Cisco Catalyst

While commonly associated with Ethernet switches, a number of different types of network interfaces have been available throughout the history of the brand.

Cisco IOS is a package of routing, switching, internetworking and telecommunications functions integrated into a multitasking operating system.

[citation needed] Legacy models supported a variety of interfaces, such as Token Ring, FDDI, Asynchronous Transfer Mode and 100BaseVG, but are no longer sold by Cisco Systems.

All models have basic layer 2 functions and are capable of switching Ethernet frames between ports.

Many Catalyst switches that run IOS or IOS XE are also capable of functioning as a router, making them layer 3 devices; when coupled with TCP and UDP filtering, these switches are capable of layer 2-4 operation.

Mirroring most Cisco router designs, these work by separating the line cards, chassis, and supervisor engine.

Simple Network Management Protocol (SNMP) allows monitoring of many states, and measurement of traffic flows.

Complex configurations are best created using a text editor (using a site standard template), putting the file on the TFTP server and copying it to the Cisco device.

This allows for more efficient management and typically provides more bandwidth between individual switches than other uplink technology.

The stack will configure the new switch on-the-fly to accommodate minimal downtime and reduce maintenance effort and errors.

Catalyst 9000 switches also include software subscription license indicators (e.g. C9200-48T-P, E for Essentials, A for Advantage and P for Premier) Cisco modular switches offer a configurable selection of chassis, power supplies, line cards and supervisor modules.