The Cisco Catalyst 2960-Plus 24TC-L is the data-only, LAN Base member of the 24-port Fast Ethernet group: 24 access ports, 2 dual-purpose combo uplinks and no Power over Ethernet on any of the ports at all. TC in the model designation carries both of those facts at one and the same time, additionally taking the switch's own power draw and its heat output down with it.
One chassis that fits either kind of closet
The combo uplink is the most practically useful feature on this switch and it is usually described only as a limitation. Each of the two uplinks contains one SFP slot and one 1000BASE-T copper port, with a single port active per pair. That is two usable paths from four connectors, and it means the same part number works in a building reached over fibre and in a building reached over structured copper.
For an organisation holding spares across several sites that is a genuine consolidation. One shelf unit covers both topologies, and converting between them is a transceiver decision made at installation rather than a stock-keeping decision made in advance. Where a site runs a mixture of older copper risers and newer fibre, that flexibility is worth more than a marginally faster fixed uplink.
| Specification | Catalyst 2960-Plus 24TC-L |
|---|---|
| Part number | WS-C2960+24TC-L |
| Access ports | 24 x 10/100 Fast Ethernet |
| Power over Ethernet | None |
| Uplinks | 2 dual-purpose combo, one port active per pair |
| Uplink options per pair | 1 x SFP or 1 x 1000BASE-T |
| Simultaneous uplink paths | 2 |
| Software image | LAN Base |
| Stacking | Not offered on this series |
What removing the power stage changes
A data-only chassis has no PoE controller, no shared power pool and no thermal contribution from powered endpoints. In a small or poorly ventilated cabinet that is a real advantage rather than a specification detail, and it removes a whole category of support call, since a switch that never sources power cannot be blamed for a device that stopped receiving it.
The trade is permanent. There is no way to add Power over Ethernet to a T chassis later, so any endpoint that will ever need powering behind this switch has to be served by an injector or by a separate powered switch. That decision should be made deliberately at purchase rather than by default.
Where a room holds a small number of powered devices among a majority of unpowered ones, the usual answer is a compact powered switch alongside this one rather than replacing it with a fully powered chassis. That keeps the cost proportionate to the actual number of powered endpoints.
LAN Base on the 2960-Plus
The final L marks LAN Base, the larger of the two software feature sets Cisco offers on this series, with a higher ceiling on active VLANs than the LAN Lite variant. The image is set at manufacture and cannot be changed afterwards, which makes the final letter of the part number one of the two things worth checking most carefully before an order goes out.
Nothing in this series stacks, and that shapes the design
No Catalyst 2960-Plus switch stacks with any other, on either image. Two of these in a closet are two devices to configure, two addresses to monitor and two units to update. In a single-switch room that costs nothing. Across an estate of twenty such rooms it is a real operational load, and it is the strongest argument for choosing a stacking sub-series where the estate is large.
Where the 24TC-L sits in the 2960-Plus range
The three 24-port models below differ only in the power budget and the software image; the uplink arrangement is common to all of them.
| Model | PoE budget | Image | Uplinks |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2960-Plus 24TC-L | None | LAN Base | 2 combo |
| 2960-Plus 24TC-S | None | LAN Lite | 2 combo |
| 2960-Plus 24LC-L | 123 W | LAN Base | 2 combo |
Where the closet needs Gigabit access ports and a 10 Gigabit uplink, the Catalyst 2960S-48FPD-L belongs to a later generation built for that. The current-generation counterpart at this port count is a Catalyst 9300 24-port model, and a small site's routing usually sits on a Cisco ISR 4321.
Support position for this series
Our verified source set contains no Cisco end-of-life notice for the Catalyst 2960-Plus series, so this page carries no lifecycle dates at all. Every other Catalyst 2960 page here quotes dates that are traceable to a named Cisco announcement, and applying a lower standard to this series would make the whole set less reliable rather than more complete.
Before committing to a support arrangement, look the specific part number up in Cisco's own end-of-life listing. Dates published for the 2960-S, 2960-SF, 2960-X or classic 2960 families describe different hardware and cannot be transferred to this one, however similar the naming appears.
Condition, testing and what ships
Units are refurbished enterprise hardware bearing the original Cisco part number. Each is tested on receipt, then disassembled, cleaned, inventoried and returned to stock; on order it is rebuilt, configured and bench tested again immediately before packing, with both uplink pairs and all 24 access ports verified. 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 rack hardware are separate line items unless quoted with the chassis. Cisco software entitlement is not included with used hardware.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can a Catalyst 2960-Plus 24TC-L uplink over either fibre or copper?
Yes, one path at a time per uplink pair. Each of the two combo uplinks contains an SFP slot and a 1000BASE-T copper port, and only one of the two is active. That lets a single part number serve a fibre closet or a copper closet, which is useful when holding spares across several buildings, but it also caps the switch at two simultaneous uplink paths.
Does the 2960-Plus 24TC-L supply any Power over Ethernet?
None. The T in the designation marks a data-only chassis with no power controller and no budget, and there is no way to add the capability afterwards. Telephones, cameras and access points behind this switch need midspan injectors, local adapters or a separate powered switch. The LC and PC models in the same range are the powered alternatives.
What is the benefit of a data-only switch in a small cabinet?
Less heat and fewer components. Without a PoE controller there is no power stage to warm the cabinet, no shared budget to manage and one less subsystem that can fail. In a confined or poorly ventilated space that matters more than it does in an open rack, and it also removes an entire category of fault report from the closet.
Does the final L in 2960-Plus 24TC-L matter?
It decides the software image and cannot be changed later. L marks LAN Base, the larger of the two feature sets Cisco offers on this series, with a higher ceiling on active VLANs than the LAN Lite variant marked S. Since the image is fixed at manufacture, that single character is one of the two things worth checking hardest on the order.
What is verified on a refurbished 2960-Plus 24TC-L?
Every access port and both uplink pairs are exercised across two bench passes, one on receipt and one after the chassis has been rebuilt and configured to the order. Cleaning and inventory happen in between, and any cosmetic or physical defect found at either stage is recorded against that serial and published on its listing. The full range is on the Cisco networking hardware page.
