This document outlines Cisco's Catalyst switch portfolio, including campus access switches, campus backbone switches, and branch access switches. It identifies the "lead" and "base" switches within categories like wired and wireless, gigabit Ethernet, and fast Ethernet. The lead switches have more advanced features while the base switches have more limited functionality at a lower price. Upgrade paths are provided from existing switch models to new switches.

1. THE COMPLETE FAMILY
Catalyst 6800 & 6500 Series
Catalyst 4500 Series
Catalyst 3850, 3650 Series & Series 3560-CX
Catalyst 2960-X/XR Series
Campus Access Switches Upgrade PathFunctionality Based: Campus Access Switches Functionality Based: Branch Access Switches
Campus and Branch Access Switches
Functionality Based: Campus Backbone Switches
Campus Backbone Switches
Campus Backbone Switches Upgrade Path
Cisco Catalyst Switch Portfolio
© 2015 Cisco Systems, Inc. All rights reserved.
Lead Switch – It is the best-in-class switch that has high-end differentiated set of features in a given
category. This switch has the most differentiation compared to competitors in that category.
Base Switch – It is the entry level switch in the given category. Also called the foundation switch, it
has a lower price and limited feature set, but still better than competitors.
Choose the Right
Enterprise Campus
and Branch Switch
Functionality Switch
Wired & Wireless (Modular) Lead Catalyst 4500E with Supervisor Engine 8-E
Wired & Wireless (Stackable) Lead Catalyst 3850 (Up to 100 APs, 2000 Clients)
Base Catalyst 3650 (Up to 50 APs, 1000 Clients)
Gigabit Ethernet (Modular) Lead Catalyst 4500E with Supervisor Engine 8-E
Base Catalyst 4500E with Supervisor Engine 7L-E
Gigabit Ethernet (Stackable) Lead Catalyst 3850
Base Catalyst 3650, Catalyst 2960-X/XR
Gigabit Ethernet (Instant Access) Lead Catalyst 6800ia
Base Catalyst 3560-CX
Gigabit Ethernet (Cloud Managed) Lead Meraki MS Series
Fast Ethernet (Standalone) Lead Catalyst 2960-Plus
8/12 port Gigabit Ethernet (Standalone) Lead Catalyst 3560-CX, 2960CX
8/12 port Fast Ethernet (Standalone) Lead Catalyst 2960-C
Functionality Positioning
Wired & Wireless (Modular) Lead Catalyst 4500E with Supervisor Engine 8-E
Wired & Wireless (Stackable)
(Converged Access is the
Recommended Deployment Mode)
Lead Catalyst 3850 (Up to 100 APs, 2000 Clients)
Base Catalyst 3650 (Up to 50 APs, 1000 Clients)
Gigabit Ethernet (Modular) Lead Catalyst 4500E with Supervisor Engine 8-E
Base Catalyst 4500E with Supervisor Engine 7L-E
Gigabit Ethernet (Stackable) Lead Catalyst 3850
Base Catalyst 3650, Catalyst 2960-X/XR
Gigabit Ethernet (Cloud Managed) Lead Meraki MS Series
Fast Ethernet (Standalone) Lead Catalyst 2960-Plus
8/12 port Gigabit Ethernet (Standalone) Lead Catalyst 3560-CX, 2960CX
8/12 port Fast Ethernet (Standalone) Lead Catalyst 2960-C
Functionality Positioning
1/10/40/100 Gigabit Ethernet (Modular) Lead Catalyst 6807-XL
Base Catalyst 6500-E with Supervisor Engine 2T
1/10/40 Gigabit Ethernet (Standalone) Lead Catalyst 6880-X
(Semi-fixed, 2RU - Catalyst 6840-X)
Base Catalyst 4500-X
1/10 Gigabit Ethernet (Modular) Lead Catalyst 6500-E with Supervisor Engine 2T
Base Catalyst 4500E with Supervisor Engine 8-E
1 Gigabit Ethernet (Standalone) Lead Catalyst 4500-X
Base Catalyst 3850 Fiber
From Existing Switch To New Switch
Catalyst 2960-C, 3560-C Lead: Catalyst 3560-CX
Base: Catalyst 2960-CX
Catalyst 2900XL, 2948-G, Any 2950, 2970,
Any non-X 2960
Lead: Catalyst 3650
Base: Catalyst 2960-X/XR
Catalyst 3500XL, Any 3550, Any 3560,
Any 3750
Lead: Catalyst 3850
Base: Catalyst 3650
Catalyst 4500 non-E
Any Catalyst 4500 without Supervisor
Engine 8-E or 7L-E
Lead: Catalyst 4500E with Supervisor Engine 8-E
Base: Catalyst 4500E with Supervisor Engine 7L-E
Any Catalyst 6500 non-E or E in Access Lead: Catalyst 4500E with Supervisor Engine 8-E
Base: Catalyst 4500E with Supervisor Engine 7L-E,
Catalyst Instant Access
From Existing Switch To New Switch
Catalyst 6500 non-E
Any Catalyst 6500-E without Supervisor
Engine 2T
Any non-Catalyst 6500 Series like
Catalyst 45xx, Catalyst 3750xx Fiber,
Nexus Series etc.
1/10/40/100 Gigabit Ethernet (Modular)
Lead: Catalyst 6807-XL
Base: Catalyst 6500-E with Supervisor Engine 2T
1/10/40 Gigabit Ethernet (Standalone ≤ 80 ports)
Lead: Catalyst 6880-X (semi-modular)
Base: Catalyst 4500-X
1/10 Gigabit Ethernet (Modular)
Lead: Catalyst 6500-E with Supervisor Engine 2T
Base: Catalyst 4500E with Supervisor Engine 8-E
1 Gigabit Ethernet (Standalone)
Lead: Catalyst 4500-X
Base: Catalyst 3850 Fiber
Enterprise Campus
Switch Family
Positioning
Catalyst 2960-C, 2960CX, 3560-
CX*
Lead standalone silent & fanless compact switches for
8/12 ports of Fast/Gigabit Ethernet for outside the
wiring closet
Catalyst 2960-Plus Base standalone access switch for Fast Ethernet
Meraki MS Series Cloud managed virtually stackable access switch for
Gigabit Ethernet with PoE+
Catalyst 2960-X/XR Base stackable access switch for Gigabit Ethernet with PoE+
Catalyst 3650 Base stackable access switch for wired-wireless
convergence and Fast / Gigabit Ethernet with PoE+
Catalyst 3850* Lead stackable access switch for wired-wireless
convergence with UPOE/PoE+
(Compared to 3650, Offers 3x stacking bandwidth
- 480G Stackwise and 2x AP’s - 100, Modular
uplinks and StackPower)
Lead stackable access switch for Gigabit Ethernet with PoE+
(Compared to 2960-X, Offers Rich Services,,
Enhanced Security, Application Visibility & Control,
Resiliency, 6x stacking bandwidth (480G))
Catalyst 4500* with Supervisor
Engine 7L-E
Base modular access switch for Fast/Gigabit Ethernet with
UPOE/POE+/Data
Catalyst 4500E* with Supervisor
Engine 8E
Lead modular access switch for wired-wireless
convergence and Fast/Gigabit Ethernet with
UPOE/PoE+
(Compared to Sup 7L-E, Offers Built-in wireless
controller, 100 APs, 1.7x switching capacity
(928G), 2x uplinks (8x10G))
Base modular backbone switch for 1/10G
Catalyst 6800ia Lead stackable access switch for Catalyst 6800/6500
with Catalyst Instant Access
(Simplification of access with centralized
configuration, management and operations using
Catalyst 6K backbone switch)
*Supports mGig
Enterprise Campus
Switch Family
Positioning
Catalyst 3850 1G/10G Fiber Base stackable backbone switch for 1/10G
Catalyst 4500-X Lead standalone backbone switch for 1/10G
(Compared to 3750-X Fiber, Offers VSS, 2x ports
(40x1G), 2x uplinks (8))
Base standalone backbone switch for 1/10/40G
(up to 40x10G ports)
Catalyst 6500-E with Supervisor
Engine 2T
Lead modular backbone switch for 1/10G
(MPLS, EVN, Service Modules)
Base modular backbone switch for 1/10/40/100G
Catalyst 6807-XL Lead modular backbone switch for 1/10/40/100G
(up to 880G/slot, 11.4 Tbps switching, All 6500
features, service modules)
Catalyst 6880-X Lead Semi-fixed lead standalone backbone switch for
1/10/40G (with up to 80x10G or 20x40G ports)
Catalyst 6840X Lead Semi-fixed lead standalone backbone switch
1/10/40G in a compact footprint (with up to two 32x10G
along with 2x40G ports native uplinks)