Cisco Catalyst 6500 Datasheet

The Cisco Catalyst 6500 series switches were once the workhorses of enterprise networks, known for their modularity, high performance, and rich feature set. The Cisco Catalyst 6500 Datasheet is the key document that unlocks the full potential of understanding these powerful switches, providing critical specifications and capabilities that network professionals rely on.

Deciphering the Cisco Catalyst 6500 Datasheet What You Need to Know

The Cisco Catalyst 6500 Datasheet serves as a comprehensive technical reference guide. It details everything from the physical dimensions and power requirements of the chassis and various line cards to the supported protocols and software features. Understanding the datasheet is crucial for planning, deploying, and troubleshooting a network infrastructure based on the Catalyst 6500. The datasheet meticulously describes the capabilities of each component, enabling network architects to select the appropriate modules for their specific needs. Ignoring the datasheet can lead to misconfigured networks, performance bottlenecks, and even hardware failures.

The information within a Cisco Catalyst 6500 Datasheet typically includes:

  • Chassis Specifications: Dimensions, weight, power consumption, supported modules.
  • Line Card Specifications: Port density, interface types (e.g., Gigabit Ethernet, 10 Gigabit Ethernet), supported protocols.
  • Software Features: Supported IOS versions, routing protocols, security features, Quality of Service (QoS) capabilities.
  • Performance Metrics: Switching capacity, forwarding rates, latency.

This information is vital when deciding which model and line cards best fit the intended use case. For example, consider this simplified scenario:

  1. A business needs a core switch to handle heavy traffic between departments.
  2. Reviewing the datasheet helps identify line cards that support high-density 10 Gigabit Ethernet connections.
  3. The datasheet also reveals if the chassis has enough switching capacity to handle the expected traffic load.

The Cisco Catalyst 6500 Datasheet provides essential details on the switch’s capabilities. For instance, it will specify supported VLAN numbers, jumbo frame sizes, and the maximum number of supported MAC addresses. It gives information on redundancy features, power supply options, and environmental operating conditions. The comprehensive data is presented to allow for informed decisions during the network design and deployment phase. A small subset of typical datasheet data points might look like this:

Feature Specification
Switching Capacity Up to 720 Gbps
Forwarding Rate Up to 400 Mpps
Maximum VLANs 4094

To fully understand the Cisco Catalyst 6500 and its functionality, it’s essential to consult the official Cisco Catalyst 6500 Datasheet. This will give you insight on the important information and details needed to fully maximize the use of the switch.