The Cisco Catalyst 2960S-F24PS-L is a Fast Ethernet switch rather than a Gigabit one, with 24 access ports running at 10/100, a 370 W PoE budget, 2 SFP uplink slots at 1 Gbps and the LAN Base image. The leading F in the model designation is the fact that decides whether it fits a site, principally because it marks the 2960-SF sub-series, whose access ports top out at 100 Mbps.
The leading F changes the access layer, and it is easy to miss
Access ports on this switch run at 10/100, not 10/100/1000. Cisco's own product description for the part number reads "Catalyst 2960-SF 24 FE, PoE 370W, 2 x SFP, LAN Base", and FE there means Fast Ethernet. The 2960-SF sub-series sits alongside the Gigabit 2960-S with almost identical model designations separated by that one letter, which is precisely why it gets bought by mistake.
The second difference is quieter and catches people who reason by analogy. This model takes 2 SFP uplink slots. The Gigabit 2960S-24PS-L, which shares the rest of its designation, takes 4. Anyone sizing an uplink budget from the Gigabit model's data will over-count the uplinks on this one by a factor of two, and that error only surfaces at installation.
| Specification | Catalyst 2960S-F24PS-L |
|---|---|
| Access ports | 24 x 10/100 Fast Ethernet |
| PoE budget | 370 W combined |
| Uplinks | 2 x SFP, 1 Gbps |
| Software image | LAN Base |
| Active VLANs | 255 |
| Stacking | FlexStack, optional module, 20 Gbps |
| Rack height | 1U, 1.75 x 17.5 x 15.2 in |
The 370 W budget and the 255 active VLANs of the LAN Base image are the two numbers that carry over unchanged from the Gigabit side of the sub-series; the 24 Fast Ethernet ports and the 2 SFP uplinks are the two that do not.
What 370 W supports on 24 Fast Ethernet ports
Three hundred and seventy watts is a shared pool across all 24 access ports, drawn on demand. Divided by the 30 W ceiling of an IEEE 802.3at PoE+ endpoint it covers 12 ports at full draw; divided by the 15.4 W ceiling of an 802.3af endpoint it covers all 24. Because the access ports are 100 Mbps, the realistic load here is telephones, door controllers, badge readers and fixed cameras rather than high-throughput wireless, and those devices sit at the lower end of the draw range.
That is the reason a Fast Ethernet PoE switch is rarely power constrained in practice even though its budget looks small beside a Gigabit model. A closet of twenty-four telephones drawing 7 W each consumes under 170 W of the pool and leaves headroom for a pair of cameras. The budget only becomes the binding constraint when high-draw devices appear, and high-draw devices are usually the ones that also want a Gigabit port.
Stacking on the 2960-SF
FlexStack works on the SF models exactly as it does on the Gigabit ones: 20 Gbps of stack throughput, an optional module that is not supplied with the chassis, and a stack managed as one logical switch. A 2960-SF LAN Base switch stacks with 2960-S and 2960-SF LAN Base switches, and with a 2960-X LAN Base switch fitted with a FlexStack-Plus module at a reduced 40 Gbps and four members. Note the LAN Base qualifier: the stacking feature belongs to that image.
Where the F24PS-L sits in the 2960 range
The comparison that matters is against the Gigabit switch whose designation differs by one letter, because that is the substitution a buyer is most likely to make by accident.
| Model | Access ports | PoE budget | Uplinks |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2960S-F24PS-L | 24 Fast Ethernet | 370 W | 2 x SFP, 1 Gbps |
| 2960S-24PS-L | 24 Gigabit | 370 W | 4 x SFP, 1 Gbps |
| 2960S-F24TS-L | 24 Fast Ethernet | None | 2 x SFP, 1 Gbps |
If the requirement is Gigabit to the desk, this is not the switch and the Gigabit member of the sub-series is. If 48 powered ports are needed, the Catalyst 2960S-48FPS-L doubles both the ports and the budget. The current-generation equivalent of this role is a Catalyst 9300 24-port model, and the branch routing that usually sits above a closet like this is covered by the Cisco ISR 4000 family.
Lifecycle and support horizon
Notice EOL10043 covers the Catalyst 2960-S and 2960-SF families in a single document and names all of the SF models. End-of-Sale was 6 November 2015, the Last Ship Date was 4 February 2016, End of Vulnerability and Security Support was 5 November 2018 and the Last Date of Support was 30 November 2020. Cisco's stated replacement is the equivalent Catalyst 2960-X model.
A Fast Ethernet access switch that reached End-of-Sale in 2015 is not a platform for a new build, and this page is not going to pretend otherwise. It is a break-fix and like-for-like part, and for a site with a working 2960-SF closet full of telephones that is a legitimate, common and entirely sensible requirement.
Condition, testing and what ships
Refurbished enterprise hardware carrying Cisco's original part number. Inbound test on receipt, then disassembly, cleaning, inventory and return to stock; on order the unit is picked, assembled, configured and bench tested once more before it is packed. Whole systems including this switch carry the 2-year Enterasource warranty and ship free by FedEx Ground to the lower 48 states.
The FlexStack module and SFP transceivers are separate line items. Cisco software entitlement does not transfer with used hardware, so the feature level required should be confirmed against your own licensing position before the order is placed.
Frequently Asked Questions
Are the access ports on a Catalyst 2960S-F24PS-L Gigabit or Fast Ethernet?
Fast Ethernet, at 10/100. Cisco's product description for this part number reads "Catalyst 2960-SF 24 FE, PoE 370W, 2 x SFP, LAN Base", and the leading F in the model designation is what marks the entire 2960-SF sub-series as Fast Ethernet. The uplinks are Gigabit SFP, but no access port on the front panel will negotiate above 100 Mbps.
How many SFP uplinks does a 2960S-F24PS-L have?
Two, not four. This is the trap in the sub-series: the Gigabit 2960S-24PS-L carries 4 SFP slots while this Fast Ethernet model with an otherwise matching designation carries 2. Anyone planning an uplink design from the Gigabit model's figures will double-count. Confirm the slot count against the specific part number rather than against the family.
What can 370 W of PoE power on a Catalyst 2960S-F24PS-L?
Twelve endpoints at the 30 W ceiling of an IEEE 802.3at PoE+ device, or all 24 at the 15.4 W ceiling of the older 802.3af class, since the budget is a shared pool rather than a per-port reservation. On a Fast Ethernet access layer the realistic load is telephones, door controllers and fixed cameras, all of which sit well below the top of the range.
Will a 2960S-F24PS-L stack with a Gigabit 2960-S?
Yes, provided both carry the LAN Base image and both have a FlexStack module fitted, because Cisco treats 2960-S and 2960-SF LAN Base switches as a single stacking group. The stack runs at 20 Gbps and is managed as one logical switch. Mixing port speeds inside a stack is supported, though each member still serves its own ports at its own access speed.
What does Enterasource do to a refurbished 2960-SF switch before selling it?
Each unit is tested when it arrives, then stripped, cleaned, inventoried and stored as a known-good chassis. When it is sold it is assembled, configured to the order and tested again on the bench in the hour before it is boxed. Physical condition is recorded against that specific serial and disclosed in the listing. Everything else in the range is on the Cisco networking hardware page.
