Build a reliable, easy-to-use business network at an affordable price
In today's hyper-connected 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. For investment in network infrastructure, building a solid foundation for your
business is essential, but 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 a lower price, so you’ll have
more dollars to put toward other areas of your business.
With Cisco® 250 Series Smart Switches (Figure 1), you can achieve business-class 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, but low cost is a top priority,
Cisco 250 Series Smart Switches provide the ideal solution.
Figure 1. Cisco 250 Series Smart Switches
The Cisco 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 Fast Ethernet or Gigabit Ethernet switches, with Gigabit or 10 Gigabit Ethernet uplinks, provide
multiple management options, sophisticated security capabilities, 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, Smart Network Application, and Power over
Ethernet Plus (PoE+) capability, you can deploy and configure a complete business network in minutes.
Business applications
Whether you need basic, high-speed connectivity for your computers and servers or a comprehensive voice, data,
and wireless technology solution, Cisco 250 Series switches can meet your business needs. Possible deployment
scenarios include:
High-speed desktop connectivity: Cisco 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 devices
they use. 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 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), VLAN,
and QoS, these switches are the perfect foundation to add business-grade wireless 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 250 Series provides QoS features to enable you to prioritize delaysensitive 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 250 Series Smart Switches provide all of the features you need to create a basic business-class network at
an affordable price. These features include:
●
Easy configuration and management: Cisco 250 Series switches are designed to be easy to deploy and
use by small businesses or the partners that serve them:
◦Smart Network Application (SNA) is an innovative network-level monitoring and management tool
embedded in the Cisco 100 to 500 Series switches. It can discover network topology, display link status,
monitor events, apply configurations, and upgrade software images across multiple switches in the
network.
◦The FindIT Network Manager and Probe are designed to manage Cisco 100 to 500 Series switches,
routers, and wireless access points. They let you proactively manage the network instead of just reacting
to events. FindIT Network Management is the perfect addition to your business's network. For more
information, visit https://www.cisco.com/c/en/us/products/cloud-systems-management/findit-network-
management/index.html.
◦The FindIT Network Discovery Utility works through a simple toolbar on the user’s web browser to
discover Cisco devices on the network and display basic device information, inventory, and new firmware
updates to aid in the configuration and speed the deployment of Cisco Small Business products. For
more information, visit https://www.cisco.com/c/en/us/products/cloud-systems-management/small-
◦Simple or advanced-mode graphic 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.
◦Cisco Smartports technology provides more advanced capabilities and hands-on control by automatically
configuring ports with specific levels of security, QoS, and availability according to the type of connected
device, based on Cisco best practices and pretested configurations. The Auto Smartports feature
automatically applies the intelligence delivered through the Smartports roles to the port based on the
device types discovered over Cisco Discovery Protocol or LLDP-MED. This capability facilitates zerotouch deployments.
◦The USB port on the front panel of the switch enables easy image and configuration transfer for faster
deployment or upgrades.
●
Reliability and performance: Cisco 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 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 250 Series switches
also support 10 Gigabit Ethernet uplinks on select models, so you can build a high-performance and futureready 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 250 Series switches are available with PoE+ on both Fast
Ethernet and Gigabit Ethernet models. This capability simplifies the deployment of IP telephony, wireless,
video surveillance, and other solutions by allowing you to send data and power to network endpoints over
the single network cable, eliminating the need for separate power supplies or outlets. PoE+ provides up to
30W of power per port, enabling deployments for 802.11ac wireless access points, Pan-Tilt-Zoom (PTZ) IP
cameras, videophones, and thin client devices, delivering more flexibility and investment protection.
●
PoE powered device and PoE pass-through: The 10-port compact models of Cisco 250 Series can work
as PoE powered devices and draw power from upstream PoE switches in the wiring closet, simplifying the
deployment in meeting rooms, classrooms, hotel rooms, and other flexible locations. Each switch can
accept up to 60W of power per uplink port to power itself and pass through the power to the downstream
PoE end devices if needed.
●
Network security: Cisco 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-of-Service (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 250 Series switches provide native support for IPv6
alongside traditional IPv4. With USGv6 and IPv6 Gold Logo certifications, the 250 Series will enable you to
take full advantage of IPv6-enabled operating systems and applications in the future, without having to
upgrade your network equipment.
IP telephony support: Cisco 250 Series switches include QoS features to prioritize delay-sensitive
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, LLDPMED, 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 third-party 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.
●
An energy-efficient solution: Cisco 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
◦ Fanless design in most models, which reduces power consumption, increases reliability, and provides
quieter operation
◦Ability to turn off LEDs to conserve power
●
Peace of mind and investment protection: Cisco 250 Series switches offer the reliable performance,
investment protection, and peace of mind you expect from a Cisco switch. When you invest in the Cisco 250
Series, you gain the benefits of:
◦ Cisco limited lifetime warranty to protect your investment
◦ Rigorous testing to help ensure easy integration and compatibility with other Cisco networking and
communications products, including the complete Cisco Small Business portfolio
●
Limited lifetime warranty: The Cisco 250 Series switches come with the Cisco limited lifetime hardware
warranty, with return-to-factory replacement, software updates for bug fixes for the warranty term, and 1year limited warranty for fans and power supplies. In addition, Cisco offers telephone technical support at no
charge for the first 12 months following the date of purchase. To download software updates, go to
World-class support: To extend the support coverage beyond the warranty provisions, choose Cisco
Smart Net Total Care™, which helps you get the most value from Cisco Small Business solutions, providing
peace of mind at an affordable price. Cisco Smart Net Total Care provides a single service platform for all
Cisco networking products. With global coverage, flexible contract terms, and multiple advance hardware
replacement options, this comprehensive service includes software upgrades, access to the Cisco Small
Business Support Center, and extended telephone and online chat support. To learn more, visit
Capacity in millions of packets per
second (mpps) (64-byte packets)
Switching capacity in gigabits per
second (Gbps)
SF250-24
9.52
12.8
SF250-24P
9.52
12.8
SF250-48
13.10
17.6
SF250-48HP
13.10
17.6
SG250-08
11.90
16.0
SG250-08HP
11.90
16.0
SG250-10P
14.88
20.0
SG250-18
26.78
36.0
SG250-26
38.69
52.0
SG250-26HP
38.69
52.0
SG250-26P
38.69
52.0
SG250-50
74.41
100.0
SG250-50HP
74.41
100.0
SG250-50P
74.41
100.0
SG250X-24
95.23
128.0
SG250X-24P
95.23
128.0
SG250X-48
130.94
176.0
SG250X-48P
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
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 LAG
VLAN
Support for up to 256 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
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 4K multicast groups (source-specific multicasting is also supported)
●
Multiple language options: The Cisco 250 Series switches are available in multiple languages. Product
documentation and user interfaces are translated, giving you the ability to select your preferred language.
Used to support a Layer 2 multicast domain of snooping switches in the absence of a multicast router
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
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 bootP/DHCP
packets
Security
SSL
Secure Sockets Layer (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)
RADIUS authentication, guest VLAN, single/multiple host mode, and single/multiple sessions
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 plaintext or
encrypted is provided according to the user-configured access level and the access method of the user
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
Storm control
Broadcast, multicast, and unknown unicast
DoS prevention
Denial-of-Service (DoS) attack prevention
Access Control Lists (ACLs)
Support for up to 512 rules
Drop or rate limit based on source and destination MAC, VLAN ID or IP address, protocol, port, differentiated
services code point (DSCP)/IP precedence, TCP/UDP source and destination ports, 802.1p priority, Ethernet
type, Internet Control Message Protocol (ICMP) packets, IGMP packets, TCP flag
STP loopback guard
Provides additional protection against Layer 2 forwarding loops (STP loops)
Quality of service
Priority levels
8 hardware queues
Scheduling
Strict priority and Weighted Round-Robin (WRR) queue assignment based on DSCP and class of service
(802.1p/CoS)
Class of service
Port based; 802.1p VLAN priority based; IPv4/v6 IP precedence/Type of Service (ToS)/DSCP based;
Differentiated Services (DiffServ); classification and re-marking ACLs, trusted QoS
Rate limiting
Ingress policer; egress shaping and rate control; per VLAN, per port, and flow based
Congestion avoidance
A TCP congestion avoidance algorithm is required to reduce and prevent global TCP loss synchronization
Standards
Standards
IEEE 802.3 10BASE-T Ethernet, IEEE 802.3u 100BASE-TX Fast Ethernet, IEEE 802.3ab 1000BASE-T
Gigabit Ethernet, IEEE 802.3ad Link Aggregation Control Protocol, IEEE 802.3z Gigabit Ethernet, IEEE