We Need Multigigabit Networks Today! Definitely, absolutely!
We can guess that in the next few years data traffic will grow ten-fold and the growth is driving new wireless standards. And *with 802.11ac Wave 2, wireless data rates are exceeding the capacity of your wired infrastructure. How to solve that? The answer is the Multigigabit Technology.
What is Cisco Catalyst Multigigabit Technology? Cisco Catalyst Multigigabit Technology is a unique Cisco innovation to the new Cisco Catalyst Ethernet Access Switches. With the enormous growth of 802.11ac and new wireless applications, wireless devices are driving the demand for more network bandwidth. This creates a need for a technology that supports speeds higher than 1 Gbps on all cabling infrastructure. Cisco multigigabit technology allows you to achieve bandwidth between speeds of 1 and 10 Gbps over traditional Cat 5e cabling or above. In addition, the multigigabit ports on select Cisco Catalyst switches support Universal Power Over Ethernet (UPOE), which is increasingly important for next-generation workspaces and Internet of Things (IoT) ecosystems.
Cisco multigigabit technology offers significant benefits for a diverse range of speeds, cable types, and Power Over Ethernet (POE) power. The benefits can be grouped into three different areas:
- Multiple speeds: Cisco multigigabit technology supports auto-negotiation of multiple speeds on switch ports. The supported speeds are 100 Mbps, 1 Gbps, 2.5 Gbps, and 5 Gbps on Cat 5e cable and up to 10 Gbps over Cat 6a cabling.
- Cable type: The technology supports a wide range of cable types including Cat 5e, Cat 6, and Cat 6a or above.
- POE power: The technology supports POE, POE+, and UPOE for all the supported speeds and cable types.
Why do we need Cisco Catalyst Multigigabit Technology? Widespread proliferation of 802.11ac and new wireless applications and devices are driving the need for more network bandwidth. As the industry moves toward 802.11ac Wave 2, access points will require higher wireless bandwidth than 1 Gbps.
But existing cabling infrastructure could prevent many businesses from capitalizing on this growth. Much of the cabling deployed worldwide is limited to 1 Gbps at 100 meters. Cisco Catalyst Multigigabit Technology enables speeds up to 5 Gbps on the same infrastructure without replacing a single cable. In addition to higher speeds, the technology also delivers UPOE (up to 60W) using a multigigabit port.
Traditionally, to achieve more than 1 Gbps, you would need to upgrade your Cat 5e to Cat 6a or above. However, with Cisco’s multigigabit technology, you can use your existing Cat 5e or Cat 6 cabling to achieve speeds up to 5 Gbps.
Cisco Catalyst Multigigabit Technology Supports New Intermediate Network Speeds
Yes. You can use a standard RJ45 connector to connect the cable to a multigigabit switch port. This technology offers significant value for customers and partners because it protects existing investments such as cabling and connectors.
What are the data rates and speeds supported with multigigabit technology? Multigigabit supports 100 Mbps, 1 Gbps, 2.5 Gbps, 5 Gbps, and 10 Gbps speeds with auto-negotiation.
802.11ac Wave 2 speeds are the RF speeds. The Wave 2 RF speeds that are of prime interest are 3.5 Gbps and 6.8 Gbps. When this is translated into the AP-switch bandwidth, this speed is reduced by a factor. That results in the 2.5 Gbps and 5 Gbps speeds on the multigigabit switch ports to AP links. This Cisco white paper provides more details on 802.11ac speeds: https://www.cisco.com/c/en/us/products/collateral/wireless/aironet-3600-series/white_paper_c11-713103.html.
And the multigigabit switch port does not support a 10 Mbps data rate.
Will a multigigabit switch port auto-negotiate the link speed? Yes, when the far-end device is also multigigabit-capable, both multigigabit switch ports will auto-negotiate the highest speed they can support over the cable you use (Cat 5e, Cat 6, Cat 6a). For example, if the far-end device is 10 Gbps-capable and the cable can support the speed, the two devices would negotiate to the 10 Gbps speed.
What happens when I connect a device with no multigigabit support to a multigigabit-capable switch port? Since the multigigabit port can support multiple speeds up to 10 Gbps, the multigigabit port will try to auto-negotiate with the far-end device to the highest speed supported by the two devices. For example, if the far-end device is only capable of 1 Gbps, the two devices would settle for 1 Gbps speeds. Since 100 Mbps is the minimum data rate a multigigabit switch port can support, as long as the far-end device supports 100 Mbps or higher, a connection can be established.
Will a multigigabit switch port support POE, POE+, and UPOE? Yes, a multigigabit switch port will support POE (15W), POE+ (30W), and UPOE (60W). This is another important innovation of the multigigabit solution. As end-user devices demand increasing power, the multigigabit port future-proofs deployment to support the growing UPOE ecosystem. UPOE with multigigabit is supported only by the Cisco Catalyst 4500, 3650 and 3850 product families.
What is the main advantage of Cisco Catalyst Multigigabit Technology in a brownfield deployment with Cat 5e or Cat 6 cabling? Brownfield deployments with Cat5e or Cat6 installations can avoid major cable overhaul and installation costs for upgrading their network to support 802.1ac Wave 2 technology. Such deployments can achieve up to 5Gbps by adopting the new Cisco Catalyst Multigigabit technology without replacing a single cable.
Can multigigabit technology be deployed in a greenfield deployment with Cat 6a cabling? Absolutely. Since multigigabit technology supports Cat 6a cabling or higher with support up to 10 Gbps, it can be used in such greenfield deployments.
The new Cisco Catalyst Multigigabit Technology switches offer just that: an easy-to-deploy, budget-friendly solution that allows you to increase network speed and bandwidth using your existing cables. By partnering with other industry leaders to form the NBASE-T Alliance, Cisco uses NBASE-T technology to help you get more out of your existing infrastructure. Save time and money by avoiding upgrades and extending the life of your installed cable plants. And discover the benefits of meeting consumer demand for increased bandwidth and speeds without a large initial investment.
Cisco Catalyst Multigigabit Technology Switches along with Cisco Aironet Access Points provide an end-to-end solution that allows meeting your growing IT demands.
The Cisco Multigigabit Portfolio includes:
- Cisco Catalyst 4500E Series Switches: Modular switches with up to 96 Multigigabit ports
- Cisco Catalyst 3850 Series Switches: Stackable switches with 12 or 24 Multigigabit ports
- Cisco Catalyst 3650 Series Switches: Stackable switches with 8 or 12 Multigigabit ports
- Cisco Catalyst Catalyst Compact Switches: 8-port switch with 2 Multigigabit Ethernet ports
- Cisco Aironet 3800 Series Access Points: 802.11ac Wave 2 with multiuser MIMO (MU-MIMO)
Some Simple Qs to Help You Know about the Cisco Catalyst Multigigabit Technology Products
Q. Which Cisco Catalyst platforms support Cisco Catalyst Multigigabit Technology?
A. Cisco Catalyst Multigigabit Technology is supported by the Cisco Catalyst 4500, Cisco Catalyst 3850, Cisco Catalyst 3650, and the new compact C3560-CX product families.
Q. How does the Cisco Catalyst 4500 product family support multigigabit technology?
A. The Cisco Catalyst 4500 product family supports the technology with a new 48-port line card that supports 12 multigigabit switch ports. All the ports, including the multigigabit ports, support POE, POE+, and UPOE. Furthermore, line cards offer significant investment protection by supporting the new multigigabit technology on both types of Cisco Supervisor Engines-Supervisor 7 and Supervisor 8.
Q. How does the Cisco Catalyst 3850 product family support multigigabit technology?
A. The Cisco Catalyst 3850 product family supports multigigabit technology with two new 48- and 24-port switches that support 12 and 24 multigigabit ports, respectively. All of these ports, including the multigigabit ports, support POE, POE+, and UPOE.
Q. How does the Cisco Catalyst 3650 product family support multigigabit technology?
A. The Cisco Catalyst 3650 product family supports multigigabit technology with new 48- and 24-port switches that support 12 and 8 multigigabit ports, respectively. All of these ports, including the multigigabit ports, support POE, POE+, and UPOE.
Q. How do the new Cisco compact switches support multigigabit technology?
A. The new compact switch family offers one SKU that supports multigigabit technology. This switch supports two multigigabit ports that are POE and POE+ capable.
Q. When are the Cisco Catalyst platforms that support multigigabit technology available?
A. The multigigabit products will be available in Q2CY2015. Please reach out to your Cisco representatives for the specific dates of availability on different product families.
(Reference From https://www.cisco.com/c/en/us/products/collateral/switches/catalyst-3560-series-switches/q-and-a-c67-737464.html#_Toc455181550 )
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