LAN Switching

[abdul.qadir5001]

What are the stacking types?

Is it necessary to present a stack port on the switch to configure it as stack or we can define switches a stack individually on switch

[balaji.bandi]

here is basic understand of stacking : (it is small business switch but concept all same)

https://www.cisco.com/c/en/us/support/docs/smb/switches/cisco-350x-series-stackable-managed-switches/smb5252-what-is-stacking.html

you need to have stacking port available - most of them does - some switch have smart stacking.

https://www.cisco.com/c/en/us/support/docs/smb/switches/cisco-350-series-managed-switches/smb5555-configure-stack-settings-on-a-switch-through-the-command-lin.html

here is how to configure :

https://www.cisco.com/c/en/us/support/docs/switches/catalyst-3750-series-switches/71925-cat3750-create-switch-stks.html

[Sergey Lisitsin]

abdul.qadir5001,

There are two main types of stacking ports:

1. Dedicated stacking ports

2. Switch data ports

Dedicated stacking ports are physical ports that can only be used for one purpose - switch stacking. They often have different form-factor, than the standard data ports. These kind of ports don't require any kind of extra configuration, because as I said their only purpose is to link stack members to each other.

Switch data ports can be used to emulate stacking over the normal Ethernet ports. This is a "poor man's stacking". It is less efficient, as it takes away available data ports and usually it has lower bandwidth rates. For example, dedicated stacking ports on 3750G switches have bandwidth capacity of 16Gigabit/sec per port, while data ports only go up to 1Gig. Newer switches have even faster stacking ports.

[Joseph W. Doherty]

"For example, dedicated stacking ports on 3750G switches have bandwidth capacity of 16Gigabit/sec per port, while data ports only go up to 1Gig."

BTW, I believe the original series 3750 StackWise ports are 8 Gbps, duplex. (I.e. indeed 16 Gbps if you count the duplex bandwidth, and 32 Gbps for the stack ring since there are two stack ports per switch; the latter being the advertised stack ring bandwidth.)

Also BTW there was one 3750G model that had a single built-in 10g port. (Rather rare as the hardware could only sustain 8 Gbps for that port.)