The Cisco Catalyst 2960CPD-8PT-L draws its own power over an uplink and then re-sources Power over Ethernet to its 8 Fast Ethernet downlink ports. It carries no internal power supply and no mains connection of any kind at all, which is the entire design intent behind the compact PD line, consequently one cable from an upstream PoE switch both powers the unit and carries its traffic.
It is both a powered device and a power source
This is the fact that decides whether the switch is worth buying, and it is the one most often stated backwards. Cisco's own product description for the part number reads "2960C PD PSE Switch 8 FE PoE, 2 x 1G, PoE+ LAN Base". PD means powered device: the switch takes its own power in over an uplink. PSE means power sourcing equipment: it also supplies power out to the devices plugged into it. The downlink description reads "8 FE PoE", which is those eight ports sourcing power.
Cisco describes the mechanism as PoE pass-through, and states that this model has eight downlink ports with two PoE input ports that allow it to be powered by another switch, that these switches do not need a power supply, and that they receive power over the uplink from an upstream PoE or Cisco power-over-Ethernet device. Both halves of that behaviour are real. A switch that only drew power would be a different and much less useful product.
| Specification | Catalyst 2960CPD-8PT-L |
|---|---|
| Part number | WS-C2960CPD-8PT-L |
| Downlink ports | 8 x 10/100 Fast Ethernet with PoE |
| Uplinks | 2 x 1 Gigabit, PoE input |
| Power posture | Powered device and power sourcing equipment |
| Internal power supply | None |
| Mains connection | Not required |
| Software image | LAN Base |
| Height | 1.75 in |
| Width | 10.6 in |
| Depth | 6.8 in |
One cable to the room, and nothing else
The deployment this switch enables is a single Ethernet cable from a comms room to a location with no power at all. That cable carries the traffic and the power. The switch then fans out to eight ports, and those eight ports can themselves power endpoints. No electrician, no socket, no power supply to lose, and nothing to be unplugged by a cleaner.
Locations that fit are specific and common: a ceiling void serving a pair of access points, a wall cavity behind a display, a lectern, a pole-mounted camera cluster, a temporary desk pod, a listed building where new power runs are difficult or forbidden. In all of those the alternative is an electrical installation, which usually costs more than the switch does.
The power chain has to be sized end to end
Because the switch draws its own power and re-sources it, the upstream switch is powering everything downstream as well as the chassis itself. The budget check therefore runs across the whole chain: what the upstream port can deliver, what the compact switch consumes, and what is left for the eight downlink ports and their endpoints.
Getting this wrong is the common failure mode. A pass-through switch fed from a modest upstream port will bring itself up and then fail to power some of its own downlinks, which looks like a fault on the compact switch and is in fact a budget shortfall two hops upstream. Size the upstream feed against the total, not against the switch alone.
Compact, and shallower than the rest of the family
At 1.75 inches high, 10.6 inches wide and 6.8 inches deep this is the smallest chassis in the compact family, and that shallow depth is what lets it fit inside voids, boxes and cavities that will not take the deeper models. Combined with the absence of a mains lead it is the easiest of the compact switches to place in an awkward location.
Where the CPD-8PT-L sits in the compact range
Two comparisons matter: the PD-only model that looks almost identical, and the mains-powered compact switches that do a different job.
| Model | Downlinks | Draws power over uplink | Sources PoE to downlinks | Depth |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2960CPD-8PT-L | 8 Fast Ethernet | Yes | Yes | 6.8 in |
| 2960CPD-8TT-L | 8 Fast Ethernet | Yes | No | 6.8 in |
| 2960C-12PC-L | 12 Fast Ethernet | No, internal supply | Yes, 124 W | 9.4 in |
The upstream switch feeding a deployment like this is usually a rack-width powered model such as the Catalyst 2960S-48FPS-L with its 740 W budget. A current-generation upstream switch would be a Catalyst 9300 48-port model, and the routing tier at a small site is typically a Cisco ISR 4321.
Support position for the compact line
No lifecycle dates are published here. The Catalyst 2960-C and CPD compact models have no Cisco end-of-life notice in our verified source set, and every date carried elsewhere across our Catalyst 2960 pages is tied to a named Cisco announcement. That standard is applied consistently, which means leaving this section without figures.
Check the specific part number against Cisco's own end-of-life listing before planning a support position around the hardware. Dates published for the rack-width sub-series describe entirely different products and cannot be applied to the compact line on the strength of the shared family name.
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 returned to stock; on order it is rebuilt, configured and bench tested again before packing. Because this model has no internal supply, the outbound test brings the unit up over a PoE uplink exactly as it will be deployed, and the eight downlink ports are then exercised for pass-through power. Whole systems including this switch carry the 2-year Enterasource warranty, with free FedEx Ground delivery to the lower 48 states.
External case condition is graded per unit, since these switches are usually installed in visible or accessible positions. Mounting hardware is a separate line item, and Cisco software entitlement does not transfer with used hardware.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can a Catalyst 2960CPD-8PT-L power devices plugged into it?
Yes. Cisco's product description for this part number reads "2960C PD PSE Switch 8 FE PoE", where PSE means power sourcing equipment and the eight downlinks are described as PoE ports. It both draws power over its uplink and re-sources Power over Ethernet to the devices connected to it, which is the whole reason to choose this model over the PD-only variant.
Does a 2960CPD-8PT-L need a mains outlet?
No. Cisco states that these switches do not need a power supply and receive power over the uplink from an upstream PoE device. A single Ethernet cable from the comms room carries both the traffic and the power, which is what allows the switch to be installed in a ceiling void, wall cavity or table box where no socket exists.
What is the difference between a 2960CPD-8PT-L and a 2960CPD-8TT-L?
Whether the switch supplies power onward. Both draw their own power over an uplink, but the 8PT-L is described by Cisco as a PD PSE switch with eight PoE downlinks, while the 8TT-L is a PD switch whose downlinks are plain Fast Ethernet ports. The 8TT-L takes power in and gives none out.
How do I size the upstream switch for a PoE pass-through deployment?
Across the whole chain rather than for the compact switch alone. The upstream port has to supply what the compact chassis consumes plus what its eight downlink endpoints draw. Underestimating that is the usual cause of a pass-through switch that comes up correctly and then refuses to power some of its own ports, which looks like a local fault but is a budget shortfall upstream.
How small is a Catalyst 2960CPD-8PT-L?
It measures 1.75 inches high, 10.6 inches wide and 6.8 inches deep, which makes it the shallowest chassis in the compact family. That depth, combined with the absence of any mains lead, is what allows it to be fitted into voids, boxes and cavities that will not accommodate the deeper compact models or any rack-width switch.
How is a pass-through switch tested before it ships?
It is brought up over a PoE uplink exactly as it will be deployed, since it has no internal supply to test against. The outbound bench pass then exercises all eight downlink ports for pass-through power as well as data, following an inbound test, cleaning and inventory when the unit arrived. Condition is graded per serial and published on the listing. The catalogue is on the Cisco networking hardware page.
