3750 stack switches compared to 4500 series

[germain85]

Hello, Please i'm thinking about a design in my backbone.

I'm thinking about using a 3750 stacking around 4 or 5 switches intead of using one 4500 series switch.

Can you confirm if my choice is the best or not ?  and why?

1-My first argument was concerning the budget (one 4500 instead of four or five 3750 in stack mode) ---- Here i think 4 or 5 stacked 3750 is cheap than one 4500

2- My second argument was about harware redundancing that i don't have with one 4500 and that i have with stack mode ----Here i have more hardware redundancing with 3750

3- The bug that we notice today in 2960 and 3750 and not in 4500

4- Simple to manage a 4500 compare to 3750 stack design

5- I was looking also for the one with best backplane ----Here i didn't have any infos concerning the best backplane between 4 or 5 stack 3750 and a 4500.

6- I'm also looking for power redundancing ---- i think both give it.

Do you have more arguments, it will be very helpful in order to choice my design. Thanks

Happy New Year

Germain

[Reza Sharifi]

Hi,

1-My first argument was concerning the budget (one 4500 instead of four  or five 3750 in stack mode) ---- Here i think 4 or 5 stacked 3750 is  cheap than one 4500

This is not necessarily true.  Usually when you start stacking more then 3 or 4 3750s together, the price is higher then one 4500 redundant chassis

2- My second argument was about harware redundancing that i don't have  with one 4500 and that i have with stack mode ----Here i have more  hardware redundancing with 3750

If you get a 4500 with dual power supplies and dual sups, it provides hardware redundency

3- The bug that we notice today in 2960 and 3750 and not in 4500

All IOS versions have bugs regardless of which device you are using thema for.  some have more and some have less. Cisco usually remedy bug issues with both 3750 and 4500 pretty quickly. (They are both popular devices)

4- Simple to manage a 4500 compare to 3750 stack design

True, and you don't have to worry about multiple license for multiple switches.  Even with dual sups for the 4500, you only need ONE license versus you need to buy a license for each 3750. (Big cost difference)

5- I was looking also for the one with best backplane ----Here i didn't  have any infos concerning the best backplane between 4 or 5 stack 3750  and a 4500.

The newer sups for the 4500 have larger backplanes

6- I'm also looking for power redundancing ---- i think both give it.

True, the new 3750X series can have 2 PSU per chassis

Overall, managing one device with redundant components and one IOS is easier then multiple devices.

Have a look at this link for 4500 sup info:

http://www.cisco.com/en/US/products/hw/switches/ps4324/prod_models_comparison.html

HTH

[germain85]

Thanks Reza four your reply.

So you think that it's preferable to get a 4500 with dual power supplies and dual sups instead of stacking 4 or 5 3750 switches?

How much a 4500 with dual power supplies and dual sups cost ? and how much a 3750 cost ?

Do you know what's the backplane of 4500 and for 3750 ?

Thank

Germain

[Reza Sharifi]

Germain,

For pricing, talk to your Cisco sales rep.  It all depends how much money you spend per year buying Cisco devices and that determines the discount level.

The new sup 7E has 848 Gbps switching capacity with 250 Mpps of throughput

As for 3750X the switching fabric is 160 Gbps.

Here are the data sheet for both:

http://www.cisco.com/en/US/prod/collateral/switches/ps5718/ps6406/data_sheet_c78-584733.html

http://www.cisco.com/en/US/prod/collateral/switches/ps5718/ps4324/data_sheet_c78-612364_ps2797_Products_Data_Sheet.html

HTH

[germain85]

Thank Reza,

I have readed the datasheet of both 4500 and 3750.

--I didn't found the throughput of 3750 and the maximum throughput in the stack port of 3750.

--Another question, is it any command to see the live throughput of a switch, or i should make a #show interfaces and addition the throughput of all ports?

Tks

Germain

[Reza Sharifi]

Germain,

The throughput for the 3750 is in the same sheet I provided you.  It is 64 Gig when the switches are stacked.

No, as far as I know there is no command to see the throughput of the entire switch.  It all varies switch by switch and module by module.

HTH