Ports - Cisco CATALYST 2960 Hardware Installation Manual

Chapter 1 Product Overview

10/100 Ports

You can set the 10/100 ports to operate at 10 or 100 Mb/s in full-duplex or half-duplex mode. You can
also set these ports for speed and duplex autonegotiation. The default setting is autonegotiate. When the
port is set to autonegotiate, it senses the speed and duplex settings of the attached device and advertises
its own capabilities. If the connected device also supports autonegotiation, the switch port negotiates the
best connection (that is, the fastest line speed that both devices support and full-duplex transmission if
the attached device supports it) and configures itself accordingly. In all cases, the attached device must
be within 328 feet (100 meters).
100BASE-TX traffic requires a Category 5 or higher cable. 10BASE-T traffic can use Category 3 or
Category 4 cables.
When you connect the switch to workstations, servers, routers, and Cisco IP Phones, be sure that the
cable is a straight-through cable. When you connect the switch to switches or hubs, use a crossover cable.
Pinouts for the cables are described in
You can use the mdix auto interface configuration command in the command-line interface (CLI) to
enable the auto-MDIX feature. When the auto-MDIX feature is enabled, the switch detects the required
cable type for copper Ethernet connections and configures the interfaces accordingly. Therefore, you can
use either a crossover or a straight-through cable for connections to a copper 10/100/1000 or
1000BASE-T SFP module port on the switch, regardless of the type of device on the other end of the
connection. For configuration information for this feature, see the switch software configuration guide
or the switch command reference.
10/100/1000 Ports
You can set the 10/100/1000 ports to operate at 10, 100, or 1000 Mb/s in full-duplex or half-duplex
mode. You can also set these ports for speed and duplex autonegotiation. (The default setting is
autonegotiate.) When you set the port for autonegotiation, it senses the speed and duplex settings of the
attached device and advertises its own capabilities. If the connected device also supports
autonegotiation, the switch port negotiates the best connection (that is, the fastest line speed that both
devices support and full-duplex transmission if the attached device supports it) and configures itself
accordingly. In all cases, the attached device must be within 328 feet (100 meters).
100BASE-TX and 1000BASE-T traffic requires a Category 5 or higher cable. 10BASE-T traffic can use
Category 3 or Category 4 cables.
When you connect the switch to workstations, servers, routers, and Cisco IP Phones, be sure that the
cable is a straight-through cable. When you connect the switch to switches or hubs, use a crossover
cable. When using a straight-through or crossover cable for 1000BASE-T connections, be sure to use a
twisted four-pair, Category 5 or higher cable for proper operation. Pinouts for the cables are described
in Appendix B, "Connector and Cable Specifications."
You can use the mdix auto interface configuration command in the CLI to enable the automatic
medium-dependent interface crossover (auto-MDIX) feature. When the auto-MDIX feature is enabled,
the switch detects the required cable type for copper Ethernet connections and configures the interfaces
accordingly. Therefore, you can use either a crossover or a straight-through cable for connections to a
copper 10/100/1000 or 1000BASE-T SFP module port on the switch, regardless of the type of device on
the other end of the connection. For configuration information for this feature, see the switch software
configuration guide or the switch command reference.
OL-7075-09
Appendix B, "Connector and Cable Specifications."
Catalyst 2960 Switch Hardware Installation Guide
Front Panel Description
1-11