In this article, we will list some fast questions and answers that tell you the main features of Cisco Catalyst 9500 Series.
Q: What are the key SKUs in the Cisco Catalyst 9500 Series?
A: The Cisco Catalyst 9500 Series has eight primary SKUs:
- C9500-32C: 32 ports 100G QSFP28
- C9500-32QC: 24 ports 40G QSFP with 4 ports 100G QSFP28 uplinks OR 32 ports 40G QSFP OR 16 ports 100G QSFP28
- C9500-24Q: 24 ports 40G QSFP
- C9500-12Q: 12 ports 40G QSFP
- C9500-48Y4C: 48 ports 25G/10G SFP28 option with 4 ports 100G/40G QSFP28 uplinks
- C9500-24Y4C: 24 ports 25G/10G SFP28 option with 4 ports 100G/40G QSFP28 uplinks
- C9500-40X: 40 ports 10G SFP+ option with 8 ports 10G SFP+ and 2 ports 40G QSFP uplinks
- C9500-16X: 16 ports 10G SFP+ option with 8 ports 10G SFP+ and 2 ports 40G QSFP uplinks
Switch to something new: Why Migrate to Catalyst 9500? | See the Catalyst 9500 Series
Q: Are the uplink modules of Cisco Catalyst 9500 Series Switches the same as those for the Cisco Catalyst 3850 Series uplink modules?
A: No, uplink modules of the Cisco Catalyst 9500 Series Switches have different SKUs from those of the 3850 Series.
Q: How many Rack Units (RUs) do Cisco Catalyst 9500 Series Switches have?
A: Cisco Catalyst 9500 Series Switches are 1RU switches
Q: Do Cisco Catalyst 9500 Series Switches come with built-in RFID?
A: Yes, they come with a built-in passive RFID tag.
Q: What management ports are available on the Cisco Catalyst 9500 Series?
A: The Cisco Catalyst 9500 Series comes with a mini-B type USB console port and a 10, 100, or 1000 Ethernet (RJ-45) dedicated management port on the front panel of the switch. The Ethernet port is in a separate VRF instance called “Mgmt-vrf” in order to segment the management traffic from the global routing table of the switch.
Q: Can I use both console ports simultaneously on the Cisco Catalyst 9500 Series?
A: No. The RJ-45 port is default and the console switches to USB when USB cable is connected.
Q: Do Cisco Catalyst 9500 Series switches support Trivial File Transport Protocol (TFTP) to boot the software image?
A: Yes, you can use TFTP to boot the application image over the network with the following parameters set up:
- MAC_ADDR: The switch default MAC address
- IP_ADDR: The IP address or netmask of the switch
- DEFAULT_ROUTER: The IP address of the default router in the local network Example:
- Switch: set DEFAULT_ROUTER 10.4.2.1
- Switch: set IP_ADDR 10.4.2.140/255.255.255.0
- Switch: boot tftp:///
Q: Do Cisco Catalyst 9500 Series Switches support OIR?
A: Yes, the 5 fans and the 2 power supply units support OIR. Also, uplink modules on the 10 Gigabit Ethernet SKU support OIR.
Q: How many fans can fail on a Cisco Catalyst 9500 Series Switch without interrupting the system?
A: One. Cisco Catalyst 9500 Series Switches are designed to support a single fan failure. We recommended that you replace fans as soon as possible when they fail.
Q: Do Cisco Catalyst 9500 Series Switches support 802.1ae?
A: Cisco Catalyst 9500 Series Switches are hardware-capable for 802.1ae on all ports on the switch.
Q: What type of airflow do Cisco Catalyst 9500 Series Switches support?
A: The airflow on the Cisco Catalyst 9500 Series is “front-to-back” airflow.
Q: What pluggable transceiver modules do Cisco Catalyst 9500 Series Switches support?
A: Refer to the Cisco Transceiver Module Compatibility Matrixes for a complete list: https://www.cisco.com/c/en/us/support/interfacesmodules/transceiver-modules/products-device-support-tableslist.html.
Q: Can Cisco Catalyst 9500 Series Switches support redundant power supplies?
A: Yes, Cisco Catalyst 9500 Series Switches come with two AC power supplies. For further details on power supplies, please refer to Cisco Catalyst 9500 Series data sheet: Latest data sheet version
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