What are the MAIN differences between Cisco’s highly successful lines of 3750 series switches? There is a brief overview of the biggest differences between the 3750 V2, 3750-E, and the 3750-X.
This document does not cover the 3750 (V1) which is the predecessor to the Cisco 3750 V2. Also note that this is not an exhaustive comparison list. For more in depth comparisons visit Cisco’s website.
Comparison Chart for 3750 V2, 3750-E, and 3750-x
| FEATURE | 3750 V2 | 3750-E | 3750-X |
| StackPower | YES | ||
| IEEE 802.3af PoE | YES | YES | YES |
| IEEE 802.3at PoE+ (30W across all ports in 1U) | YES | ||
| Dual Redundant Modular Power Supplies | YES | ||
| Network Modules | YES | ||
| StackWise | YES | YES | YES |
| StackWise Plus (64 Gbps backplane up to 9 switches) | YES | YES | |
| 10GB Fiber | YES | YES | |
| 10GB Copper | YES | ||
| Backwards Compatible | YES | YES | YES |
| Enhanced Limited Lifetime Warranty (LLW) | YES | ||
| EnergyWise | YES | YES | YES |
| USB Ports (Storage and Console) – My favorite | YES |
10/100/1000 Port Availability
The 3750V2 series does not have a 10/100/1000 model. All port configurations are either 24-port 10/100 or 48-port 10/100. Gigabit is only offered through 2 or 4 SFP ports. Perhaps backplane speed or forwarding rate made Cisco make a u-turn on this – I’m not sure. The 3750V1 series offered a wide variety of 10/100/1000 port options. If you want 10/100/1000 port density then skip over the 3750V2 series and go with the 3750-E or 3750-x series.
StackPower
Cisco StackPower combines all the individual power supplies installed in the switches and creates a pool of power, directing that power where it is needed. Up to four switches can be configured in a StackPower stack. StackPower cables use their own special cables and connect in the same way as the popular StackWise cables. In addition to redundancy I personally like the “green” effect of the 3750-X StackPower.
IEEE 802.3af
Cisco supports this across all 3750 platforms that have PoE capabilities.
IEEE 802.3at
802.3at provides 30W of power per port. Wow…. Soon we will power far more than just IP phones and wireless access points. Wouldn’t it be cool to charge your smart phone or tablet over an available Ethernet port? Just always keep in mind as you rely more on PoE you need to put more thought into power consumption, backup power, and additional cooling in your data closets. Typically this is the most forgotten area when deploying PoE technology such as IP phones. You don’t want those switches sitting on a power strip when 24 or more end users are relying on that switch to power their phones.
Dual Redundant Power Module Supplies
The Cisco 3750-X supports two hot swappable power supplies. The switch ships with one power supply by default. The second power supply can be purchased at the time of the order or later. I’ve found that in 3750-X stacks going with one power supply works great when combined with StackPower. It saves money and reduces power consumption.
Network Modules
There are four network modules for the 3750-X. Each provides a combination of GbE or 10GbE interfaces. For upgrade protection and scalability we often find ourselves deploying the four port network modules that support either four GbE or two 10GbE. This allows a customer to utilize existing GbE connectivity and later upgrade to 10GbE.
The 3750-E supports the TwinGig SFP converter. This enables an upgrade path from 1GbE to 10GbE.
StackWise
StackWise technology allows a group of 3750 switches to be “stacked” together using StackWise cables. This stacking of switches basically combines them into one functional unit providing much higher levels of redundancy and capacity while providing investment protection. Since switches can be added to the stack you can “pay as you grow”. StackWise backplanes rates are 32Gbps and up to 9 switches can participate in a stack. Keep in mind these rates assume that all switches are connected with two cables. For example, if you connect two 3750s together with one StackWise cable you will only achieve a rate of 16Gbps.
StackWise Plus
Built on StackWise technology, StackWise Plus offers several improvements in speed and performance. StackWise Plus offers 64Gbps backplane across the StackWise cables (backplane). Up to nine switches can be in the stack. Performance is also enhanced with “local switching” of packets. With StackWise technology packets had to traverse the full ring regardless of destination. StackWise Plus eliminates this and once the packet finds its destination it no longer traverses the entire ring.
10GB Fiber
Supports various 10GB options
10GB Copper
The 10GB-T is hot swappable and can operate at either 10GbE or GbE.
Backwards Compatible
The Cisco 3750-X provides backwards compatibility with StackWise technology in other 3750 versions. Note, however, that performance is degraded to StackWise data rates of 32Gbps.
The 3750 V2 supports the 3750 (V1) and the 3750-E.
The 3750-E supports the 3750 (V1|V2).
The 3750-X support the 3750 (V1|V2) and the 3750-E.
They all support connecting to each other with StackWise technology.
Enhanced Limited Lifetime Warranty
Cisco covers the 3750-X with an enhanced limited lifetime warranty (LLW) with next business day (NBD) advance hardware replacement and 90 day access to Cisco TAC support.
EnergyWise
Cisco EnergyWise is an innovative architecture, added to fixed configuration switches, promoting companywide sustainability by reducing energy consumption across an entire corporate infrastructure and affecting more than 50 percent of global greenhouse gas emissions created by worldwide building infrastructure, a much greater effect than the 2 percent generated by the IT industry. Cisco EnergyWise enables companies to measure the power consumption of network infrastructure and network-attached devices and manage power consumption with specific policies, reducing power consumption to realize increased cost savings, potentially affecting any powered device.
USB Ports (Storage and Console)
The USB console access is one of my favorites. Having a USB console allows access through your PC or laptop USB port using a USB cable. After installing a small Cisco application you can launch your terminal application of choice. If you are looking for a way to find a use for all those old USB cables you just found it. But now what to do with all those blue console cables? …
More Information
Cisco 3750 V2
https://www.cisco.com/en/US/products/hw/switches/ps5023/index.html
Catalyst 3750-E
https://www.cisco.com/en/US/products/ps7077/index.html
3750-X Series
https://www.cisco.com/en/US/products/ps10745/index.html
StackWise and StackWise Plus Technology
https://www.cisco.com/en/US/prod/collateral/switches/ps5718/ps5023/prod_white_paper09186a00801b096a.html
Go Green with Catalyst 3750-X
https://www.cisco.com/en/US/prod/collateral/switches/ps5718/ps10745/white_paper_1-27993052_Eprint.pdf
—Resource from https://www.gomiocon.com/2011/07/31/quick-comparison-of-the-cisco-3750-line-of-switches/
More Related Cisco 3750 Topics and Tips:
Cisco 3750 Stacking Configuration
How to Configure a Cisco 3750?
How to Add a DHCP Range to a Cisco 3750 Switch?
How to Select Power Supply for Catalyst 3750-X Series and Cisco 3560-X Switch?
How to Recover Password on Cisco Router/Switch?
Video Offer: Cisco Catalyst 3560 and 3750 QoS Simplified
Network Switch Compared: Cisco Catalyst 3750 Series or Juniper EX4200
