The new Catalyst 3560-X and 3750-X switches are business class models of standalone and stackable switches for the aggregation and access network layers. Cisco’s latest innovations deliver new features like full Power over Ethernet (POE+), redundant power supplies, and Cisco StackPower on the 3750-X, features which are unavailable on the 3560-E, 3750-E and 3560G, 3750G models.
The Basics
Power over Ethernet Plus
The Catalyst 3750-X and 3560-X switches deliver PoE+ for a maximum power of 30W per port. The switches support both PoE standards, 802.3af and 802.3at, which define power maximums for an Ethernet a port.
Redundant Power and Fans
The Cisco 3560-X and 3750-X support dual redundant power supplies and fans. Redundant fans come standard. Four power supply options are available including a DC power supply for PoE. Only one power supply is required to run a single switch except when full PoE+ is deployed on a 48-port switch.
Power sharing capabilities
The Cisco StackPower can be deployed in three configurations: power-sharing mode, redundant mode, and RPS mode. Power-sharing mode aggregates and shares power within the switch stack. Redundant mode sets aside power from the stack for a 1+N redundancy. RPS mode is a one to one (1:N) redundancy with a designated power supply as backup. StackPower is limited to four switches in a ring topology.
StackWise Plus
Like StackWise technology, StackWise Plus enables the configuration of up to nine 3750 and 3750-X switches into a single logical switch. The stack promotes a single switching unit managed by a main switch which automatically works and updates all optional routing tables and switching.
A Few Surprises
One surprising difference is that the 3750-X switch provides only 64 Gbps of backplane throughput whereas the older 3750-E delivers 128Gbps. As an alternative, the Juniper EX4200 has 128Gbps performance and can have ten switches in a virtual switch configuration for a total of 480 ports.
The 3560-X and 3750-X are standard Layer 2 switches which can be upgraded to Layer 3. This licensing option represents a significant hidden cost. Competitors such as Juniper offer full Layer 3 on comparable switches such as the EX3200 and EX4200.
Finally, the 3560-X and 3750-X models have a strong limited lifetime warranty that includes next business day replacement and 90 day access to Cisco TAC. Most competitive switch offerings have the NBD replacement as a chargeable support option.