Cisco Catalyst WS-C3550-48-SMI Full English Product Description
1. Short Sales Title (For Quotation & E-commerce Listing)
Cisco WS-C3550-48-SMI 1RU Rack-Mount Stackable Standard Multilayer Layer 2/Lite Layer 3 Fast Ethernet Switch, 48×10/100BASE-T Access Ports, 2 Hot-Swappable GBIC Gigabit Uplink Slots, SMI Standard Multilayer IOS Image, Fixed Internal AC Power, GigaStack Stacking, Single IP Cluster Management, Hardware CEF Routing, Static IP & RIP Routing, ISL / 802.1Q Dual Trunking, Advanced Per-Port QoS, CGMP Multicast Control, Cross-Stack UplinkFast, External RPS 675 Redundant Power Support, End-of-Sale Legacy High-Density Multilayer Edge Switch for Large Office Floors, K-12 Districts, Big Retail Branches, Mass VoIP & Externally Powered Wi-Fi AP Deployments Without Advanced Routing Requirements
2. Official Product Overview
The Cisco Catalyst WS-C3550-48-SMI belongs to the iconic Catalyst 3550 intelligent multilayer stackable switch family, fully End-of-Sale (EoS). It is a high-density 48-port Fast Ethernet multilayer edge switch built for large-scale enterprise, education and retail access deployments, featuring hardware-accelerated basic Layer 3 IP routing while retaining full enterprise Layer 2 switching capabilities Cisco.
This model has 48 auto-sensing 10/100 Fast Ethernet RJ45 downlink ports for desktop PCs, externally powered Cisco IP phones and standalone wireless APs. Two front universal GBIC uplink slots support hot-swappable 1000BASE-SX/LX/LH/ZX fiber, 1000BASE-T copper, and proprietary GigaStack GBIC modules for low-cost high-speed stacking without consuming uplink bandwidth. Up to nine Catalyst 3550 series switches can be clustered via GigaStack and managed under a single unified IP address through Cisco Cluster Management Suite (CMS).
The suffix SMI (Standard Multilayer Image) is the factory default lightweight multilayer IOS firmware. SMI provides hardware CEF-based inter-VLAN routing, static routing and RIP v1/v2 only; advanced routing protocols (OSPF, EIGRP, BGP), PIM multicast routing and HSRP/VRRP require an EMI upgrade license. The chassis uses a fixed internal single AC power supply with a rear dedicated RPS connector compatible with Cisco RPS 675 external redundant power systems to eliminate single power failure risks for mission-critical edge networks.
Model Suffix Breakdown
-
3550: Catalyst 3550 intelligent multilayer stackable platform with native hardware CEF Layer 3 routing
-
48: Forty-eight fixed 10/100 Fast Ethernet RJ45 downlink ports, no integrated PoE power circuits
-
No PWR suffix: Zero inline PoE power supply
-
SMI: Standard Multilayer IOS Image, limited basic IP routing feature set (static routes + RIP v1/v2 only)
-
Dual GBIC Gigabit uplink slots, dual ISL proprietary + 802.1Q open-standard trunking support
This compact 1U metal rack-mount chassis uses variable-speed front-to-back fan cooling for stable operation in large central wiring closets. Front panel layout: 48 Fast Ethernet RJ45 ports, two GBIC bays and multi-mode status LEDs for port link, speed, duplex, uplink media, stack health and system fault. Rear panel hosts RJ45 RS232 serial console port, AC power inlet and RPS redundant power connector.
All RJ45 ports support auto MDI-X, auto speed/duplex negotiation and full-duplex flow control. GBIC transceivers support hot swap without full switch reboot to minimize maintenance downtime.
Equipped with 64 MB DRAM and 16 MB onboard flash memory, the WS-C3550-48-SMI delivers 12.8 Gbps full-duplex non-blocking switching capacity and 10.8 Mpps wire-speed Layer 2 / Layer 3 forwarding rate for 64-byte frames, full line-rate performance on all downlink and uplink interfaces. It adopts store-and-forward switching architecture to filter corrupted frames and suppress broadcast/multicast flooding across VLAN domains, with jumbo frame support up to 1590 bytes for MPLS and large video traffic transmission.
3. Port & Hardware Specifications
-
48 × 10/100BASE-T RJ45 auto-sensing Fast Ethernet access ports, auto MDI-X, IEEE 802.3x full-duplex flow control, no PoE hardware
-
2 × hot-swappable GBIC Gigabit uplink slots (1000BASE-X), compatible with Cisco GBIC modules: 1000BASE-SX, LX/LH, 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, maximum 9 Catalyst 3550 switches per cluster, single unified IP cluster management, Cross-Stack UplinkFast (CSUF) sub-second convergence
-
Power architecture: Fixed internal AC power supply, input 100–240 VAC autoranging 50/60Hz; typical power draw 92W; max consumption 98W; rear RPS connector compatible with Cisco RPS 675 external redundant power supply
-
Front panel LED indicators: Per-port link/activity, speed, duplex; GBIC media status, stack health, RPS power status, global system fault alarm
-
Mounting options: 19-inch 1RU rack-mount brackets included; desktop rubber anti-slip feet supplied
-
Thermal design: Variable-speed active fan 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) × 44.5 mm (H, 1RU) × 404.6 mm (D)
-
Unit weight: 5.6 kg (12.3 lbs)
-
MAC address table capacity: Up to 8,000 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: 183,000 hours under standard office operating conditions
-
Warranty: Original Cisco Limited Lifetime Hardware Warranty (EoS, only third-party refurbished hardware support available)
4. Layer 2 + SMI Limited Layer 3 IOS Full Feature Set
Core Layer 2 Switching & QoS Core Functions
-
Up to 250 active IEEE 802.1Q tagged VLANs, VTPv2 dynamic VLAN synchronization, MSTP 802.1s multiple spanning tree
-
Dual trunking standards: Cisco proprietary ISL trunking + IEEE 802.1Q open-standard trunking on both Gigabit uplink ports
-
IEEE 802.1p CoS / DSCP multilayer QoS with 4 egress priority queues per port; strict priority scheduling optimized for VoIP voice traffic
-
Gigabit EtherChannel link aggregation, up to 8-port bundled trunking for fault tolerance and aggregated backbone bandwidth
-
IEEE 802.1D STP + Rapid STP (802.1w), UplinkFast, BackboneFast, BPDU guard, root guard to eliminate Layer 2 switching loops
-
Cross-Stack UplinkFast (CSUF) for sub-second convergence across stacked switch topologies
-
Port security: Static MAC binding, sticky dynamic MAC learning, port shutdown violation mode
-
Per-port broadcast/multicast/unicast storm control to mitigate Layer 2 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 automatic Cisco IP Phone traffic priority marking
-
GigaStack stacking management: Single IP cluster administration for up to 9 stacked switches
-
Cisco EnergyWise power management (non-PoE limited feature set)
-
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 CMS Cluster Management Suite for zero-touch initial deployment
-
Full IPv6 dual-stack Layer 2 switching: IPv6 Snooping, IPv6 ACLs, IPv6 QoS marking, IPv6 neighbor discovery
Exclusive SMI Standard Multilayer Layer 3 Routing Features (Hardware CEF Accelerated)
-
Hardware accelerated IPv4 inter-VLAN routing via SVI (Switched Virtual Interface)
-
Static routing, default route support for campus/branch core uplink forwarding
-
Interior gateway protocol: RIP v1/v2 only (OSPF, EIGRP, BGP, PIM multicast require EMI upgrade)
-
Basic Layer 3 ingress access control lists for routed traffic filtering
-
Equal-cost multi-path (ECMP) static route load balancing
-
No HSRP/VRRP or multicast routing support in SMI image
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)
-
Combined 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 access ports
-
Ingress port bandwidth rate limiting, traffic policing and shaping for switched traffic
-
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 & CMS Cluster Manager for port, VLAN, QoS and stacking configuration panel
-
SNMP v1/v2c/v3: Encrypted/unencrypted enterprise monitoring compatible with Cisco Prime, DNA Center and 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 access 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 ports 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
-
Large enterprise stacked high-density Layer 3 edge switch: 48 Fast Ethernet ports connect employee workstations, office printers and externally powered Cisco IP phones; dual GBIC Gigabit uplinks support fiber or copper trunk connections to building core aggregation switches. GigaStack stacking unifies multiple 3550 switches under one IP address to simplify IT administration, and SMI basic Layer 3 routing eliminates low-cost small router hardware for simple inter-VLAN office segmentation. RPS redundant power eliminates single power failure risks for large multi-floor office zones.
-
K-12 multi-building campus converged network: High 48-port density for student desktops and classroom IP phones; dual GBIC Gigabit uplinks provide redundant trunk links to campus backbone for multimedia teaching traffic. Non-PoE design fits wiring closets away from classroom equipment, MSTP and storm control prevent broadcast loop outages across multi-building VLAN domains.
-
Large regional branch wiring closet main switch: Cost-effective non-PoE hardware eliminates unnecessary PoE power overhead, dual-media GBIC uplinks offer flexible long-distance fiber trunking to corporate headquarters. SMI limited routing feature set satisfies flat multi-VLAN branch network demands without extra EMI license cost.
-
Multi-location retail headquarters aggregation: Mass 48-port Fast Ethernet capacity for POS terminals and administrative desktops; dual Gigabit uplinks deliver trunk failover resilience to retail central data center, fixed single internal power supply suits low-priority non-critical retail network segments.
-
Legacy enterprise flat Layer 2 network refresh: Direct drop-in replacement for aging Catalyst 3500 XL pure Layer 2 switches, fully compatible with existing ISL trunking legacy core infrastructure, supporting gradual migration to modern Catalyst 9000 series hardware while adding basic inter-VLAN routing capability.
8. Standard Package Contents
1 × Cisco Catalyst WS-C3550-48-SMI Stackable Non-PoE Fast Ethernet Switch (SMI Standard Multilayer 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 SMI configuration documentation
*GBIC fiber/copper transceivers, GigaStack stacking GBIC modules, external RPS redundant power supply sold separately as optional accessories; stacking modules not included by default
Short Commercial Version (For Quotation & Product Catalog)
The Cisco Catalyst WS-C3550-48-SMI is a legacy 1RU rack-mount variable-fan stackable Layer 2 / Lite Layer 3 managed high-density Fast Ethernet edge switch from the Cisco Catalyst 3550 Series, factory preloaded with SMI Standard Multilayer IOS firmware supporting static & RIP inter-VLAN routing, equipped with 48×10/100BASE-T non-PoE auto-sensing RJ45 copper access ports plus two hot-swappable GBIC Gigabit uplink expansion slots supporting fiber, copper and GigaStack stacking transceivers, GigaStack multi-switch cluster management and external RPS redundant power supply compatibility. It delivers 12.8 Gbps non-blocking switching capacity, 8K 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, cross-stack RSPAN remote mirroring and full IPv6 dual-stack Layer 2 switching. High-density stackable dual-media Gigabit uplink basic multilayer Fast Ethernet edge switch for large office zones, multi-floor education campus and large regional branch flat multi-VLAN hybrid fiber/copper LAN deployments, End-of-Sale legacy Cisco switching hardware with third-party refurbished warranty support only.
|