Cisco Catalyst WS-C3508G-XL Full English Product Description

1. Short Sales Title (For Quotation & E-commerce Listing)

Cisco WS-C3508G-XL 1RU Rack-Mount Stackable Gigabit Aggregation Layer 2 Managed Switch, 8 Hot-Swappable GBIC Gigabit Slots, Cisco IOS Enterprise Edition, GigaStack Stacking, Switch Clustering, ISL / 802.1Q Trunking, CGMP Multicast Control, QoS, Broadcast Storm Control, RPS Redundant Power Support, End-of-Sale Legacy Aggregation Switch for Small/Medium Campus Collapsed Backbone, Server Farm Aggregation, Stack Access Switch Uplink Aggregation

2. Official Product Overview

The Cisco Catalyst WS-C3508G-XL belongs to the legacy Catalyst 3500 XL stackable switch family, designed exclusively as a Gigabit aggregation backbone switch for small-to-medium enterprise campus networks, server farm aggregation, and central uplink consolidation for stacks of Catalyst 3500 XL / 2900 XL access switchesCisco. Released in 1999 and long End-of-Sale (EoS), it provides 8 universal GBIC-based Gigabit ports to deliver flexible fiber, copper, or stacking interconnect options without fixed desktop Fast Ethernet ports, distinguishing it from port-dense 3512/3524/3548-XL access models.

All 8 ports accept hot-swappable Cisco GBIC transceivers including 1000BASE-SX, LX/LH, ZX, 1000BASE-T copper, and proprietary GigaStack GBIC modules for low-cost switch stacking. The GigaStack GBIC creates an independent high-speed stack bus that avoids consuming user-facing access ports; up to nine 3500 XL switches can be clustered and managed via a single IP address using Cisco Switch Clustering technology.

The platform runs Cisco IOS Enterprise Edition firmware, delivering full Layer 2 enterprise features: multi-VLAN trunking (ISL + 802.1Q), multilayer QoS, CGMP multicast suppression, security filtering, and comprehensive SNMP management. It uses a fixed internal power supply with a dedicated rear connector for external Cisco RPS 2300 redundant power backup to eliminate single power failure points for critical backbone deployments.

Model Suffix Breakdown

3508G-XL: Catalyst 3500 XL series; 8 = eight Gigabit ports; G = all ports are Gigabit-only GBIC slots; XL = extended feature stackable hardware platform
No PoE suffix: Zero integrated PoE power circuits, intended for backbone aggregation only
Default SKU suffix -EN = Enterprise IOS feature set (standard factory load)

This compact 1U metal rack-mount chassis uses a variable-speed cooling fan for stable thermal operation in central wiring closets. The rear panel features a RJ45 RS232 console port, RPS power connector, AC power inlet, while the front panel includes eight GBIC bays and multi-mode status LEDs for each port, system health, and redundant power status.

Equipped with 32 MB DRAM and 16 MB flash memory, the WS-C3508G-XL delivers 10.8 Gbps full-duplex non-blocking switching capacity and 8.19 Mpps wire-speed forwarding rate for 64-byte frames. It adopts store-and-forward switching architecture to isolate corrupted frames and suppress broadcast/multicast/unicast flooding across VLAN domains, with jumbo frame support up to 9000 bytes for large server and storage traffic.

3. Port & Hardware Specifications

8 × Hot-swappable GBIC Gigabit Ethernet slots (1000BASE-X), compatible with Cisco GBIC modules:

1000BASE-SX, 1000BASE-LX/LH, 1000BASE-ZX, 1000BASE-T copper, GigaStack stacking GBIC
Local Out-of-Band Console: 1×RJ45 RS232 serial console port; no Mini-USB / front USB storage port
Stacking: GigaStack GBIC stacking, up to 9 Catalyst 3500 XL switches per cluster, single IP cluster management
Power architecture: Fixed internal AC power supply, max power consumption 70W; input 100–240 VAC autoranging 50/60Hz; rear RPS connector for external Cisco RPS 2300 redundant power backup
Front panel LED indicators: Per-port link/activity, duplex, speed; global system status, RPS power status fault alarm
Mounting options: 19-inch 1RU rack-mount brackets included; desktop rubber feet supplied
Thermal design: Variable-speed fan active cooling
Environmental operating range: 0°C to 45°C (32°F–113°F); storage -25°C to 70°C; relative humidity 10–85% non-condensing
Safety & EMI certifications: CE, FCC Class A, UL listed, VCCI Class A, RoHS compliant
Physical dimensions: 445 mm (W) × 44 mm (H, 1RU) × 330 mm (D)
Unit weight: 1.36 kg (3 lbs)
MAC address table capacity: Up to 8,192 unicast MAC entries
Maximum active VLANs: 250 active IEEE 802.1Q tagged VLANs, full VLAN ID range 1–4094
Multicast Groups: 256 CGMP snooping groups
MTBF: 150,000 hours under standard operating conditions
Warranty: Original Cisco Limited Lifetime Hardware Warranty (EoS, only third-party refurbished support available)

4. Layer 2 Switching & Enterprise IOS Full Feature Set

Core Layer 2 Switching & QoS Functions

Up to 250 active IEEE 802.1Q tagged VLANs, VTPv2 dynamic VLAN synchronization, MSTP 802.1s multiple spanning tree
Dual trunking standards: Cisco ISL proprietary trunking + IEEE 802.1Q open-standard trunking on all Gigabit ports
IEEE 802.1p CoS / DSCP multilayer QoS with 2 priority queues per port; strict priority scheduling optimized for voice and video traffic
Gigabit EtherChannel link aggregation, up to 4-port bundled trunking for fault tolerance and aggregated backbone bandwidth
IEEE 802.1D STP + Rapid STP (802.1w), BPDU guard, root guard to eliminate Layer 2 switching loops
Port security: Static MAC binding, sticky dynamic MAC learning, port shutdown violation mode
Per-port broadcast/multicast/unicast storm control to mitigate flooding DoS attacks
Local SPAN port mirroring + cross-stack RSPAN remote span for multi-switch traffic capture and troubleshooting
Cisco CGMP (Cisco Group Management Protocol) to suppress unnecessary multicast flooding to access ports
Voice VLAN, Auto QoS for Cisco IP Phone traffic priority marking
GigaStack stacking management: Single IP cluster administration for up to 9 stacked switches
Cisco EnergyWise power management (limited feature set for non-PoE aggregation model)
RMON Groups 1,2,3,9 real-time traffic statistics monitoring
NTP time synchronization for consistent system log timestamps
CDP Cisco Discovery Protocol for end-to-end network device visibility
Web-based embedded Device Manager & Cisco Network Assistant for simplified deployment
Full IPv6 dual-stack Layer 2 switching: IPv6 Snooping, IPv6 ACLs, IPv6 QoS marking, IPv6 neighbor discovery

Exclusive Enterprise IOS Feature Advantages Over Standard LAN Lite Images

Dual ISL + 802.1Q trunking support (base LAN Lite only supports 802.1Q)
Complete RSPAN remote port mirroring across stacked switches
Expanded Layer 2 security ACL entry capacity for large aggregation traffic filtering
Full switch clustering automation for multi-stack unified management
Enhanced diagnostic and fault isolation utilities for backbone troubleshooting

Enterprise Advanced Security Features

IEEE 802.1X port-based NAC authentication with RADIUS/TACACS+ AAA remote access control
SSHv2 encrypted remote CLI management; SNMPv3 secure encrypted monitoring (unencrypted Telnet/SNMPv1/v2c available as fallback)
Layer 2 ingress access control lists (ACLs) for IPv4 and IPv6 granular inbound traffic filtering
Time-based ACL traffic policies for scheduled network access restrictions
Private VLAN edge for isolated host segmentation on shared backbone ports
Ingress port bandwidth rate limiting, traffic policing and shaping
DHCP Snooping + Dynamic ARP Inspection (DAI) + IP Source Guard to mitigate IP/MAC address spoofing attacks
Encrypted local user passwords and encrypted startup-config file storage

5. Full Management Interfaces

Local Out-of-Band: RJ45 RS232 serial console port for direct CLI access without live network connectivity
Secure Remote CLI: SSHv2 encrypted command-line access; fallback password-authenticated Telnet
Embedded Web GUI: Lightweight browser-based Cisco Device Manager for port, VLAN, QoS and stacking configuration panel
SNMP v1/v2c/v3: Encrypted/unencrypted enterprise monitoring compatible with Cisco Prime, third-party NMS platforms
Local Storage: 16 MB onboard flash memory to store IOS operating image, startup-config and running-config files (encrypted config storage; no external USB backup port)

6. Integrated Enhanced Security Suite

Multi-level privilege CLI access with encrypted local user password storage
IEEE 802.1X port authentication to validate end-user devices before granting LAN access
Port security to restrict unauthorized end-device MAC addresses per access port
STP BPDU guard and root guard to block rogue unmanaged switches from corrupting Layer 2 topology
Broadcast storm control to suppress flooding-based denial-of-service threats
Private VLAN edge to isolate connected endpoints from each other on shared backbone ports
DHCP Snooping + DAI ARP inspection + IP Source Guard to eliminate address spoofing attacks
SSHv2 and SNMPv3 encryption to secure remote switch management traffic over the LAN
Manual permanent shutdown of unused GBIC slots to reduce unauthorized network attack vectors
Dedicated management VLAN isolation to segregate switch control plane traffic from end-user data
No PoE hardware, so no PoE overload protection logic required

7. Typical Deployment Scenarios

Small/Medium Campus Collapsed Backbone Aggregator: 8 GBIC Gigabit ports aggregate uplinks from multiple Catalyst 3500 XL access switch stacks via fiber SX/LX transceivers; single IP cluster management unifies all edge and backbone switches for simplified IT administration. RPS redundant power eliminates single power failure risk for core campus traffic.
Server Farm Aggregation Switch: All eight Gigabit ports connect directly to file servers, database servers and storage arrays using 1000BASE-T copper GBICs; EtherChannel trunking bundles multiple server links for high-bandwidth fault-tolerant data center connectivity.
Stacked Access Switch Uplink Concentrator: Deployed in central wiring closets to consolidate uplinks from multiple building access switch stacks via GigaStack GBIC stacking modules, reducing core router port consumption and simplifying Layer 2 VLAN segmentation across building floors.
Legacy Network Refresh Secondary Backbone: Used as low-cost secondary aggregation hardware for aging Cisco 3500 XL access networks, supporting existing ISL trunking deployments during gradual migration to modern Catalyst 9000 series hardware.

8. Standard Package Contents

1 × Cisco Catalyst WS-C3508G-XL Stackable Gigabit Aggregation Switch (Enterprise IOS Image Preinstalled, fixed internal AC power supply pre-installed)

1 × AC power cord

1 × RJ45-to-RS232 console rollover cable

1 × 19-inch rack mounting bracket kit

Rubber desktop stand feet

Hardware installation guide & Cisco IOS Enterprise configuration documentation

*GBIC fiber/copper transceivers, GigaStack stacking GBIC modules, external RPS redundant power supply sold separately as optional accessories

Short Commercial Version (For Quotation & Product Catalog)

The Cisco Catalyst WS-C3508G-XL is a legacy 1RU rack-mount stackable Layer 2 managed pure-Gigabit aggregation backbone switch from the Cisco Catalyst 3500 XL Series, factory preloaded with Enterprise IOS firmware supporting dual ISL/802.1Q trunking, equipped with 8 hot-swappable GBIC Gigabit slots compatible with fiber, copper and GigaStack stacking transceivers, GigaStack multi-switch stacking, single IP cluster management and external RPS redundant power supply support. It delivers 10.8 Gbps non-blocking switching capacity, 8192 MAC address table, 250 active VLANs, multilayer DSCP QoS, CGMP multicast control, Rapid STP and port security, with full enterprise-grade security tools including 802.1X NAC authentication, SSHv2, DHCP anti-spoofing protection, RSPAN remote mirroring and full IPv6 dual-stack Layer 2 switching. Low-density flexible GBIC Gigabit aggregation stackable switch for small/medium campus collapsed backbone, server farm and legacy stack access uplink consolidation, EoS legacy Cisco enterprise switching hardware with third-party refurbished warranty support only.


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