Cisco Systems OL-8122-01 User Manual

CHA PT ER

Introduction

Read this chapter to familiarize yourself with the features, benefits, and capabilities of the Catalyst Express 500 switches.

Note This chapter and the rest of this guide focus on the concepts and tasks that are

available from the switch hardware and the device manager GUI that is embedded in the switch software.

Enhanced Catalyst Express 500 features and procedures are only available from the Cisco Network Assistant network management application. This application can be downloaded from Cisco.com. Refer to the Network Assistant documentation about these enhanced switch features.

Chapter Topics

• Overview, page 1-2

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• Features and Benefits, page 1-4

• System Requirements, page 1-10

• Switch Management Options, page 1-11

• Supported Hardware, page 1-13

• When You Are Done, page 1-13

User Guide for the Catalyst Express 500 Switches

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Chapter 1 Introduction

Overview

The Catalyst Express switches (Tabl e 1-1) provide networking for businesses with up to 250 employees. These switches provide network services to support data, voice, and mobile network demands. The services ensure transmission quality and reliability for data and voice traffic. They also provide security to protect against network attacks.

You can simply install the switch and allow it to operate without any further management intervention. You can also take advantage of the embedded software features—tools to quickly and easily set up, customize, monitor, and troubleshoot the switch—to optimize your use of the switch.

Table 1-1 Catalyst Express 500 Switch Models

Catalyst Express 500-24TT

This switch is designed for providing standard connections to network users. It has:

• 24 10/100 (Fast Ethernet) ports for desktop connectivity

• 2 10/100/1000BASE-T (Gigabit Ethernet) ports for uplink or server connectivity

Catalyst Express 500-24LC

This switch is designed for connecting wireless access points to your network. It has:

• 20 10/100 ports for desktop connectivity

• 4 10/100 Power-over-Ethernet (PoE) ports for desktop, wireless access point, IP telephony, or

closed-circuit TV camera connectivity

• 2 10/100/1000BASE-T or small form-factor pluggable (SFP) module ports for uplink or server

connectivity

Catalyst Express 500-24PC

This switch is designed for providing PoE connections to IP phones. It has:

• 24 10/100 PoE ports for desktop, wireless, IP telephony, or closed-circuit TV camera connectivity

• 2 10/100/1000BASE-T or SFP module ports for uplink or server connectivity

Catalyst Express 500G-12TC

This switch is designed for high-speed connections to servers and switches. It has:

• 8 10/100/1000BASE-T ports for high-speed, desktop connectivity

• 4 10/100/1000BASE-T or SFP module ports for server aggregation or server connectivity

User Guide for the Catalyst Express 500 Switches

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Chapter 1 Introduction

Figure 1-1 is an example network using Catalyst Express switches. Devices

outside the dotted line are network users and network resources, such as servers and printers. Devices within the dotted line are switches, routers, and access points that enable communication between network users and provide access to network resources.

Figure 1-1 Catalyst Express Network Example

Overview

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Any of the Catalyst Express switch models can be Switches A, B, C, and D in this network. To take full advantage of the different switch models, use the model that is designed for the type of connections that you require.

For example, use the Catalyst Express 500G-12TC for Switches A and B. This model has the most Gigabit Ethernet ports, and it is best suited to providing 1000-Mbps connections between switches and to servers.

Use either the Catalyst Express 500-24TT or the Catalyst Express 500G-12TC for Switches C and D. These switches are designed to provide high-speed (up to 100 Mbps and 1000 Mbps, respectively) connections to network users.

If you need to connect PoE devices to your network, use the Catalyst Express 500-24LC and the Catalyst Express 500-24PC. These switches can provide power to up to 4 or up to 24 PoE devices, respectively.

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Features and Benefits

Chapter 1 Introduction

PoE connections from the switch provide both power and network access to PoE-capable devices, such as IP phones and access points. PoE devices can receive up to 15.4 W of power from their connections to the switch. PoE also helps reduce cabling costs. You can place PoE devices where power outlets are not available or are not convenient.

Multiple connections between the switches ensure that users maintain network access if any of the switches becomes overused or unavailable.

A network administrator can manage the network onsite or remotely through the device manager GUI (embedded in the Catalyst Express switches), through Cisco Network Assistant, or through a Simple Network Management Protocol (SNMP)-based network management application. For more information about managing the switches, see the “Device Manager GUI” section on page 1-8 and the “Switch Management Options” section on page 1-11.

For more information about how to optimize the connections in a Catalyst Express network, see the “Optimize Ports through Smartports Port Roles” section on

page 3-2.

Features and Benefits

• Hardware Features, page 1-5

• Software Features, page 1-7

• Device Manager GUI, page 1-8

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Chapter 1 Introduction

Catalyst Express 500

SERIES

P O

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O V E R

T H

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N E

11X

12X

13X

14X

23X

24X

EM A LE

T P oE

SETUP

Hardware Features

Figure 1-2 and the list that follows describe the switch hardware features and the

benefits that they provide. All switches can be installed on a table top, in a rack, or mounted on a wall. For hardware installation information, see the “Install the

Switch” section on page 2-5.

Figure 1-2 Catalyst Express 500 Hardware Overview

(PoE) ports supply up to

Features and Benefits

AC power connector

Port LEDs

Security cable slot

side and rear panels

Power over Ethernet

15.4 W per port

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Fast Ethernet ports

Dual-purpose uplink ports:

SFP module and

10/100/1000BASE-T

Autonegotiate and auto-MDIX

enabled on all ports

Switch LEDs: SYSTEM - switch status

ALERT - events detected

SYSTEM ALERT PoE

SETUP

PoE - PoE status SETUP - setup mode

SETUP button

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