Cisco Catalyst Express 520 Reference manual

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CHAPTER
1
Introduction
Read this chapter to familiarize yourself with the features, benefits, and
capabilities of the Catalyst Express 520 switches.
Chapter Topics
•Overview, page 1-2
•Hardware Features, page 1-6
•Software Features, page 1-10
•Box Contents, page 1-14
•Supported Hardware, page 1-14
•Hardware Requirements, page 1-15
•Software Requirements, page 1-15

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Chapter 1 Introduction
Overview
Overview
The Catalyst Express 520 switches provide network services that can support the
data, voice, and mobile network demands of small and medium-sized businesses.
The services ensure transmission quality and reliability for data and voice traffic.
They also provide security to protect against network attacks.
The Catalyst Express 520 switches are designed to be
•Smart—Each switch port is applied with a specific Cisco-recommended
configuration (referred to as a Smartports port role) to optimize the switch
connections and to ensure security, transmission quality, and reliability for
traffic from the switch ports.
•Simple—Setup of the switch can be through a connection to an existing
network with a Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol (DHCP) server, such as
a Cisco Unified Communications 500 Series, or through the Express Setup
feature of the switch device manager GUI.
•Secure—The switch supports three levels of business-optimized network
security. Traffic between the switch and the network management
applications is also encrypted through the Secure Sockets Layer (SSL)
protocol.
You can simply install the switch and allow it to operate without any further
management intervention. Use device and network management tools to take
advantage of the software features and to optimize your use of the switch. With
these tools, you can quickly and easily set up, customize, monitor, and
troubleshoot the switch.
Table 1-1 describes the Catalyst Express 520 switches, and Figure 1-1 and
Figure 1-2 show the switches in network examples.

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Overview
Table 1-1 Catalyst Express 520 Switches
Catalyst Express 520-8PC-K9
This switch provides Power over Ethernet (PoE) to Cisco IP phones and wireless access points. Because
of its compact size, it can be deployed outside the traditional wiring-closet environment, such as in
office workspaces and classrooms. It has
•8 10/100 PoE ports for desktop, printer, IP phone, server, and wireless access-point connectivity
•1 dual-purpose port (one 10/100/1000BASE-T copper port and one small form-factor pluggable
[SFP] module slot) for switch, router, or server connectivity
Catalyst Express 520-24TT-K9
This switch provides standard connections to network users. It has
•24 10/100 (Fast Ethernet) ports for desktop and printer connectivity
•2 10/100/1000 (Gigabit Ethernet) ports for switch, router, or server connectivity
Catalyst Express 520-24LC-K9
This switch provides standard connections to network users and provides connections to PoE devices.
It has
•20 10/100 ports for desktop and printer connectivity
•4 10/100 PoE ports for IP phone and wireless access point connectivity
•2 dual-purpose ports for switch, router, or server connectivity
Catalyst Express 520-24PC-K9
This switch provides standard connections to network users and provides connections to PoE devices.
It has
•24 10/100 PoE ports for desktop, printer, IP phone, and wireless access point connectivity
•2 dual-purpose ports for switch, router, or server connectivity
Catalyst Express 520G-24TC-K9
This switch provides high-speed connections to servers and switches. It has
•24 10/100/1000 ports for high-speed, desktop connectivity
•2 dual-purpose ports for server aggregation or for switch, router, or server connectivity

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Overview
Cisco Smart Business Communications System Network Example
The Catalyst Express 520 switches are the recommended companion switches to
the Cisco Unified Communications 500 Series. These devices are part of the Cisco
Smart Business Communications System solution (Figure 1-1).
The Cisco Smart Business Communications System is a unified communications
solution for small businesses that provides voice, data, video, security, and
wireless capabilities while integrating with existing desktop applications such as
calendar, e-mail, and Customer Relationship Management (CRM).
Figure 1-1 Cisco Smart Business Communications System Solution
Catalyst Express Switch Network Example
Figure 1-2 is an example of how to use the different Catalyst Express switches to
enable communication between network users and to provide them access to
network resources.
Any of the Catalyst Express 520 switches can be Switches A, B, C, and D in this
network. To take full advantage of the different models of the Catalyst
Express 520 switch platform, use the one that is designed for the type of
connections that you require.
•Switches A and B: Use the Catalyst Express 520G-24TC-K9 model. It has
the most Gigabit Ethernet ports, and it is best suited to providing 1000-Mb/s
connections between switches and to servers. Multiple connections between
the switches ensure that users maintain network access if any of the switches
becomes overused or unavailable.
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Overview
•Switches C and D: Use the Catalyst Express 520-24TT-K9 or the Catalyst
Express 520G-24TC-K9 model to provide high-speed (up to 100 Mb/s and
1000 Mb/s, respectively) connections to network users.
You can also use the Catalyst Express 520-24LC-K9 or the Catalyst
Express 520-24PC-K9 model to connect Cisco prestandard and IEEE
802.3af-compliant powered devices, such as IP phones and access points, to
your network. PoE connections from these switches can provide both network
access and power for up to 4 or up to 24 PoE devices, respectively.
If the switch detects that there is no power on the circuit, the PoE ports
provide up to 15.4 W of power to attached PoE devices. You can place PoE
devices where power outlets are not available or are not convenient and thus
avoid cabling costs.
You can manage the network onsite or remotely through the Cisco Configuration
Assistant network management application. Through Cisco Configuration
Assistant, you can also optimize the switches. For example, you can configure
VLANs that give priority to voice traffic over regular data traffic from the desktop
devices attached to the IP phones. Other VLANs can provide different types of
network users—wired employees, wireless (or mobile) employees, and wired and
wireless company visitors—with different access levels to the company network.
Figure 1-2 Catalyst Express Switch Network Example

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Hardware Features
Hardware Features
Figure 1-3 and the list that follows describe the switch hardware features and the
benefits that they provide. For hardware installation information, see Chapter 3,
“Installing the Switch.”
Figure 1-3 Hardware Features
1 AC power
connector
The internal power supply is an autoranging unit that supports input voltages
between 100 and 240 VAC. Use the supplied AC power cord to connect the AC
power connector to an AC power outlet.
2RPS
connector
Depending on the Catalyst Express 520 model, a Cisco RPS 675 can be
connected to the switch. The RPS is a redundant power system that automatically
senses when the internal power supply of a connected device fails and provides
power to prevent the loss of network traffic. For complete information about the
RPS, see the Cisco RPS 675 Redundant Power System Hardware Installation
Guide on Cisco.com.
Warning Attach only the Cisco RPS (model PWR675-AC-RPS-N1=) to the RPS
receptacle. Statement 100C
3 Security slot The security slots are on the left and right side panels. You can install an optional
cable lock, such as the type that is used to secure a laptop computer, to secure
either or both sides of the switch.
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4 SYSTEM LED The SYSTEM LED shows the status of the switch (system).
Solid green Switch is healthy.
Blinking green Switch is running power-on self-test (POST). POST is a series
of tests that runs automatically to ensure that the switch
functions properly. It might take several minutes for the switch
to complete POST.
Solid amber Switch is faulty, is rebooting, or is in recovery.
5ALERTLED The ALERT LED shows the presence of a switch problem.
When the switch detects a problem on one or more ports, the Alert LED turns
amber. The Alert LED stays amber until the Alert Log is cleared. For more
information about the Alert LED and Alert Log, see Table 6-1 and the “Review
the Alert Log” section on page 6-8.
Off (dark) No switch problem is detected.
Solid amber A switch problem is detected.
6 PoE LED The PoE LED shows the status of PoE being provided to the ports.
This LED is available on switches that have PoE ports.
Off (dark) PoE to the ports is off.
Solid green One or more ports is receiving PoE.
Blinking amber One or more ports is not receiving PoE because of a fault.
7RPSLED The RPS LED shows the status of a connected redundant power system (RPS).
This LED is available on switches that have an RPS connector.
Off (dark) RPS is off or is not properly connected.
Solid green RPS is connected and is ready to provide back-up power.
Blinking green RPS is connected but is unavailable because it is providing
power to another device.
Solid amber RPS is in standby mode or is in a fault condition.
Blinking amber Switch internal power supply has failed, and the RPS is
providing power to the switch.

Chapter 1 Introduction
Hardware Features
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8ADMINLEDThe ADMIN LED shows the management mode in which the switch is operating.
Off (dark) Switch is configured with an IP address.
Blinking green Switch is in the initial setup mode, or the switch is in direct
managed mode. For information about this mode, see the
“Device Manager Is Not Accessible Through the Network”
section on page 7-4.
9 ADMIN button The ADMIN button is used to manage the switch through a direct connection to
your PC or laptop and is used to start the recovery on the switch.
10 Uplink ports Depending on the Catalyst Express 520 model, the uplink ports can be
dual-purpose ports or 10/100/1000 ports. For information about 10/100/1000
ports, see Downlink ports.
The dual-purpose port can be used as either a 10/100/1000 port or as an SFP
module port. However, both cannot be active at the same time. If both ports are
connected, the SFP module port has priority. You cannot change this priority
setting.
The SFP module slot supports Gigabit Ethernet SFP modules to establish
fiber-optic and 1000BASE-T uplink connections. It supports the modules listed
in the “Supported Hardware” section on page 1-14.
11 Downlink
ports
Depending on the Catalyst Express 520 model, the downlink ports can be 10/100
PoE ports, 10/100 ports, or 10/100/1000 ports.
You can set these ports for speed and duplex autonegotiation, in compliance with
IEEE 802.3ab, to optimize port bandwidth.
If the connected device also supports autonegotiation, the switch port negotiates
the best connection (the fastest line speed that both devices support and
full-duplex transmission if the attached device supports it) and configures itself
accordingly. The default setting is autonegotiate.
The ports also have the automatic-medium-dependent interface crossover
(auto-MDIX) capability to automatically detect the required cable connection
type (straight-through or crossover) and to configure the connection
appropriately.

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The PoE ports provide up to 15.4 W of power to connected Cisco prestandard
and IEEE 802.3af-compliant powered devices if the switch detects that there is
no power on the circuit. On a per-port basis, through the Cisco Configuration
Assistant, you can control whether the PoE port automatically provides power
when a powered device is connected. By default, the setting is Auto.
Note On the Catalyst Express 520-24LC-K9 switch, ports 1 to 4 are PoE ports.
Use the Cisco Configuration Assistant to change the port settings.
12 Port LEDs The port LEDs show port status, port duplex mode, port speed, and PoE status.
By default, the port LEDs show port status.
Use the Cisco Configuration Assistant to change and to monitor the port settings.
Note To display the port duplex mode, the port speed, and the PoE status from
the port LEDs, you must use the View list from the device manager. See
Table 6-2 and the device manager online help for information about the
View list.
Port Status Off (dark) No link.
Solid green Link is up, but there is no activity on the link.
Blinking green Link has activity.
During direct managed mode, the port with the blinking green
LED is the selected management port to which to connect your
PC or laptop.
Blinking green
and amber
Link is faulty.
Blinking amber Port has a Smartports configuration mismatch.
Solid amber Port is faulty or is disabled due to an error condition.

Chapter 1 Introduction
Software Features
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Software Features
The switch software features are accessible from these management interfaces:
•Device Manager, page 1-10
•Cisco Configuration Assistant, page 1-13
A subset of the basic software features are accessible through the device manager.
All software features are accessible through the Cisco Configuration Assistant.
Device Manager
The device manager is a graphical device management tool for basic setup,
monitoring, and troubleshooting of individual switches.
The device manager displays real-time views of switch configuration and
performance. It simplifies configuration tasks with features such as Express Setup
for quickly setting up the switch. It uses graphical, color-coded displays, such as
the Front Panel view, graphs, and animated indicators to simplify monitoring
tasks. It provides alert tools to help you to identify and to solve networking
problems.
You can display the device manager (Figure 1-4) from anywhere in your network
through a web browser such as Microsoft Internet Explorer. For information on
how to display the device manager, see Chapter 2, “Setting Up the Switch.”
Table 1-2 lists the software features accessible through the device manager.
Complete details about the device manager and the procedures for using the
device manager windows are available from the device manager online help.

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Figure 1-4 Device Manager Interface

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Table 1-2 Software Features Accessible through the Device Manager
Express Setup
•Initial setup requires only IP information for the first-time switch configuration.
•Quick IP address updates if you move the switch to a different network.
•Date and time settings automatically synchronized between the switch and your PC or laptop.
•Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol (DHCP) automatically assigns the switch an IP address, a
default gateway, and a subnet mask from a DHCP server.
Monitoring
•ALERT LED notifies that one or more problems were detected on the switch.
•Alert Log lists all problems detected on the switch, including a timestamp of the most recent
detection of each problem.
•Graphical Front Panel view of the switch LEDs and a Dashboard, which displays gauges and
graphs that show the switch and the port status, the port utilization, and the port error percentages.
Depending on the switch, the Dashboard displays an animated indicator that shows the switch
temperature or the internal fan status.
•Port status and statistics tables and graphs display port operating status and the statistics for data
being received and sent on each port.
•Smartport status display the port roles assigned to the switch ports.
Security
•Secure Socket Layer (SSL) protocol authenticates and encrypts communications to the switch
device manager GUI.

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Software Features
Cisco Configuration Assistant
Compared to the switch device manager, the Cisco Configuration Assistant offers
an enhanced set of features for configuring, monitoring, and troubleshooting the
devices in your network.
The Cisco Configuration Assistant discovers all devices in the network and can
configure all supported routers, switches, and wireless access points and
controllers as well as Cisco Unified Communications call-routing and voice-mail
systems. After the network is deployed, you also can use Cisco Configuration
Assistant to generate status reports, to synchronize passwords, and to upgrade
software across all of your Cisco network devices.
Some general Cisco Configuration Assistant features include:
•Centralized, common services—such as software upgrades, configuration
management, inventory reports, network events, alerts, and password and
configuration synchronization—for Cisco switches, routers, access points,
and voice appliances in the network
•Centralized network monitoring using two views of all connected devices in
the network: a physical view (Front Panel image) and a logical view (network
Topology image) of different network devices
•Drag-and-drop software upgrade for multiple devices, including backup and
restoration of device configuration files
•Security configuration for all the Cisco access points in the network
•Authenticated and encrypted communications between the Cisco
Configuration Assistant client and each connected network device
•Simplified troubleshooting through an Events Notification Advisor (which
identifies problems and suggests resolutions related to misconfiguration such
as Smartports or duplex-mode mismatch) and through a Link Diagnostic
Report (which identifies problems and suggests resolutions related to
connectivity such as port-speed mismatch and faulty cabling)
The Cisco Configuration Assistant is available in a number of languages.
You can download the Cisco Configuration Assistant to your PC or laptop from
this Cisco.com site:
http://www.cisco.com/go/configassist
Complete details about the Cisco Configuration Assistant features and the
procedures for using the application are available from the Cisco Configuration
Assistant documentation and the online help.

Chapter 1 Introduction
Box Contents
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Box Contents
Verify that you have received the items shown here. If any item is missing or
damaged, contact your Cisco representative or reseller for instructions.
The model shown is a Catalyst Express 520-24PC-K9 switch. Your switch might
look slightly different.
The Catalyst Express 520-8PC-K9 switch does not ship with a rack-mount
bracket kit. You can order the kit (part number RCKMNT-19-CMPCT=) from
Cisco.
Supported Hardware
The Catalyst Express 520-24PC-K9 switch supports the Cisco RPS 675
(model PWR675-AC-RPS-N1=).
The switch supports Gigabit Ethernet SFP modules for fiber-optic and
1000BASE-T connections. You can use the SFP modules for Gigabit uplink
connections to other switches or routers. SFP modules are field-replaceable.
The switch support these Cisco SFP modules:
•100BASE-BX-10D
•100BASE-BX-10U
•100BASE-FX-FE
•100BASE-FX-GE
•100BASE-LX
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•1000BASE-LX/LH
•1000BASE-SX
•1000BASE-T
For more information about these SFP modules, see your Cisco SFP module
documentation on Cisco.com.
Hardware Requirements
Table 1-3 lists the minimum hardware requirements for setting up the switch and
for using the device manager.
Software Requirements
Table 1-4 lists the supported operating systems and browsers for setting up the
switch and for using the device manager. The device manager verifies the browser
version when starting a session to ensure that the browser is supported.
The device manager does not require a plug-in.
You should disable any pop-up blockers or proxy settings in your browser
software and any wireless clients running on your PC or laptop.
Table 1-3 Hardware Requirements
Processor Speed 233 MHz minimum
1 GHz recommended
RAM 512 MB minimum
1 GB recommended
Free Hard Drive Space 50 MB
Number of Colors 256
Resolution 1024 x 768
Font Size Small

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Table 1-4 Supported Operating Systems and Browsers
Operating System Microsoft Internet Explorer Mozilla Firefox
Windows 2000 6.0 and 7.0 1.5, 2.0
Windows 2003 6.0 and 7.0 1.5, 2.0
Windows Vista 6.0 and 7.0 1.5, 2.0
Windows XP 6.0 and 7.0 1.5, 2.0