Cisco Catalyst 6500 Series Modular Switches

The Cisco Catalyst 6500 Series is the premier modular switching platform for enterprise and service provider networks. Known for its industry-leading performance, scalability, and high-availability features, the Catalyst 6500 provides an integrated foundation for secure and resilient business communications.

The platform's strength lies in its modularity. From the compact 3-slot chassis to the massive 13-slot Catalyst 6513, it adapts to any network role. With the Supervisor Engine 720, the switch delivers high-bandwidth backplane performance without the need for an external switch fabric module. It supports a wide array of specialized service modules, including wireless controllers, network analysis (NAM), and firewall services, consolidating multiple network functions into a single manageable device. The architecture is designed for investment protection, allowing line cards to be reused across different supervisor generations.

Key Specifications:

• Switching Capacity: Up to 720 Gbps (with Sup720) and expandable to multi-terabit levels.

• Interface Density: Maximum scalability for 10/100/1000 and 10GbE deployments.

• Advanced Routing: Full support for dCEF (distributed Cisco Express Forwarding) via DFC cards.

• Redundancy: N+1 power redundancy and dual-supervisor configurations with sub-second failover.

• Unified Communications: High-density PoE support for IP telephony and campus-wide wireless.