Cisco Business 250 User Manual

Cisco Business 250 Series

Smart Switches

Data sheet

Cisco public

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Contents

Build a reliable, easy-to-use business network at an affordable price 3

Business applications 4

Features and benefits 4

Product specifications 6

Ordering information 22

A powerful foundation for the basic business network 24

Cisco environmental sustainability 24

Cisco Capital 24

For more information 25

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Build a reliable, easy-to-use business network at an affordable price

In today's hyperconnected world, reliable access to network resources is critical to all businesses. However,
you also need to invest wisely to stay competitive, knowing how to separate the essential from the extraneous
and get the most value for your dollar. While building a solid foundation for your business network infrastructure
is essential, it doesn’t mean you need the most advanced feature set on the market.

For businesses requiring high performance, advanced security, and rich manageability from the network, fully
managed switches are an excellent choice. However, they also typically come with high price tags. Smart
switches provide the right level of network features and capabilities for growing businesses at an affordable
price, so you’ll have more dollars to put toward growing your business.

With Cisco® Business 250 Series Smart Switches (Figure 1), you can achieve enterprise-grade network
performance and security without paying for advanced network features that you will not use. When you need a
reliable solution to share online resources and connect computers, phones, and wireless access points, Cisco
Business 250 Series Smart Switches provide the ideal solution at an affordable pricing point.

Figure 1.

Cisco Business 250 Series Smart Switches

The Cisco Business 250 Series is the next generation of affordable smart switches that combine powerful
network performance and reliability with a complete suite of the network features you need for a solid business
network. These powerful Gigabit Ethernet switches, with Gigabit or 10 Gigabit Ethernet uplinks, provide multiple
management options, sophisticated security capabilities, and fine-tuned Quality of Service (QoS) and Layer 3
static routing features far beyond those of an unmanaged or consumer-grade switch, at a lower cost than for
fully managed switches. And with an easy-to-use web user interface and Power over Ethernet Plus (PoE+)
capability, you can deploy and configure a complete business network in minutes.

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Business applications

Whether you need basic, high-speed connectivity for your computers and servers or a comprehensive voice,
data, and wireless technology solution, Cisco Business 250 Series switches can meet your business needs.
Possible deployment scenarios include:

●

Small office networking: The versatility and affordability of the Cisco Business 250 Series family of
switches provide an ideal enterprise-class networking foundation for small businesses with limited IT
support and budget.

●

High-speed desktop connectivity: Cisco Business 250 Series switches can quickly and securely
connect employees working in small offices with one another and with all of the printers, servers, and
other networking devices. High performance and reliable connectivity help speed up file transfers and
data processing, improve network uptime, and keep your employees productive.

●

Flexible wireless connectivity: Cisco Business 250 Series switches work with Cisco and third-party
wireless solutions to extend the reach of your network. With security features, Power over Ethernet
(PoE), Virtual Local Area Network (VLAN), and QoS, these switches are the perfect foundation to add
enterprise-grade wireless solutions to a network. The capability of up to 30W of power per port provided
through the Ethernet cable means you can easily deploy innovative 802.11ac wireless technology to
maximize workforce productivity.

●

Unified communications: The Cisco Business 250 Series provides QoS features to enable you to
prioritize delay-sensitive traffic in your network and let you converge all of your communications
solutions such as IP telephony and video surveillance onto a single Ethernet network. Cisco offers a
complete portfolio of IP telephony and other unified communications products designed for small
businesses, and Cisco 250 Series switches have been rigorously tested to help ensure easy integration
and full compatibility with these and other vendor products.

Features and benefits

Cisco Business 250 Series Smart Switches provide all of the features you need to create a basic enterprise­class network at an affordable price. These features include:

●

Easy configuration and management: Cisco Business 250 Series switches are designed to be easy to
deploy and use by small businesses or the partners that serve them:

◦ Cisco Business Dashboard is designed to manage Cisco Business switches, routers, and wireless

access points. It lets you easily customize the interface and widgets to proactively manage your
network. Cisco Business 250 Series switches support embedded probe for Cisco Business
Dashboard, eliminating the need to set up a separate hardware or virtual machine on site. For more
information, visit https://www.cisco.com/go/cbd.

◦ The redesigned modern web user interfaces reduce the time required to deploy, troubleshoot, and

manage the network. Configuration wizards simplify the most common configuration tasks and
provide the ultimate tool for anyone to set up and manage the network.

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●

Reliability and performance: Cisco Business 250 Series switches have been tested to deliver the high
performance and reliability you would expect from a Cisco switch and help you prevent costly downtime.
The switches speed file transfer times, improve slow and sluggish networks, keep your vital business
applications available, and help your employees respond more quickly to customers and each other.
With a network based on Cisco Business 250 Series switches, you can address all of your business
communications and connectivity needs and reduce the total cost of ownership of your technology
infrastructure. Cisco Business 250 Series switches also support 10 Gigabit Ethernet uplinks on select
models, so you can build a high-performance and future-ready network to support your thriving
business.

●

Layer 3 static routing: This capability allows you to segment your network into separate workgroups and
communicate across VLANs without degrading application performance. As a result, you can manage
internal routing with your switches and dedicate your router to external traffic and security, helping your
network run more efficiently.

●

Power over Ethernet Plus (PoE+): Cisco Business 250 Series switches are available with PoE+ on
Gigabit Ethernet models. This capability enables the deployment of IP telephony, wireless, video
surveillance, and other solutions with just a single network cable, thereby eliminating the need for
separate power supplies or cabling. PoE+ provides up to 30W of power per port, ideal for deployments
of 802.11ac wireless access points, Pan-Tilt-Zoom (PTZ) IP cameras, videophones, and thin client
devices, delivering more flexibility and investment protection.

●

Network security: Cisco Business 250 Series switches provide the security and network management
features you need to maintain a high level of security for your business, keep unauthorized users off the
network, and protect your business data. The switches include integrated network security to reduce the
risk of a security breach, with IEEE 802.1X port security to control access to your network, Denial-of­Service (DoS) attack prevention to increase network uptime during an attack, and extensive Access
Control Lists (ACLs) to protect sensitive portions of the network from unauthorized users and guard
against network attacks.

●

IPv6 support: As the IP network addressing scheme evolves to accommodate more devices, you can
have peace of mind that your network is ready. Cisco Business 250 Series switches provide native
support for IPv6 alongside traditional IPv4. With USGv6 and IPv6 Gold Logo certifications, these switches
will enable you to take full advantage of IPv6-enabled applications in the future, without having to
upgrade your network equipment.

●

IP telephony support: Cisco Business 250 Series switches include QoS features that prioritize delay­sensitive services such as voice and video, simplify unified communications deployments, and help
ensure consistent network performance for all services.

●

Networkwide automatic voice deployment: Using a combination of Cisco Discovery Protocol, Layer
Link Discovery Protocol - Media Endpoint Discovery (LLDP-MED), Auto Smartports, and Voice Services
Discovery Protocol (VSDP, a unique, patented Cisco protocol), customers can deploy an end-to-end
voice network dynamically. The switches in the network automatically converge into a single voice VLAN
and set of QoS parameters and then propagate them out to the phones on the ports where they are
discovered. For example, automated voice VLAN capabilities let you plug any IP phone (including third­party phones) into your IP telephony network and receive an immediate dial tone. The switch
automatically configures the device with the right VLAN and QoS parameters to prioritize voice traffic.

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Feature

Description

Performance

Switching capacity and
forwarding rate

All switches are wire­speed and nonblocking

Model

Capacity in millions of
packets per second (mpps)
(64-byte packets)

Switching capacity in
gigabits per second (Gbps)

CBS250-8T-E-2G

14.88

20.0

CBS250-8PP-E-2G

14.88

20.0

CBS250-8P-E-2G

14.88

20.0

CBS250-8FP-E-2G

14.88

20.0

CBS250-16T-2G

26.78

36.0

CBS250-16P-2G

26.78

36.0

CBS250-24T-4G

41.66

56.0

CBS250-24PP-4G

41.66

56.0

CBS250-24P-4G

41.66

56.0

●

Flexible and compact design: The sleek and compact design provide additional deployment flexibility,
including outside wiring closet installation such as retail stores, open plan offices, and classrooms
without disturbing the environment.

●

An energy-efficient solution: Cisco Business 250 Series switches are designed to be energy efficient
and eco-friendly without compromising performance. They help conserve energy by optimizing power
use, which helps protect the environment and lowers your energy costs. Power-saving features include:

◦ Support for the Energy Efficient Ethernet (IEEE 802.3az) standard, which reduces energy consumption

by monitoring the amount of traffic on an active link and putting the link into a sleep state during quiet
periods

◦ Automatic power shutoff on ports when a link is down
◦ Embedded intelligence to adjust power based on cable length
◦ Fan-less design in most models, which reduces power consumption, increases reliability, and

provides quieter operation

●

Peace of mind and investment protection: Cisco Business 250 Series switches offer the reliable
performance, investment protection, and peace of mind you expect from a Cisco switch. Complementary
one-year access to our Small Business Support Center for ongoing support. Limited lifetime warranty
with return to factory replacement keeps your business running smoothly

Product specifications

Table 1 describes product specifications.

Table 1. Product specifications

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Feature

Description

CBS250-24FP-4G

41.66

56.0

CBS250-48T-4G

77.38

104.0

CBS250-48PP-4G

77.38

104.0

CBS250-48P-4G

77.38

104.0

CBS250-24T-4X

95.23

128.0

CBS250-24P-4X

95.23

128.0

CBS250-24FP-4X

95.23

128.0

CBS250-48T-4X

130.94

176.0

CBS250-48P-4X

130.94

176.0

Layer 2 switching

Spanning Tree Protocol
(STP)

Standard 802.1d spanning tree support

Fast convergence using 802.1w (Rapid Spanning Tree Protocol [RSTP]), enabled by default

Multiple spanning tree instances using 802.1s (MSTP); 8 instances are supported

Per-VLAN Spanning Tree Plus (PVST+); 126 instances are supported

Rapid PVST+ (RPVST+); 126 instances are supported

Port grouping/link
aggregation

Support for IEEE 802.3ad Link Aggregation Control Protocol (LACP)

● Up to 4 groups

● Up to 8 ports per group with 16 candidate ports for each (dynamic) 802.3ad Link Aggregation Group

(LAG)

VLAN

Support for up to 255 active VLANs simultaneously

Port-based and 802.1Q tag-based VLANs

Management VLAN

Guest VLAN

Voice VLAN

Voice traffic is automatically assigned to a voice-specific VLAN and treated with appropriate
levels of QoS. Auto voice capabilities deliver networkwide zero-touch deployment of voice
endpoints and call control devices

Generic VLAN Registration
Protocol (GVRP) and
Generic Attribute
Registration Protocol
(GARP)

Protocols for automatically propagating and configuring VLANs in a bridged domain

IGMP (versions 1, 2, and 3)
snooping

Internet Group Management Protocol (IGMP) limits bandwidth-intensive multicast traffic to
only the requesters; supports 255 multicast groups (source-specific multicasting is also
supported)

IGMP querier

Used to support a Layer 2 multicast domain of snooping switches in the absence of a
multicast router

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Feature

Description

HOL blocking

Head-of-Line (HOL) blocking

Loopback detection

Provides protection against loops by transmitting loop protocol packets out of ports on
which loop protection has been enabled. It operates independently of STP.

Layer 3 routing

IPv4 routing

Wire-speed routing of IPv4 packets

Up to 32 static routes and up to 16 IP interfaces

IPv6 routing

Wire-speed routing of IPv6 packets

Layer 3 interface

Configuration of Layer 3 interface on physical port, LAG, VLAN interface, or loopback
interface

Classless Interdomain
Routing (CIDR)

Support for CIDR

Dynamic Host
Configuration Protocol
(DHCP) relay at Layer 3

Relay of DHCP traffic across IP domains

User Datagram Protocol
(UDP) relay

Relay of broadcast information across Layer 3 domains for application discovery or relaying
of Bootstrap Protocol (BootP)/DHCP packets

Security

Secure Sockets Layer
(SSL)

SSL encrypts all HTTPS traffic, allowing secure access to the browser-based management
GUI in the switch

Secure Shell (SSH)
Protocol

SSH is a secure replacement for Telnet traffic. Secure Copy (SCP) also uses SSH. SSH v1
and v2 are supported.

IEEE 802.1X (authenticator
role)

Remote Authentication Dial-In User Service (RADIUS) authentication, guest VLAN,
single/multiple host mode, and single/multiple sessions

STP loopback guard

Provides additional protection against Layer 2 forwarding loops (STP loops)

Secure Core Technology
(SCT)

Ensures that the switch will receive and process management and protocol traffic no matter
how much traffic is received

Secure Sensitive Data
(SSD)

A mechanism to manage sensitive data (such as passwords, keys, and so on) securely on
the switch, populating this data to other devices, and secure autoconfig. Access to view the
sensitive data as plain text or encrypted is provided according to the user-configured access
level and the access method of the user

Trustworthy systems

Trustworthy systems provide a highly secure foundation for Cisco products

Run-time defenses (Executable Space Protection [X-Space], Address Space Layout
Randomization [ASLR], Built-In Object Size Checking [BOSC])

Port security

Ability to lock source MAC addresses to ports and limit the number of learned MAC
addresses

RADIUS

Supports RADIUS authentication for management access. Switch functions as a client.

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