The Cisco Catalyst 2960-Plus 24LC-S pairs 24 Fast Ethernet access ports and a 123 W Power over Ethernet budget with the LAN Lite image and 2 dual-purpose uplinks. It is the least expensive route into powered ports anywhere in this range, and the trade for that is the software image itself, specifically a lower VLAN ceiling than the LAN Base model that shares its hardware.
Two ceilings on one chassis
This model carries two independent limits and neither can be lifted after purchase. The first is electrical: Cisco documents the Catalyst 2960-Plus series as IEEE 802.3af-compliant, which sets a hard ceiling of 15.4 W on any individual port, and the shared budget of 123 W covers 7 ports at that full class. The second is functional: LAN Lite is the smaller of the two software feature sets offered on this series and it is fixed at manufacture.
Either limit on its own would be manageable in the right room. Together they define the switch quite precisely: a small number of low-draw powered devices, a simple VLAN plan, and no expectation that either will grow. Rooms that match that description are common, and in them this is a perfectly sound piece of hardware. Rooms that do not match it will hit one ceiling or the other, and replacing the chassis is the only way past.
| Specification | Catalyst 2960-Plus 24LC-S |
|---|---|
| Part number | WS-C2960+24LC-S |
| Access ports | 24 x 10/100 Fast Ethernet |
| PoE standard | IEEE 802.3af, up to 15.4 W per port |
| PoE budget | 123 W combined |
| Ports at the 15.4 W ceiling | 7 |
| Uplinks | 2 dual-purpose combo, one port active per pair |
| Software image | LAN Lite |
| Stacking | Not offered on this series |
What LAN Lite costs on the 2960-Plus
Cisco offers this series with either LAN Base or LAN Lite, and the final letter of the model designation says which. LAN Lite provides a smaller feature set with a lower ceiling on active VLANs than LAN Base, and on this hardware the image is not upgradeable. A site that later needs the fuller feature set is buying a different switch rather than a licence.
The reason that matters more than it sounds is the way VLAN counts grow. Nobody plans to exceed a ceiling; the count rises one decision at a time as a guest network is added, cameras are separated, a building-management system arrives with its own requirement and a contractor asks for an isolated segment. Each step is reasonable on its own and none of them involves revisiting the switch.
The workable test before buying is to describe the network expected in three years rather than the configuration being applied this week. If that description stays simple, LAN Lite costs nothing at all and the saving is real. If it does not, the LAN Base model differs by a single character in the part number and removes the question entirely.
Combo uplinks and the two-path limit
The two uplinks are dual-purpose: each pair holds one SFP slot and one 1000BASE-T copper port, with a single port active at a time. That is two usable paths from four connectors. The benefit is that one model suits both a fibre closet and a copper one and moving between them is a transceiver swap. The constraint is that no topology can draw four links from this chassis, whatever the connector count suggests.
Where the 24LC-S sits in the 2960-Plus range
Compared with its immediate relatives, this model varies on the image in one direction and on the power budget in the other.
| Model | PoE budget | Ports at 15.4 W | Image | Uplinks |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2960-Plus 24LC-S | 123 W | 7 | LAN Lite | 2 combo |
| 2960-Plus 24LC-L | 123 W | 7 | LAN Base | 2 combo |
| 2960-Plus 24PC-S | 370 W | 24 | LAN Lite | 2 combo |
Where the closet has more than a handful of powered endpoints, the 370 W model in this range covers all 24 ports at the 802.3af class. Where PoE+ at 30 W per port is required, the Catalyst 2960S-48FPS-L belongs to a sub-series that supports it. The current-generation replacement line is the Catalyst 9300 family and its 24-port model is the direct counterpart.
Support position for this series
No Cisco end-of-life notice for the Catalyst 2960-Plus series appears in our verified source set, so this page publishes no lifecycle dates. Every date shown elsewhere across our Catalyst 2960 pages is attached to a named Cisco notice, and inventing one here by analogy with the 2960-S or 2960-X families would be a guess presented as a fact.
The practical advice is to check Cisco's own end-of-life listing against the exact part number before building a support plan around this hardware. It is a Fast Ethernet platform, so the sensible expectation is a continuity or break-fix role rather than a long forward horizon, and spares holding is usually the right way to cover it.
Condition, testing and what ships
Refurbished enterprise hardware carrying the original Cisco part number. Each unit is tested on receipt, then disassembled, cleaned, inventoried and held in stock; at order time it is rebuilt to the requested configuration, configured and bench tested again before packing. Whole systems including this switch carry the 2-year Enterasource warranty, and shipping is free FedEx Ground to the lower 48 states.
SFP transceivers and mounting hardware are separate line items. Cisco software entitlement does not transfer with used hardware, and the LAN Lite image on this chassis cannot be raised afterwards.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the difference between a 2960-Plus 24LC-S and a 24LC-L?
The software image alone. The trailing S denotes LAN Lite and the L denotes LAN Base, which offers the fuller feature set and a higher ceiling on active VLANs. Access ports, the 123 W power budget, the 802.3af power class and the two combo uplinks are identical across the pair, and the image is fixed at manufacture on both.
Can a Catalyst 2960-Plus 24LC-S power a modern wireless access point?
Only if that access point works within the 802.3af class. Cisco documents this series as IEEE 802.3af-compliant with a ceiling of 15.4 W per port, and many current access points require the 30 W of 802.3at PoE+ to enable all radios. Check the access point's power requirement before assuming compatibility, because the per-port ceiling cannot be raised.
How many powered ports does 123 W actually support?
Seven at the full 15.4 W an 802.3af device may draw, from a shared pool. Lower-draw endpoints such as desk telephones typically use 6 to 8 W each, so more than seven will usually fit within the budget. The correct method is to add the real draw of every device rather than divide the pool by the maximum figure.
Is the LAN Lite image on a 2960-Plus upgradeable to LAN Base?
No. Cisco offers this series in LAN Base or LAN Lite variants and the image is set at manufacture, indicated by the final letter of the part number. There is no licence or software release that converts one into the other, so a site that later needs the fuller feature set has to buy the LAN Base model rather than upgrade the one it has.
What does Enterasource check on a used 2960-Plus 24LC-S?
Each chassis is bench tested on arrival, cleaned, inventoried and stored as known-good stock, then rebuilt to the ordered configuration and tested a second time immediately before packing. The powered access ports and both uplink pairs are exercised on the outbound pass. Cosmetic condition is graded per serial and any defect is published on that listing. The full range is on the Cisco networking hardware page.
