Cisco recently released some new software features for the Catalyst series. With the new software, the 4500 and even the 4000 series with the older Supervisor 3 card will support 802.1x wireless authentication and DHCP snooping, an impressive feature. In my tests the 4507R was able to prevent a DHCP server from answering DHCP requests on a port-by-port basis. This is a great capability for anyone who has had problems with rogue DHCP servers, which can wreak network havoc. Unfortunately, the server editions of Microsoft Windows 2000 practically beg the installer to turn on the DHCP server, making this a serious issue on some networks.
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Vendor Info
Cisco catalyst 4500 series, starts at $995. Cisco catalyst 4000 supervisor engine iv, $13,495. Cisco Systems, (800) 553-6387. www.cisco.com
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You don't get this performance unless you use the six-port line cards. Although you can get higher-density 10/100 and gigabit line cards, the bandwidth between each line card and the chassis is limited to 6 gigabits in each direction. Cisco makes no secret of this fact and recommends higher densities for wiring-closet applications, where the lower, bursty traffic coming from the desktops is unlikely to need more than the 6 gigabits in each direction at any given time.
The higher-density cards maximize the per-port cost, which is already high--the 4507R retails for $65,000. But the switch has full routing and switching capabilities along with QoS (Quality of Service) features and wire-speed access-list functionality, so it can easily handle a medium-sized backbone. It's possible to get higher port densities and fewer features and upgrade later, which makes for a more attractive wiring-closet solution. Having the switching engine centralized in the Supervisor card makes incremental upgrades easier.
The good news for 4000 series users is that the line cards are interchangeable between the 4000 and 4500 series. The new Supervisor cards are engineered for further enhancements--next year you'll be able to get a field-installable daughter card that will provide detailed network usage statistics via a Netflow card.
Peter Morrissey is a contributing editor and columnist for Network Computing. Write to him at [email protected].
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