The Cisco Catalyst 2960CPD-8TT-L is powered over Ethernet from an upstream switch and supplies no power at all to anything downstream from it. Its 8 Fast Ethernet access ports are data ports only, and its 2 Gigabit uplinks carry both the traffic and the input power for the entire unit, importantly with no internal supply and no mains lead anywhere in the deployment.
Power in, no power out
Cisco's product description for this part number reads "2960C PD Switch 8 FE, 2 x 1G, PoE+ LAN Base". PD marks a powered device, meaning the switch takes its own power in over an uplink. There is no PSE marker and the downlinks are described as plain Fast Ethernet ports rather than PoE ports. This switch consumes power and passes none of it on.
That is the single most important thing to establish before ordering, because the model sitting next to it in the same family behaves differently. The 8PT-L variant is described by Cisco as a PD PSE switch with eight PoE downlinks, so it both draws power and re-sources it. Two part numbers that differ by two characters, and one of them powers the devices plugged into it while the other does not.
| Specification | Catalyst 2960CPD-8TT-L |
|---|---|
| Part number | WS-C2960CPD-8TT-L |
| Access ports | 8 x 10/100 Fast Ethernet, data only |
| Power sourced to downlinks | None |
| Uplinks | 2 x 1 Gigabit, PoE input |
| Power posture | Powered device only |
| Internal power supply | None |
| Mains connection | Not required |
| Software image | LAN Base |
| Height | 1.75 in |
| Width | 10.6 in |
| Depth | 6.8 in |
What the PD-only design is genuinely good for
Every constraint above is also the point of the product. A switch with no mains lead and no power outlet can be installed anywhere a single Ethernet cable reaches, and the absence of a power stage on the downlinks makes it simpler, cooler and less demanding of the upstream port than the pass-through model.
The natural deployments are rooms full of unpowered endpoints in locations with no electrical supply: a temporary desk pod, a workshop bench, a survey or site office, a display cabinet with two terminals, an exhibition stand, a portable classroom. In each case the requirement is a handful of data ports where there is cabling but no socket, and this is the least complicated way to provide them.
Upstream budget: simpler than the pass-through case
Because this switch powers only itself, the upstream calculation is a single figure rather than a chain. The port feeding it needs to supply what the chassis consumes and nothing more, since no downstream endpoint draws through it. That makes the deployment considerably easier to size correctly than a pass-through installation, where the upstream port is carrying the switch plus everything connected to it.
The practical benefit shows up when several of these are deployed from one upstream switch. A rack-width powered chassis feeding a handful of PD-only compacts is a predictable load that does not change when endpoints are added in the remote rooms, because those endpoints bring their own power. A pass-through deployment behaves differently, since every device added downstream draws from the same upstream budget.
The smallest chassis in the family
At 1.75 inches high, 10.6 inches wide and 6.8 inches deep this model shares the shallowest footprint in the compact range with its pass-through sibling. The depth is what makes the difference in practice, because it fits voids, table boxes and wall cavities that will not accept the 8.4-inch and 9.4-inch compact models, and no clearance is needed for a power lead.
Where the CPD-8TT-L sits in the compact range
The important comparison is with the two-character variant beside it, and after that with the mains-powered compact models.
| Model | Downlink ports | Powers its downlinks | Needs a mains socket |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2960CPD-8TT-L | 8 Fast Ethernet, data only | No | No |
| 2960CPD-8PT-L | 8 Fast Ethernet with PoE | Yes | No |
| 2960C-8TC-L | 8 Fast Ethernet, data only | No | Yes |
The upstream switch feeding this kind of deployment is normally a rack-width powered model such as the Catalyst 2960X-48FPS-L. The current-generation equivalent upstream line is the Catalyst 9300 family, and its 48-port model is a common choice at that tier.
Support position for the compact line
This page carries no lifecycle dates. The Catalyst 2960-C and CPD compact models have no Cisco end-of-life notice in the verified sources behind these pages, and every date shown across our other Catalyst 2960 pages is traceable to a specific named announcement. Applying that rule here means the section is left without figures rather than filled with an estimate.
Look the exact part number up in Cisco's own end-of-life listing before making a support commitment. The notices covering the rack-width 2960 sub-series describe different hardware entirely, and the family name is not evidence that the compact models share their schedule.
Condition, testing and what ships
Units are refurbished enterprise hardware carrying the original Cisco part number. Each is tested on receipt, then disassembled, cleaned, inventoried and returned to stock; at order time it is rebuilt, configured and bench tested again before packing. Since there is no internal supply, the outbound test powers the unit over a PoE uplink in the same way it will be deployed. Whole systems including this switch carry the 2-year Enterasource warranty, and shipping is free FedEx Ground to the lower 48 states.
Case condition is graded per unit because compact switches are usually installed where they can be seen. Mounting hardware is a separate line item, and Cisco software entitlement is not included with used hardware.
Frequently Asked Questions
Will a Catalyst 2960CPD-8TT-L power a telephone or camera plugged into it?
No. Cisco describes this part number as a PD switch with 8 FE downlinks, meaning it is a powered device whose access ports are plain Fast Ethernet data ports. It takes power in over its uplink and sources none out. The 8PT-L variant in the same family is the one described as PD PSE, and that is the model that powers its downlinks.
How is a 2960CPD-8TT-L powered?
Over Ethernet, from an upstream switch, through its Gigabit uplink. There is no internal power supply and no mains lead, so a single cable from the comms room carries both the data and the power for the unit. That is what allows it to be installed in a void, a table box or a cabin where no electrical outlet exists.
Is a PD-only switch easier to deploy than a pass-through one?
The power sizing is simpler. Because this model consumes power only for itself and passes none downstream, the upstream port has one figure to satisfy rather than a chain of them. A pass-through switch requires the upstream feed to cover the chassis plus every powered endpoint behind it, which is where most deployment problems in this family originate.
How many ports does a Catalyst 2960CPD-8TT-L provide?
Eight Fast Ethernet access ports for endpoints, plus two Gigabit uplinks that also carry the input power. All eight access ports are data-only. For a location that needs a small number of wired connections and has cabling but no power, that count covers the large majority of real requirements.
What testing does a used 2960CPD-8TT-L get?
It is brought up over a PoE uplink on the bench, exactly as it will run in the field, since there is no internal supply to test against. All eight access ports and both uplinks are exercised on the outbound pass following reassembly and configuration to the order, with an earlier inbound test when the unit arrived. Condition is graded per serial and disclosed on its listing. The range is on the Cisco networking hardware page.
