Cisco WS-C3650-12X48UQ-L | Catalyst 3650 48-Port Multigigabit UPoE Switch, 660W, 4x 10G SFP+

Q: What is the difference between the standard Gigabit ports and the multigigabit ports on this switch?
A: The WS-C3650-12X48UQ-L features 36 standard 10/100/1000 Mbps ports and 12 multigigabit ports that auto-negotiate at 100M, 1G, 2.5G, 5G, or 10G speeds. The multigigabit ports support IEEE 802.3bz (2.5GBASE-T and 5GBASE-T) standards, enabling higher speeds over existing Cat5e/Cat6 cabling—ideal for connecting 802.11ac Wave 2 access points without requiring new fiber or Cat6A infrastructure.

Q: Does this model support wireless controller functionality?
A: Yes, the Catalyst 3650 Series supports an integrated wireless controller capability that can manage up to 25 Aironet access points and 1,000 wireless clients per switch or stack. This converged wired-wireless platform enables centralized policy enforcement and simplified network management without requiring a separate wireless LAN controller appliance.

Q: What does the LAN Base license include and can it be upgraded?
A: The LAN Base feature set provides comprehensive Layer 2 switching features including VLANs, Spanning Tree, link aggregation, and QoS, plus basic Layer 3 capabilities such as static routing and RIP. The license can be upgraded to IP Base (adding OSPF, EIGRP, and enhanced Layer 3 features) or IP Services (full enterprise routing and security) through a software license upgrade without hardware changes.

Q: How many switches can be stacked together and what is the stacking bandwidth?
A: The WS-C3650-12X48UQ-L supports Cisco StackWise-160 technology, allowing up to 9 switches to be stacked together with 160 Gbps of stacking bandwidth. The stack operates as a single logical unit with unified management, shared MAC and IP addresses, and seamless failover for enhanced resiliency and simplified operations.

Q: Is this switch compatible with existing Catalyst 3750 or 3560 deployments?
A: Yes, the Catalyst 3650 Series is designed as the next-generation replacement for Catalyst 3750-X and 3560-X switches, offering backward compatibility in network architectures. It uses the familiar Cisco IOS Software interface, supports similar protocols and features, and maintains consistent network designs while adding advanced capabilities like integrated wireless control, multigigabit Ethernet, and Universal PoE support.