Performance

• Forwarding bandwidth: 28 Gbps (2960G-24TS), 24 Gbps (2960G24T)
• Forwarding rate based on 64-byte packets: 38.7 Mpps (2960G-24TS), 35.7 Mpps (2960G-24T)
• 128 MB DRAM and 16 MB Flash memory
• Configurable up to 8000 MAC addresses
• Configurable up to 1000 IGMP groups and bridging entries
• Configurable maximum transmission unit (MTU) of up to 9018 bytes (jumbo frames) for bridging on Gigabit Ethernet ports, and up to 1546 bytes for bridging on Fast Ethernet ports

Enhanced Security

• The Identity-Based Networking Services (IBNS) feature in the Cisco Catalyst 2960 Series prevents unauthorized access and helps to ensure that users get only their designated privileges. Using the 802.1x standard and the Cisco Secure Access Control Server (ACS), users can be assigned a virtual LAN (VLAN) or an ACL upon authentication, regardless of where they connect to the network. This allows IT departments to enable strong security policies without compromising user mobility—and with minimal administrative overhead.
• To guard against denial-of-service and other attacks, ACLs can be used to restrict access to sensitive portions of the network, blocking unauthorized access to servers and applications, by denying packets based on source and destination MAC addresses, IP addresses, or Transmission Control Protocol/User Datagram Protocol (TCP/UDP) ports. ACL lookups are done in hardware, so forwarding performance is not compromised when implementing ACL-based security.
• Port security can be used to limit access on an Ethernet port based on the MAC address of the device that is connected to it. It can also limit the total number of devices plugged into a switch port, reducing the risks of rogue wireless access points or hubs.
• Secure Shell (SSH), Kerberos, and Simple Network Management Protocol Version 3 (SNMPv3) encrypt administrative and network management information, protecting the network from tampering or eavesdropping. Terminal Access Controller Access Control System (TACACS+) and Remote Access Dial-In User Service (RADIUS) authentication enable centralized access control of switches and restrict unauthorized users from altering the configurations. Alternatively, a local username and password database can be configured on the switch itself. Fifteen levels of authorization on the switch console and two levels on the Web-based management interface provide the ability to give different levels of configuration capabilities to different administrators.
• The MAC Address Notification feature can be used to monitor the network and track users by sending an alert to a management station so that network administrators know when and where users entered the network. The Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol (DHCP) Interface Tracker (Option 82) feature tracks where a user is physically connected on a network by providing both the switch and the port ID to a DHCP server.
• The Private VLAN Edge feature isolates ports on a switch, helping to ensure that traffic travels directly from the entry point to the aggregation device through a virtual path and cannot be directed to another port.

Advanced QoS

• The Cisco Catalyst 2960 Series offers superior multilayer, granular QoS features to avoid congestion and help ensure that network traffic is properly classified and prioritized. Configuration of QoS is greatly simplified through Automatic QoS (AutoQoS), a feature that detects Cisco IP phones and automatically configures switches for the appropriate classification and egress queuing. This optimizes traffic prioritization and network availability without the challenge of complex configuration.
• The Cisco Catalyst 2960 Series can classify, police, mark, queue, and schedule incoming packets, and can queue and schedule packets at egress. Packet classification allows the network elements to discriminate between various traffic flows and to enforce policies based on Layer 2 and Layer 3 QoS fields.

Management

• Express Setup is a new feature that simplifies initial configuration of a switch. Users now have the option to set up the switch through a Web browser, eliminating the need for more complex terminal emulation programs and knowledge of the command-line interface (CLI). Express Setup reduces the cost of deployment by enabling less-skilled personnel to quickly and simply set up switches.
• Embedded in Cisco Catalyst 2960 Series switches is the Cisco Cluster Management Suite (CMS) Software, which allows users to simultaneously configure and troubleshoot up to 16 Cisco Catalyst desktop switches—regardless of their physical location—using a standard Web browser. Cisco CMS Software provides an integrated management interface for delivering intelligent services such as multilayer switching, QoS, multicast, and security ACLs. Cisco CMS Software allows administrators to take advantage of benefits formerly reserved for only the most advanced networks, without having to learn the CLI or the details of the technology. The new Guide Mode in Cisco CMS Software leads the user step-by-step through the configuration of advanced features and provides enhanced online help for context-sensitive assistance. In addition, Cisco AVVID (Architecture for Voice, Video and Integrated Data) wizards provide automated switch configuration to optimally support video streaming or videoconferencing, voice over IP (VoIP), and mission-critical applications. These wizards can save hours of time for network administrators, eliminate human errors, and help to ensure that the configuration of the switch is optimized for these applications.