Cisco Catalyst 3560-CX mGig ports are vendor specific ?

[Leelan Abeyarathna H.]

Hi All,

We have environment with Ruckus Wave 2 WAPs. Now in a process of upgrading some switches. Just wondering if the Cisco 3560-CX with  mGig ports will support 2.5/5Gbps over cat 5e ? Basically are these switches Nbase-T compliance  or just support Cisco Aironet WAPs.

Please let me know if any information.

thank you

Leelan

[Leo Laohoo]

mGIG is now a ratified standard.  It is up to hardware manufacturer to code mGIG into their hardware.  

[Leelan Abeyarathna H.]

Thanks for the info Leo.

I was not sure because it seems Cisco talk about Nbase-T and mGig both. I gathered nbase-T is 2.5/5Gbps over cat 5e whereas cisco mGig feature can do 10Gbps over Cat6a in addition to nbase-T.

Basically we have a customer with wave 2 Ruckus Access points. We are in a process of upgrading some switches for them. Ruckus is pushing for Brocade switches because they do 2.5Gbps. My point was,  any switch capable of doing 2.5Gbps means they are nbase-t compliance and these cisco switches surely are nbase-t compliance. Therefore theoretically any wave 2 WAP should be able to connect to mGig port on 3560-CX and use 2.5Gbps over ethernet port.

Is this a fair argument ?

Thanks again.

Leelan

[Leo Laohoo]

Therefore theoretically any wave 2 WAP ...

Any AP, regardless of Cisco or not, that can negotiate mGIG/nBaseT can work.  

Ruckus is pushing for Brocade switches because they do 2.5Gbps.

Because Brocade owns Ruckus.  

Looking at the Brocade website, the 7450-32ZP can support up to 8 ports running 2.5 Gbps.  I honestly don't know what the capability of this model can/can't do in relation to mGIG.  

[Leelan Abeyarathna H.]

Thanks again for information. Much appreciated.

Leelan