In the last article, we showed that why choose Cisco 2960-X series. Yes, there are enough reasons to persuade you to buy Cisco 2960-X series.
The Cisco Catalyst 2960-X/XR is the best replacement for the 2960-S series (end-of-life and end-of-sale now). 2960-X Series Switches are the greenest Cisco Catalyst access switches ever.
They are scalable, smart, simple, and secure and at the same time provide investment protection. These switches also provide Layer 3 routing capability, application-aware intelligence, and double the scale.
The Cisco Catalyst 2960-X Series Switches, like the 2960-S Series, are line-rate nonblocking switches with the following added features:
- Dual-core CPU at 600 MHz
- Cisco FlexStack-Plus stacking
- ◦ 80 Gbps bandwidth
- ◦ 8-member stack
- Dual-FRU power supply with integrated fan (2960-XR only)
- NetFlow-Lite on all downlink and uplink ports
- Switch Hibernation mode integrated with Cisco EnergyWise™
- Energy-Efficient Ethernet (EEE) downlink ports
- Signed Cisco IOS Software images
- Layer 3 features with IP Lite feature set (2960-XR only)
- 24 port fan less model with 2 SFP and 210/100/1000BT uplinks
The Cisco Catalyst 2960-XR switch models have the following additional capabilities in addition to the features in the 2960-X models:
- Dual-FRU power supply with integrated fan
- Layer 3 features with IP Lite feature set
- Configurable 8 queues per port (standalone)
- 48 Ether channel groups
The Cisco Catalyst 2960-X Series come with a common universal image and supports LAN Lite, LAN Base, and IP Lite feature sets.
Feature Sets Supported in 2960-X Series
| Platform | IP Lite
(Layer 3) |
LAN Base
(Layer 2) |
LAN Lite
(Basic Layer 2) |
| 2960-XR | Yes | No | No |
| 2960-X | No | Yes | Yes |
The differences between the three Cisco IOS Software feature sets are:
- LAN Lite feature set has entry-level Layer 2 features and is targeted at midmarket deployments.
- LAN Base feature set comes with advanced Layer 2 features and is typically targeted at enterprise customers.
- IP Lite feature set comes with enterprise access Layer 3 features and is typically targeted at enterprise customers.
The Difference between IP Lite, LAN Base, and LAN Lite Switches for the Cisco Catalyst 2960-X Series
Cisco Catalyst 2960-X Series front panel sticker has the feature set name. From the rear of the Cisco Catalyst 2960-X Series Switch, the LAN Lite models do not support stacking. The left side will not have a location for the FlexStack-Plus module to be inserted.
From the Cisco IOS Software command line, there are two ways to tell which software image the switch has.
● The last letter in the product ID. If the last letter is “-L,” it’s LAN Base. If it’s “-LL,” it’s LAN Lite. If it’s “-I,” it’s IP Lite.
For example:
- WS-C2960XR-48FPS-I is IP Lite.
- WS-C2960X-48LPS-L is LAN Base.
- WS-C2960X-48TS-LL is LAN Lite.
● The output from the “show license” Cisco IOS Software command-line interface (CLI) command. If LAN Base is being used, that will be the active license. If it’s LAN Lite, that will be the active license.
In the following example output, LAN Base is the active license.
C2960-X_Switch# show license
Index 1 Feature: lanlite
Period left: 0 minute 0 second
Index 2 Feature: lanbase
Period left: Lifetime
License Type: Permanent
License State: Active, In Use
License Priority: Medium
License Count: Non-Counted
The Cisco Catalyst 2960-X switches support LAN Base and LAN Lite software feature sets.
Following are the notable hardware components present only in LAN Base switches:
- Ease of management with Cisco FlexStack-Plus
- Power over Ethernet/Power over Ethernet Plus (PoE/PoE+) capabilities
- Small Form-Factor Pluggable Plus (SFP+) support
Q. Do I need a software license for the Cisco Catalyst 2960-X Series Switches?
A. No. Cisco Catalyst 2960-X Series Switches use the Universal image, but no license is required. The feature set is bound to the hardware model type and cannot be changed. For convenience, a single software image is used for all Cisco Catalyst 2960-X switches, regardless of whether they are IP Lite, LAN Base, or LAN Lite models.
Q. Can a Cisco Catalyst 2960-X Series Switch feature set license be upgraded?
A. No. The feature set is bound to the hardware model. To get the features and capabilities of IP Lite, you must purchase an IP Lite switch.
Comparison of Cisco Catalyst 2960 Switches
| Feature | 2960-XR | 2960-X | 2960-S | 2960 |
| CPU | Dual core at 600 MHz | Dual core at 600 MHz | Single core | Single core |
| Stacking | FlexStack-Plus | FlexStack-Plus | FlexStack | No |
| Stack bandwidth | 80 Gbps | 80 Gbps | 40 Gbps | – |
| Stack members | 8 | 8 | 4 | – |
| Power supply | Dual FRU | Fixed | Fixed | Fixed |
| Redundant power supply (RPS) | Yes | No | No | No |
| PoE+ 30W/port | Yes | Yes | Yes | No |
| Max PoE budget | 740W | 740W | 740W | – |
| External RPS | No*** | Yes | Yes | No |
| SFP+ uplinks | Yes | Yes | Yes | No |
| Uplinks | 2 SFP+/4 SFP | 2 SFP+/4 SFP | 2 SFP+/4 SFP | 2 SFP |
| Management options | Console RJ45, USB console, and out of band Ethernet | Console RJ45, USB console, and out of band Ethernet | Console RJ45, USB console, and out of band Ethernet | Console RJ45 |
| Flash | 256 MB | 128 MB | 64 MB | 32 MB |
| DRAM | 512 MB | 512 MB | 256 MB | 64 MB |
| Active VLANs | 1K | 1K | 255 | 64 |
| EtherChannel groups | 48 | 24 | 6 | 6 |
| Egress buffers | 4 MB | 4 MB | 2 MB | 2 MB |
| Switched Port Analyzer (SPAN) sessions | 4 | 4 | 2 | 2 |
| Max MAC addresses | 32K* | 16K | 8K | 8K |
| IPv4 unicast routes | 24K** | 16 static | 16 static | 16 static |
| NetFlow-Lite | Yes | Yes | No | No |
| Hibernation Mode | Yes | Yes | No | No |
| EEE | Yes | Yes | No | No |
* vlan sdm template
** ipv4 sdm template
*** redundancy is provided by second power supply
Comparison Between FlexStack and FlexStack-Plus
| Platform | Members | Bandwidth | Convergence |
| FlexStack | 4 | 40 Gbps | 1–2 sec |
| FlexStack-Plus | 8 | 80 Gbps | 100 msec |
Cisco FlexStack-Plus is supported by the Cisco Catalyst 2960-X Series and allows the stacking of up to eight switches, with a throughput of 80 gigabits per second.
What is the Cisco FlexStack-Plus? Cisco FlexStack-Plus is a hot-swappable, modular stacking solution that provides a true stacking capability, with all switches acting as a single switching unit with a unified data plane, using a single IP address.
Q. What are the stackable models of the Cisco Catalyst 2960-X Series?
A. The LAN Base and IP Lite feature set models are stackable models in the Cisco Catalyst 2960-X Series. The LAN Lite feature set model is a standalone model.
Note: The fanless SKU (WS-C2960S-PSQ-L with Lan Base) does not support stacking
Q. Can LAN Base and IP Lite feature set models stack together in the Cisco Catalyst 2960-X Series?
A. No, LAN Base and IP Lite feature set models cannot be stacked together. LAN Base feature set models can stack with LAN Base feature set models only. Similarly, IP Lite feature set models can stack with IP Lite feature set models only.
Q. Can Cisco Catalyst 2960-X switches stack with Cisco Catalyst 2960-XR switches?
A. No. Cisco Catalyst 2960-X and 2960-XR switches can’t stack together since they don’t share common feature set model.
Q. What are the FlexStack-Plus high-availability features?
A. The following features enhance high availability and manageability across a stack:
● Cross-stack EtherChannel
● SPAN
● FlexLink technology
● Hitless voice calls
The FlexStack-Plus stacking is backward compatible with FlexStack to preserve customer investment. This allows mixed stacking of Cisco Catalyst 2960-S and Cisco Catalyst 2960-SF LAN Base series with 2960-X LAN Base series for investment protection.
FlexStack Combinations
| Stack Combination | Max Stack Bandwidth | Stack Limit | IOS License |
| 2960-XR | 80G | 8 | IP Lite |
| 2960-X | 80G | 8 | LAN Base |
| 2960-S/SF | 40G | 4 | LAN Base |
| Mixed Stack: 2960-X and 2960-S/SF | 40G | 4 | LAN Base |
Note: The stack is called a mixed stack if it has both the Cisco Catalyst 2960-S Series Switch and Cisco Catalyst 2960-X Series Switches. The mixed stack features are limited to Cisco Catalyst 2960-S Series features.
Q. Does mix stack require any configuration on Cisco Catalyst 2960-X switches?
A. Yes. The switch stack speed should be set to 40 using configure mode command “switch stack-speed 40” on Cisco Catalyst 2960-X switches to stack with Cisco Catalyst 2960-S switches. While forming a homogenous stack of Cisco Catalyst 2960-X revert back the stack speed to 80 using “no switch stack-speed 40”.
Q. Can Cisco Catalyst 2960-X switches and 2960-XR switches stack together?
A. No. Cisco Catalyst 2960-X and 2960-XR switches can’t be stacked together; even though they belong to the same 2960-X series they do not share same IOS License models.
Possible Mixed-Stack Combinations
| Mixed-Stack Combination | 2960-XR
IP Lite |
2960-X
LAN Base |
2960-S/SF LAN Base |
| 2960-XR IP Lite | Yes | No | No |
| 2960-X LAN Base | No | Yes | Yes |
| 2960-S/SF LAN Base | No | Yes | Yes |
The LAN Base models can only form mixed stacks.
If Cisco Catalyst 2960-S is running the “default” SDM template, then Cisco Catalyst 2960-X must use the “default” template. If Cisco Catalyst 2960-S is running the “lanbase-routing” template, then Cisco Catalyst 2960-X must use the same.
Q. Can Cisco Catalyst 2960-S be the stack master in a mixed stack of 2960-S and 2960-X switches?
A. Yes. Cisco Catalyst 2960-S can be stack master in a mixed stack.
Q. In a mixed stack of Cisco Catalyst 2960-S and 2960-X, must all the switches be on the same Cisco IOS Software release?
A. Yes. All the switches in the stack, regardless of model, must be on the same Cisco IOS Software release. This includes the rebuild number. The minimum Cisco IOS Software release that will support both 2960-S and 2960-X is 15.0(2)EX.
Q. Can we use FlexStack stacking modules with Cisco Catalyst 2960-X Series?
A. No. The form factors of FlexStack-Plus and FlexStack modules are different. The FlexStack stacking module cannot be used with the Cisco Catalyst 2960-X Series. Similarly, the FlexStack-Plus module cannot be used with the Cisco Catalyst 2960-S Series.
More Cisco Catalyst 2960-X Series FAQ you can read here https://www.cisco.com/c/en/us/products/collateral/switches/catalyst-2960-x-series-switches/qa_c67-728348.html
Benefits of Migrating to Cisco Catalyst 2960-X and 2960-XR Switches
Recently, some people have a topic of Catalyst 2960-X and 2960-XR Switches, discussing their main features, Configuration, and Troubleshooting. If you want to attend this, you can read this page:
Webcast: Catalyst 2960-X and 2960-XR Switches Overview, Configuration, and Troubleshooting
Cisco Catalyst 2960-X Series Configurations
| Model | 10/100/1000 Ethernet Ports |
Uplinks | Feature Set | PoE+ Power | FlexStack-Plus Stacking |
| WS-C2960X-48FPD-L | 48 | 2 SFP+ | LAN Base | 740W | Optional |
| WS-C2960X-48LPD-L | 48 | 2 SFP+ | LAN Base | 370W | Optional |
| WS-C2960X-24PD-L | 24 | 2 SFP+ | LAN Base | 370W | Optional |
| WS-C2960X-48TD-L | 48 | 2 SFP+ | LAN Base | – | Optional |
| WS-C2960X-24TD-L | 24 | 2 SFP+ | LAN Base | – | Optional |
| WS-C2960X-48FPS-L | 48 | 4 SFP | LAN Base | 740W | Optional |
| WS-C2960X-48LPS-L | 48 | 4 SFP | LAN Base | 370W | Optional |
| WS-C2960X-24PS-L | 24 | 4 SFP | LAN Base | 370W | Optional |
| WS-C2960X-48TS-L | 48 | 4 SFP | LAN Base | – | Optional |
| WS-C2960X-24TS-L | 24 | 4 SFP | LAN Base | – | Optional |
| WS-C2960X-24PSQ-L | 24 | 2 SFP and 2 1000BASE-T |
LAN Base | 92W (8 ports) |
No |
| WS-C2960X-48TS-LL | 48 | 2 SFP | LAN Lite | – | No |
| WS-C2960X-24TS-LL | 24 | 2 SFP | LAN Lite | – | No |
Cisco Catalyst 2960-XR Switch Configurations
| Model | 10/100/1000 Ethernet Ports |
Uplinks | Feature Set | PoE Power | FlexStack-Plus Stacking |
| WS-C2960XR-48FPD-I | 48 | 2 SFP+ | IP Lite | 740W | Optional |
| WS-C2960XR-48LPD-I | 48 | 2 SFP+ | IP Lite | 370W | Optional |
| WS-C2960XR-24PD-I | 24 | 2 SFP+ | IP Lite | 370W | Optional |
| WS-C2960XR-48TD-I | 48 | 2 SFP+ | IP Lite | – | Optional |
| WS-C2960XR-24TD-I | 24 | 2 SFP+ | IP Lite | – | Optional |
| WS-C2960XR-48FPS-I | 48 | 4 SFP | IP Lite | 740W | Optional |
| WS-C2960XR-48LPS-I | 48 | 4 SFP | IP Lite | 370W | Optional |
| WS-C2960XR-24PS-I | 24 | 4 SFP | IP Lite | 370W | Optional |
| WS-C2960XR-48TS-I | 48 | 4 SFP | IP Lite | – | Optional |
| WS-C2960XR-24TS-I | 24 | 4 SFP | IP Lite | – | Optional |
Read the updates: https://www.cisco.com/c/en/us/products/switches/catalyst-2960-x-series-switches/models-comparison.html
More Related Cisco 2960-X/XR Topics
How to Install or Replace an AC Power Supply in a Cisco 2960-X Switch?
Cisco Catalyst 2960-X/XR vs. Catalyst 3650 vs. Cisco 3850 Series
WS-C2960X-48TD-L & WS-C2960XR-48TD-I Tested, from Miercom
How to Upgrade the License from IP Base to IP Services on 3750-X Stack?
