Current (Spet 2013) PoE options in the 6500????

[Doug Thompson]

I have a customer that was requesting either WS-X6148E-GE-45AT  or WS-X6148A-GE-45AF cards.

The X6148A-GE-45AF went EoS back in early 2012 and the WS-X6148E-GE-45AT was named as the replacement.

http://www.cisco.com/en/US/prod/collateral/switches/ps5718/ps708/eol_c51-698807.html

Unfortunately, the replacement card, the WS-X6148E-GE-45AT is also now EoS

http://www.cisco.com/en/US/prod/collateral/switches/ps5718/ps708/end_of_life_notice_c51-729149.pdf

Unless I have missed something, that doesn't leave much in the way of PoE options for the 6500. Not everyone is ready to move to the 6800 (or 'down' to the 4500 - either way, having to replace an entire chasis).

What other options exist?

[Doug Thompson]

Is the WS-X6548-GE-45AF available? I't may be EoS too. Can't seem to find it in CCW either. Looking for a EoS notice at the moment for it as well.

[Doug Thompson · Accepted solution]

There are NO PoE options for the 6500 any longer. Although Cisco is claiming the 6500 is alive and well and not going anyway, they have quietly forced customers to stop using it as an access layer switch. They are quietly forcing the 6500 into a distribution/core switch role ONLY.

If you have been using the 6500 as an access layer switch, Cisco is moving these customers towards either a 4500 or the new 6800.

In other words, you can't use THIS chassis base system for access layer functionality but you can use either either of the OTHER TWO chassis base systems.

NICE!

[msuhre]

The only thing you can do is try Cisco Remanufacturing to see if they have any 6148 AF or 6548 AF cards if you are trying to fill a few slots or as a stop gap. The don't have any 6148 AT cards left. The both have gone EoS so you will only get 4 years worth of support for them (same as if you bought original before they went EoS). Don't be in a hurry as it may take as long as 30 days for them to re-certify a card that they have in stock but is considered "unfinished".

You can also buy the 6800 Instant Access switches (think Nexus 2K/FEX but for the campus) but it doesn't help if you have a bunch of empty slots in a 6500 and you wanted to fill them with PoE.