Cisco Catalyst 3750 Series Switch

Vibrant's Cisco Catalyst 3750 Overview:

The new Cisco 3750 switch series is undoubtedly an innovative line, featuring Gigabit and Fast Ethernet switches all with Cisco StackWise technology, which helps develop a large highly resilient and unified switching system by incorporating a single switch at a time. To start with it uses 32-GBps interconnect with StackWise technology on a fixed stackable configuration that provides intelligent services using IPv6 and dynamic IP routing on Layer 2 to Layer 4 switching. Then there is the 10 Gigabit Ethernet, Gigabit Ethernet and Fast Ethernet connectivity capability plus 4 SFP ports and a maximum of 48 10/100/1000 ports with PoE.

What Makes The Cisco Catalyst 3750 a leading Cisco switch?

As mentioned above, the Cisco Catalyst 3750 (V2 / Version 2) series is considered a next-gen Layer 3 Fast Ethernet energy efficient stackable switch solution. With the Energy Wise technology from Cisco, these switches help reduce power consumption of any network and therefore decrease the carbon footprint and energy costs. Basically, the 3750 series uses much less power compared to all the previous Cisco Catalyst switches making it great for retail, enterprise and branch based environments where productivity counts. Moreover, this series is popular as it comes with two software images.

• Either get the standard IP Base software that offers ACLs, OSPF or Open Shortest Path First, IPv6 functionality and advanced QoS.
• Or get the IP Services software meant for enterprise class features with IP Multicast routing, PBR or policy based routing and IP Unicast using advanced hardware.

Overall Review

Probably the biggest benefit of the 3750 series from Cisco is that the 802.1S/W standard enables greater availability through a higher fault tolerance, rapid recovery and load balancing. Add to this the use of Flexlink providing a below 100 millisecond convergence and PVST+, you ultimately get a greater bandwidth on redundant links with higher traffic. The Cisco StackWise Technology allows a single IP address with single CLI to make management simpler than before. What really differentiates this series from previous Cisco offerings though is the 32 Gbps resilient architecture with 1:N stack master redundancy and the Layer 3 uplink level resilience with Cisco EtherChannel technology.

These are all new features never before seen on any Cisco switch. Some other hot features to look out for in the Catalyst 3750 series are QoS increased availability, IOS software version check and auto update with automatic configuration, which leads to faster deployment and less down time. With the hot delete and add option, you can now increase or decrease the number of switches while keeping the stack running.

As seen in past series, the 3750 also incorporates a PoE solution with 370W raw power that helps in video surveillance, wireless and IP telephone deployment without the need of cables or wall power. This helps in controlling power budget, gaining greater control over features and together with the Gigabit and Fast Ethernet access, it helps maximize the infrastructural investment in place. Something new to this series is Layer 3 advanced level routing protocols.

Some notable new add-ons are Enhanced Interior Gateway Routing or EIGRP, Open Shortest Path First or OSPF, Static Routing, Border Gateway Protocol or BGP as well as PBR to help scale up networks without increasing the cost. It also provides multicast routing using PIM or Protocol Independent Multicast to help maximize the available network resources. With IPv6 you get a simplified way to tackle mobile IP and network addressing while Virtual Route Forwarding helps secure traffic quicker.

A short foray into the QoS shows that it now smoothens bursty traffic flow and reduces packet drops while assuring a decent bandwidth availability for mission-critical apps. Another new exciting feature is Scavenger Queueing that helps prevent worms from overloading system resources. In the realm of management, Catalyst 3750 comes with plenty of simple configurations and quick but advanced intelligent features like easy setup using web interface, express setup, resource templates and application security through DHCP snooping using trusted ports. The 3750 also offers NAC and Dynamic ARP Inspection with IP Source Guard to help against middle man attacks.

How Enterprise Network Managers can Benefit From the Cisco 3750

As you can see there are plenty of new innovations and additions to the 3750 switch series from Cisco. Customers who have over 250 employees and require enhanced business productivity with security, scalability and resiliency will find these switches cost effective. Furthermore, if you are looking for easy management and deployment of networks, want IP telephony, GTTD or wireless access points without wall power complications then the 3750 is ideal for you. Note: All models in the Cisco 3750 switch series come either as PoE inclusive or non-PoE inclusive.

Cisco 3750 Switch Prices:

- In the market for a Cisco 3750 Series Switch? Vibrant has quality, tested and guaranteed used Catalyst 3750 Switches for sale at deep discounts off the manufacturer's pricing. Prices can swing (from great value to amazing deal) with changing market conditions and current stock “ but you'll get an incredible value from Vibrant, an independent, industry leading reseller, making switching affordable for IT buyers since 1998. Request a quote today for current pricing and availability, or call our Cisco team at 952-653-1700.

Cisco 3750 GUI / Web interface: Cisco reports the easiest way to manage the switch is by using the device manager that is in the switch memory. Device Manager can be accessed from anywhere in the network through a web browser. Do the following: 1. Launch a web browser on your PC or workstation. 2. Enter the switch IP address in the web browser, and press Enter. The device manager page appears. 3. Use the device manager to perform basic switch configuration and monitoring. Refer to the device manager online help for more information. 4. For more advanced configuration, download and run the Cisco Network Assistant, which is described in the next section. Also, the Cisco Network Assistant (CNA) is a PC-based network management application that manages standalone devices and clusters of devices from anywhere in your intranet. More information is found on Cisco's Catalyst 3750 Q&A page at http://www.cisco.com/en/US/prod/collateral/switches/ps5718/ps5023/prod_qas09186a00801b0971.html.

Cisco 3750 Manuals and User Guides: 1. Cisco Catalyst 3750 Switch Getting Started Guide: http://www.cisco.com/en/US/docs/switches/lan/catalyst3750/hardware/quick/guide/3750GSG3.html 2. Cisco Catalyst 3750 Switch Software Configuration Guide (PDF format): http://www.cisco.com/en/US/docs/switches/lan/catalyst3750/software/release/12.2_35_se/configuration/guide/3750SCG.pdf 3. Cisco Catalyst 3750 Hardware Installation Guide (PDF format): http://www.cisco.com/en/US/docs/switches/lan/catalyst3750/hardware/installation/guide/3750hgbk.pdf 4. Cisco Catalyst 3750-X and 3560-X Switch Getting Started Guide: http://www.cisco.com/en/US/docs/switches/lan/catalyst3750x_3560x/hardware/quick/guide/3750xgsg.html 5. Cisco Catalyst 3750 Series Switches Configuration Guides: http://www.cisco.com/en/US/products/hw/switches/ps5023/products_installation_and_configuration_guides_list.html

Cisco 3750 Emulators: 1. TechRepublic post on free emulator; also explains difference between stimulators and emulators: http://www.techrepublic.com/blog/networking/practice-cisco-router-configuration-using-a-free-emulator/419 2. Dynamips (software that emulates Cisco IOS on a traditional PC): http://www.gns3.net/dynamips/ 3. Dynagen (a front-end for use with the Dynamips Cisco router emulator): http://dynagen.org/ 4. GNS3 (open source software that simulate complex networks): http://www.gns3.net/ 5. Cisco Learning Lab for SWITCH; note fees are involved: https://learningnetworkstore.cisco.com/market/prod/productView.se.work?/nxt/rcrs/proieidentity/=19434&/nxt/rcrs/aisidentity/=2560#.UjpGPD9WmkZ 6. WebNMS Simulation for Cisco IOS: http://www.webnms.com/simulator/cisco-ios-simulation.html

Cisco 3750 vs Juniper EX4200 Switches: How it compares: A comparable model to the Cisco Catalyst 3750 Series Switches, the Juniper EX4200 line is available with or without Power over Ethernet (PoE) and is sold in 24 and 48-port 10/100/1000 configurations. The EX 4200 offers modular uplink connectivity of 1GB or 10GB. The Juniper 4200 switches have a minor leg up on most 3750 models by offering hot swap power supplies, rather than a fixed power supply which is non-field-serviceable.

Can you help with the following defaults for a 3750? * Default username: * Default password: * Default IP Address: For default username/password, a member on the Cisco Support Community reports: This is no default username/password included in a switch. You will need to enter the following command. username <username> password <password> Obviously remove the <> in username and password. If you don't set this, the only other way you can connect is via telnet, console, and or ssh. Under line vty you need to enter 'login' and then 'password <password>' with the specific password. However, the Cisco Catalyst 3750-X and 3560-X Getting Started Guide reports, Start a browser session on the PC, and enter the IP address 10.0.0.1. When prompted, enter the default password, cisco. Note The switch ignores text in the username field. For default IP Address, the Cisco 3750-X and 3650-X Getting Started Guide reports no IP address or subnet mask are defined. See: http://www.cisco.com/en/US/docs/switches/lan/catalyst3750x_3560x/software/release/12.2_55_se/configuration/guide/swipaddr.html.

Password Recovery Instructions: (Password Recovery, Cisco Catalyst Fixed Configuration Layer 2 and Layer 3 Switches): http://www.cisco.com/en/US/products/hw/switches/ps628/products_password_recovery09186a0080094184.shtml Also see the Cisco page entitled Password Recovery Procedures, which Cisco explains is an index of password recovery procedures for Cisco products including various switch models. When following any password recovery procedure, Cisco notes that physical access to the equipment is required for security purposes.

How to do a factory reset of a Cisco 3750: Resetting the Switch This section describes how to reset the switch by rerunning Express Setup. These are reasons why you might want to reset the switch: You installed the switch in your network and cannot connect to it because you assigned the incorrect IP address. You want to clear all configuration from the switch and assign a new IP address. You are trying to enter Express Setup mode, and the switch LEDs start blinking when you press the Mode button (which means that the switch is already configured with IP information). ***Resetting the switch deletes the configuration and reboots the switch. To reset the switch: Press and hold the Mode button. The switch LEDs begin blinking after about 3 seconds. Continue holding down the Mode button. The LEDs stop blinking after 7 more seconds, and then the switch reboots. The switch now behaves like an unconfigured switch. You can enter the switch IP information by using Express Setup as described in the "Running Express Setup" section.

What is the Boot System Command for a Cisco 3750? See the Cisco page for Catalyst 3750 Switch Bootloader Commands at http://www.cisco.com/en/US/docs/switches/lan/catalyst3750/software/release/12.2_55_se/commmand/reference/bootldr.html

How would you do a break sequence for a Cisco 3750? See the Cisco page entitled Recovering Catalyst Fixed Configuration Switches from a Corrupted or Missing Image, http://www.cisco.com/en/US/products/hw/switches/ps628/products_tech_note09186a0080169696.shtml. Additional information can be found here at http://www.cisco.com/en/US/products/hw/switches/ps628/products_password_recovery09186a0080094184.shtml. You must hold the mode switch until Syst led turns solid green at which point the switch will be at the "switch:" prompt or rmon mode. id="GUI"

How to erase a config on a Cisco 3750? See the Cisco page called Resetting Catalyst Switches to Factory Defaults at http://www.cisco.com/en/US/products/hw/switches/ps607/products_tech_note09186a00800c4546.shtml. Cisco notes that you will need access to the switch console through either a physical console or a Telnet connection and will also need the console/enable passwords. If you have forgotten the console and enable password of the switch, you cannot reset the configuration to factory default to reset the password. In this situation, follow password recovery procedures for your switch.

How to set the time zone on a Cisco 3750? Enter the IP address 10.0.0.1 in the web browser, and press Enter. The Express Setup page appears. You can enter Optional Settings information now or enter it later by using the device manager interface: Enter the date, time, and time zone information in the System Date, System Time, and Time Zone fields. Click Enable to enable daylight saving time.

How would you execute a boot system command on a Cisco 3750? See Cisco™s page entitled Catalyst 3750 Switch Bootloader Commands at http://www.cisco.com/en/US/docs/switches/lan/catalyst3750/software/release/12.2_55_se/commmand/reference/bootldr.html. Specifically, Cisco notes you gain access to the bootloader command line if the switch is set to manually boot up, if an error occurs during power-on self-test (POST) DRAM testing, or if any error occurs while loading the operating system (a corrupted Cisco IOS image). You can also access the bootloader if you have lost or forgotten the switch password.

Also, You can access the bootloader through a switch console connection at 9600 bps. Unplug the switch power cord, and press the switch Mode button while reconnecting the power cord. You can release the Mode button a second or two after the LED above port 1X goes off. You should then see the bootloader Switch: prompt.The bootloader performs low-level CPU initialization, performs POST, and loads a default operating system image into memory.

What are some other common commands for a Cisco 3750? Common Commands for the Cisco Catalyst 3750 Switches: show version : Display the Cisco 3750 Hardware and Software status: show flash : Displays all the files and directories contained within the flash of your 3750 show-mac-address-table : To get the MAC address of external hardware connected to one of the ports on your 3750 switch show interfaces : Provide all relevant information related to your 3750 interfaces ip address : configure the IP address of specific interfaces show running-config : Brings up the status of the RAM show startup config : Displays status of the NVRAM show history : View the last 10 commands performed on your 375 Additional commands for the Cisco 3750: http://www.cisco.com/en/US/docs/switches/lan/catalyst3750/software/release/12.2_55_se/commmand/reference/cli2.html

Cisco 3750 Visio Stencil: See the Cisco Visio Stencils page at http://www.cisco.com/en/US/products/hw/prod_cat_visios.html. You will need Microsoft Vision Standard or Professional in order to view and use these stencils correctly.

Contact Options Contact our Cisco networking team directly at info@vibrant.com or 888-443-8606 with any questions. For more information on new, refurbished or used Cisco 3750 Series Switches - to buy or sell, please contact Cisco sales at info@vibrant.com or call 1.888.443.8606 and ask for our Cisco team.