The Cisco Catalyst 2960S-F24TS-S is the LAN Lite member of the Fast Ethernet 2960-SF range: 24 access ports at 10/100, 2 SFP uplink slots at 1 Gbps, no Power over Ethernet, and a software image limited to 64 active VLANs. The two letters in that designation carry the specification, unsurprisingly reducing what the switch can do rather than adding anything to it.
Four limits, all of them deliberate
This model is the floor of its sub-series on every axis that matters, and each of those limits is a design decision rather than a defect. Access ports run at 10/100 because the leading F marks the Fast Ethernet 2960-SF branch. No port sources power because the T marks a data-only chassis. Uplinks are 2 SFP slots rather than 4. The software image is LAN Lite, capped at 64 active VLANs with 50 Gbps of forwarding bandwidth and 100 Gbps of switching bandwidth.
Cisco's own product description for the part number reads "Catalyst 2960-SF 24 FE, 2 x SFP, LAN Lite", which is the whole specification in eleven characters. A buyer who reads only the family name and the port count will get three of those four facts wrong.
| Specification | Catalyst 2960S-F24TS-S |
|---|---|
| Access ports | 24 x 10/100 Fast Ethernet |
| Power over Ethernet | None |
| Uplinks | 2 x SFP, 1 Gbps |
| Software image | LAN Lite |
| Forwarding bandwidth | 50 Gbps |
| Switching bandwidth | 100 Gbps |
| Active VLANs | 64 |
| Stacking | Not offered on this image |
| Rack height | 1U, 1.75 x 17.5 x 15.2 in |
The 64 active VLANs, 50 Gbps of forwarding bandwidth and 100 Gbps of switching bandwidth in that table are LAN Lite figures. The LAN Base members of the same sub-series carry 255 VLANs, 88 Gbps and 176 Gbps respectively on otherwise comparable hardware.
LAN Lite is fixed at purchase and cannot be bought up
Cisco states that LAN Lite models cannot be upgraded to the LAN Base feature set. That is worth reading twice, because on most platforms a feature ceiling is a licence and licences can be purchased later. Here it is not. A LAN Lite chassis remains LAN Lite for its entire working life, so the 64-VLAN ceiling and the absence of stacking are permanent properties of the unit rather than a configuration state.
The practical test is straightforward. Count the VLANs the closet will carry in three years, not today. If that number is comfortably below 64 and the site has no plan to stack switches, LAN Lite costs nothing at all. If either condition is uncertain, the LAN Base model one letter away is the safer buy and the difference is a single character on the purchase order.
What this switch is genuinely good at
A data-only Fast Ethernet access switch with a small VLAN plan is exactly right for a branch office, a retail back room, a workshop or a plant floor. Point-of-sale terminals, label printers, controllers and desktop PCs running line-of-business applications do not saturate 100 Mbps and do not need power from the switch. With no PoE stage there is no power budget to manage and less heat to remove from a small cabinet.
Where the F24TS-S sits in the 2960-S and 2960-SF range
Two comparisons separate this model from the units most likely to be confused with it: the LAN Base version of the same chassis, and the Gigabit LAN Lite model that shares its software image but not its port speed.
| Model | Access ports | Image / VLANs | Uplinks | Stacking |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2960S-F24TS-S | 24 Fast Ethernet | LAN Lite / 64 | 2 x SFP | Not offered |
| 2960S-F24TS-L | 24 Fast Ethernet | LAN Base / 255 | 2 x SFP | FlexStack |
| 2960S-48TS-S | 48 Gigabit | LAN Lite / 64 | 2 x SFP | Not offered |
Where powered ports are required at all, the Catalyst 2960S-48FPS-L is the sub-series member built for it. The current-generation replacement for this class of access switch is the Catalyst 9300 family, and the branch router that normally sits above a closet this size is something like the Cisco ISR 4331.
Lifecycle and support horizon
Cisco's notice EOL10043 covers the Catalyst 2960-S and 2960-SF families together and names this model. End-of-Sale was 6 November 2015, the Last Ship Date was 4 February 2016, End of Software Maintenance was 5 November 2016, End of Vulnerability and Security Support was 5 November 2018, End of Service Contract Renewal was 4 February 2020 and the Last Date of Support was 30 November 2020.
Nothing on that list is open. The switch is bought as a spare, a like-for-like replacement or an inexpensive way to light up a low-bandwidth room, and it is honest to say that a site standardising on it today is standardising on a platform Cisco closed a decade ago. Where that is an accepted trade the hardware itself is straightforward and durable.
Condition, testing and what ships
Refurbished enterprise hardware bearing Cisco's original part number. Each unit is tested on receipt, then disassembled, cleaned, inventoried and returned to stock, and on order it is picked, assembled, configured and bench tested a second time before packing. Whole systems including this switch carry the 2-year Enterasource warranty and ship free by FedEx Ground to the lower 48 states.
SFP transceivers and mounting hardware are separate line items unless quoted with the switch. Cisco software entitlement does not transfer with used hardware, and the LAN Lite image on this model cannot be changed by any licensing action after purchase.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the difference between a 2960S-F24TS-S and a 2960S-F24TS-L?
One letter and one software image. The trailing S denotes LAN Lite with 64 active VLANs and no stacking; the L denotes LAN Base with 255 active VLANs and FlexStack support. Access ports, port speed, uplink count and chassis are identical across the two. Because LAN Lite cannot be upgraded afterwards, that single character decides the switch's ceiling permanently.
Can a Catalyst 2960S-F24TS-S be stacked?
No. Stacking on this hardware generation is a LAN Base capability, and this model carries the LAN Lite image. There is no module, licence or software release that adds FlexStack to a LAN Lite chassis. A site that needs stacked management in a Fast Ethernet closet has to specify the LAN Base variant of the same switch instead.
How fast are the ports on a 2960S-F24TS-S?
All 24 access ports run at 10/100 Fast Ethernet and none of them will negotiate to 1000 Mbps. The 2 SFP uplink slots run at 1 Gbps. Cisco's product description for the part number is "Catalyst 2960-SF 24 FE, 2 x SFP, LAN Lite", where FE is the marker for Fast Ethernet and is the difference between this sub-series and the Gigabit 2960-S.
Does a 2960S-F24TS-S supply Power over Ethernet to phones or cameras?
It does not. No port on the chassis sources power, which is what the T in the model designation marks across this whole sub-series. Powered endpoints behind this switch need midspan injectors, local power adapters or a separate PoE switch. In exchange the unit draws less power itself and produces less heat in a confined cabinet.
How is a used 2960S-F24TS-S checked before Enterasource sells it?
It is bench tested on arrival, then stripped, cleaned, inventoried and held as known-good stock. At order time it is rebuilt to the requested configuration, powered up, configured and tested again in the hour before packing. Any cosmetic or physical fault is recorded against that individual chassis and published on its listing. The full range is on the Cisco networking hardware page.
