Tips on Identifying Fixed Switch Models and Versions [All About Switches 04]

I introduced the full series of fixed switches in the last thread. There are so many models in so many series. Do you get a headache distinguishing one switch from another or picking the one you need? Don't worry. You will get all your questions answered in this thread.

Question 1: Do you know how to choose a model among fixed switches? Which are Layer 2 switches? Which are Layer 3 switches?

All the S1700s are Layer 2 switches.

All the S2700s are Layer 2 100M switches.

All the S3700s are Layer 3 100M switches.

The S5700-LI, S5700S-LI, and S5710-LI series of the S5700s are Layer 2 GE switches (switches with "LI" in the name are Layer 2 switches), and other S5700 models are Layer 3 GE switches.

The S6700-SI series switches are Layer 2 10GE switches, and other S6700 models are Layer 3 10GE switches.

Question 2: Do you know the function of cards? Which models support cards and how to identify them?

When the fixed interfaces on the switches cannot meet the needs of users, cards of a specified type can be used. Cards are usually optional, providing more functions and applications, such as high-speed uplink interfaces and stack cards.

Series	Support for Cards
S1700	Not supported
S2700	Not supported
S3700	Only supported by the HI series
S5700	Supported by the S5700-SI, S5730-SI, S5700-EI, S5710-EI, S5720-C-EI, S5730S-EI, S5700-HI, S5710-HI, S5720-HI, and S5730-HI
S6700	Supported by the S6720-C-SI and S6720-EI

Here's a method to quickly determine whether a switch supports cards: check whether its name contains a C. For example, the S5700-28C-EI supports cards.

There are several exceptions: The S5700-24TP and S5700-48TP of the S5700-SI series do not support service cards but they support stack cards, although there is no "C" in their names.

Question 3: Do you know which models support PoE power supply? How many interfaces at most do they support?

Switches with PWR in the name support PoE+ power supply, such as the S5710-52C-PWR-EI. Switches with PWH in the name support PoE+/PoE++ power supply, for example, S5720-28X-PWH-LI-AC.

PoE switches provide power for powered devices (PDs) over Ethernet electrical interfaces. All the PoE switches comply with IEEE 802.3af and 802.3at, and some models support 802.3bt. IEEE 802.3af supports a maximum of 15.4 W power and the IEEE 802.3at supports a maximum of 30 W power. 802.3bt supports a maximum of 60 W per interface. The PDs connected to a switch determine which standard the switch should comply with, and the switch is auto-sensing.

The number of interfaces that can provide PoE power supply on a switch depends on the power module used, the corresponding standard, and the switch's own limitations. Here, I'm providing the maximum number of interfaces that each series can support theoretically. See the Hardware Description of the corresponding product for details.

Series	Maximum Number of PoE Interfaces (IEEE 802.3af)	Maximum Number of PoE Interfaces (IEEE 802.3at)	Maximum Number of PoE Interfaces (IEEE 802.3bt)
S1700	8/24	4/12	Not supported
S2700	8/16/24/48	4/8/12/24	Not supported
S3700	8/16/24/48	4/8/12/24	Not supported
S5700	8/12/16/24/48	4/6/8/12/24/26/48	2/3/4/6/24
S6700	24/48	24/48	24

If you want to know more about the switch product names, see the naming conventions of switches at the following website: http://support.huawei.com/ecommunity/bbs/10144227.html?p=1#p10176347

Question 4: Do you know the software versions of switches? What is the mapping between software versions and switch models?

You can use the hardware query tool to obtain information such as the minimum version that supports cards and cards supported by different versions. Let's see how to use this tool.

Click http://support.huawei.com/onlinetoolsweb/einfofinder/Hardware?module=1&lang=ento access the tool page.

Parts Query

You can manually enter or select a product series. The supported versions and device models are automatically displayed, as shown in the following figure.

You can further query information according to the filtering condition listed below. For example, to query the cards supported by the S12704, click S12704 and Card, and then click Search. The displayed results are the cards supported by S12704.

Click the part number of a card. The detailed information page of the card is displayed. For example, click 03030RPE. The following page is displayed.

Compatibility Query

You can enter the part number, external model, or silkscreen to query a specific component. For example, to query the ES5D21X04S01, you can enter ES5D21X04S01 in the Keywordtext box. The information about the ES5D21X04S01 is displayed, including the device models that support this card.