The new Catalyst 3560-X and 3750-X switches are business
class models of standalone (3560X) and stackable(3750X) switches for the
aggregation and access network layers. Cisco’s latest innovations deliver new
features like full Power over Ethernet
(POE+), redundant power supplies, and Cisco StackPower on the 3750-X, features which are unavailable on the 3560-E,
3750-E and 3560G, 3750G models.
The Basics
Power over Ethernet Plus
The Catalyst 3750-X and 3560-X switches deliver PoE+ for
a maximum power of 30W per port. The
switches support both PoE standards, 802.3af and 802.3at, which define power
maximums for an Ethernet a port.
Redundant Power and Fans
The Cisco 3560-X and 3750-X support dual redundant power
supplies and fans. Redundant fans come standard. Four power supply options are available
including a DC power supply for PoE.
Only one power supply is required to run a single switch except when
full PoE+ is deployed on a 48-port switch.
Power sharing capabilities
The Cisco StackPower can be deployed in three
configurations: power-sharing mode, redundant mode, and RPS mode. Power-sharing mode aggregates and shares
power within the switch stack. Redundant
mode sets aside power from the stack for a 1+N redundancy. RPS mode is a one to one (1:N) redundancy with
a designated power supply as backup. StackPower is limited to four switches in
a ring topology.
StackWise Plus
Like StackWise technology, StackWise Plus enables the configuration of
up to nine 3750 and 3750-X switches into a single logical switch. The stack promotes a single switching unit
managed by a main switch which automatically works and updates all optional
routing tables and switching. This feature is not available in 3560X
One surprising difference is that the 3750-X switch provides only 64
Gbps of backplane throughput whereas the older 3750-E delivers 128Gbps.
As an alternative, the Juniper EX4200 has 128Gbps performance and can
have ten switches in a virtual switch configuration for a total of 480
ports.
The 3560-X and 3750-X are standard Layer 2 switches which
can be upgraded to Layer 3. This
licensing option represents a cost.
3560-X and 3750-X models have a strong limited lifetime
warranty that includes next business day replacement and 90 day access to Cisco
TAC. Most competitive switch offerings have the NBD replacement as a chargeable
support option.