2948G-L2 Switch - GBIC Connection.

[SBNservices]

We have a client that wishes to use 3 WS-C2948Gs (L2s) connected to each other. The first will be connected using a fiber GBIC, with the other GBIC port used to connect to the 2nd 2948G in the middle, which then connects to the 3rd and final 2948G. We would use the WS-5484 (fiber) to connect everything.

Here is our question. Someone told us that the 2948G which uses the CAT4000 IOS, does routing only on the GBIC ports. That did not make sense to us, as we assumed the GBIC ports would be on the same switching fabric as the 48 10/100s.

The client is wishing to use the 2948 due to the cost/per port as opposed to other 48-port switches.

Lastly, if anyone knows, does the 2948G accelerate connection when connected to other Cisco switches, or is it just straight 10/100 (excluding the GBICs)?

 

[RookThis]

Are these L2 switches or L3? If L2, then they won't do any routing with the exception of defining a default gateway. I don't understand what you mean by "accelerate connection". Are you talking about the throughput via the trunks? On the 10/100 ports I believe you can configure etherchannels to aggregate multiple ports into bigger pipes. I can't recall the algorithm that it uses to determine the load balancing some time of xor on a per flow bases I believe. Anyway, I hope this helps some.

 

[SBNservices]

Thanks for the quick response. These are the L2 switches.

What I mean by accelerate connection, I was told by numerous people long time ago that Cisco 2900x series switches, when connected to another 2900x switch, the ports would connect at a higher rate than the standard 100Mbps, using a regular CAT5 enhanced. I can not remember the speed, but it was at least 200-300.

 

[SBNservices]

Just wanted to clarify, we had a client who previously had an issue with connecting a 2948G to a 3512-XL-EN with 1000BaseT GBIC. I did not get any further details, whether this was an issue of cables, gbics, or the switches themselves. But the impression I got was the 2948G L2 had to have special configuration to get the GBIC ports to work along side the rest of the 10/100 switching fabric. Now that would make no sense to have 2 seperate 1000base ports on a switch and NOT have them able to connect with the rest of the 48 other ports.

 

[stupman]

Had the same problem once. My client has a 3500XL (old) and a 2950, wouldn't talk to each other using GB ports. At arrival I saw that they used Etherchannels, not connecting to the same switch. Could be a possible explanation.