Cisco Switches

Catalyst or Nexus: choosing the Cisco switch family

Start from what the switch will connect: Cisco builds its Catalyst switches for the enterprise campus and branch, and positions its fixed Nexus 9000 switches for data center spine-and-leaf or top-of-rack designs. Each family below has its own page.

Nexus 9000 data center switches by downlink speed

Downlink speed is what separates Nexus 9000 fixed switches, from 1G copper through 10G and 25G to 100G and 400G on the GX models. The port layouts below are taken from Cisco's data sheets.

The Nexus 9000 family page carries the deeper detail for the whole line.

Cisco Catalyst switches, access to core

Catalyst switches run from the access layer to the core. On the 9200L, Cisco fixes the four uplinks at 1G or 1/10G and stacks the line over StackWise-80 at 80 Gbps. The modular C9300 takes an uplink module with four 1G, four multigigabit, eight 10G, two 25G or two 40G ports and stacks up to eight switches over StackWise-480 at 480 Gbps; the C9300L builds its four uplinks into the chassis and stacks over StackWise-320 at 320 Gbps. For the core, the Catalyst 9500 line includes fixed 10G models with a slot for an 8 x 1/10G or 2 x 40G module, and the line supports StackWise Virtual. PoE budgets, stacking rules and license levels for each line are on its family page.

What a used Cisco switch from Enterasource includes

Every used Cisco switch we sell is tested in-house, backed by a 2-year Enterasource warranty and shipped by FedEx Ground at no charge anywhere in the lower 48 states. Testing begins with an inbound test when the switch reaches us. After that the unit is taken apart, cleaned and entered into inventory, and once an order calls for it we rebuild and configure the switch and run an outbound test before it ships. The same process covers every piece of used Cisco equipment we sell, so a second-hand Cisco switch from Enterasource arrives tested and under warranty.

Cisco software licenses and subscriptions are included only when a listing names them, so tell us the license level your network runs and we will confirm what the unit carries before you order. Send the model plus any power supplies, optics or stacking cables you need, and we will quote that build. Routers and the rest of the Cisco range are on the Cisco networking page.

Cisco and other brands' switches are also grouped by feature: PoE+ switches, 10GbE switches and 48-port switches.

Used Cisco switch questions

Is it safe to buy used Cisco switches?

Yes, when the seller tests the hardware and stands behind it, because Cisco states that its standard warranty and service contracts do not transfer to a new owner. Enterasource tests each used Cisco switch on arrival and again before dispatch and covers it with a 2-year Enterasource warranty. Plan the software too: under Cisco's relicensing program, a buyer of used equipment from a seller outside Cisco's authorized resellers must acquire a new license from Cisco before the software can be used.

Can used Cisco switches get Cisco support contracts?

Yes, through Cisco's Hardware Inspection and Software Relicensing Program. The program covers equipment bought from a seller that is not an authorized Cisco reseller, and before such a switch goes under a new support contract Cisco asks for proof of a valid software license and a passed equipment inspection. Until then the seller's warranty is the hardware cover, which on a switch from Enterasource is the 2-year Enterasource warranty.

What is the difference between Catalyst and Nexus switches?

Catalyst and Nexus serve different networks and run different software. Cisco's data sheets place the Catalyst 9200, 9300 and 9500 from branch and campus access up to the enterprise core, with PoE and stacking on the access lines, and the Catalyst 9300 runs Cisco IOS XE. Cisco's Nexus 9300 switches fill top-of-rack, leaf and spine roles in the data center and run in Cisco NX-OS mode or as part of Cisco ACI.