module or the 8-port variant, and both change the order. |
|
Cable type at each drop |
Confirm standard copper cabling is used at each of the four ports. |
The ports are 10/100/1000BASE-TX copper, and Auto-MDIX handles straight-through against crossover but not a change of media. |
Specifications
| Parameter | Specification | Parameter | Specification |
|---|---|---|---|
| Product ID | NIM-ES2-4 | Cisco ordering description | 4-port Layer 2 Gigabit Ethernet LAN Switch NIM, ordered as NIM-ES2-4= |
| Port count | 4 switched Gigabit Ethernet ports | Port type | 10/100/1000BASE-TX |
| Switching scope | Layer 2 switching across onboard Gigabit Ethernet ports | Forwarding performance | Line-rate forwarding for Layer 2 traffic on each port |
| Module interconnect | Direct module-to-module communication through the multigigabit fabric (MGF) | Autosensing | Detects the speed of the attached device and configures the port for 10, 100 or 1000-Mbps operation |
| Autonegotiation | Selects half or full-duplex transmission mode to optimize bandwidth on all ports of the NIM | Auto-MDIX | Automatically detects straight-through against crossover cable type |
| Quality of service | Four QoS queues per port with Shaped Deficit Weighted Round Robin | Security and cascading features | Dynamic secure port and intra chassis cascading |
| PoE capability | Not provided on this module; PoE and PoE+ at up to 30W per port with per-port monitoring and policing is delivered by the 8-port PoE version | Software support | IP Base and later images, with no Cisco IOS Software technology or feature licenses required |
| Related module part numbers | NIM-ES2-8= for the 8-port Layer 2 version and NIM-ES2-8-P= for the 8-port PoE/PoE+ version |
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