Cisco WS-C3650-8X24UQ-L | Catalyst 3650 24-Port Multigigabit UPoE Switch, 820W, 4x 10G SFP+

Q: What is the difference between the standard Gigabit ports and the multigigabit ports on this switch?
A: The WS-C3650-8X24UQ-L includes 16 standard Gigabit Ethernet ports (10/100/1000) and 8 multigigabit ports that support 100Mbps, 1G, 2.5G, 5G, and 10G speeds over existing Cat5e/Cat6 cabling using IEEE 802.3bz technology. The multigigabit ports are ideal for connecting high-speed 802.11ac Wave 2 access points without requiring fiber or new cabling infrastructure.

Q: Does this switch support stacking, and what is the stack bandwidth?
A: Yes, the WS-C3650-8X24UQ-L supports optional Cisco StackWise-160 stacking with 160 Gbps of stack throughput. Stacking cables (such as STACK-T2-50CM, STACK-T2-1M, or STACK-T2-3M) are sold separately. Up to 9 switches can be stacked as a single logical unit for simplified management and high availability.

Q: What PoE standards does this switch support, and how much power can each port deliver?
A: The switch supports IEEE 802.3af PoE (15.4W), IEEE 802.3at PoE+ (30W), and Cisco Universal PoE (UPoE) delivering up to 60W per port. With an 820W PoE budget, it can power high-demand devices such as PTZ cameras, 802.11ac Wave 2 access points, video phones, and thin clients simultaneously.

Q: Can this switch function as a wireless LAN controller?
A: Yes, the Catalyst 3650 Series supports an integrated wireless controller option that can manage up to 50 access points and 1,000 wireless clients per switch or stack. This converged wired-wireless architecture simplifies network management and enables unified policy enforcement across both wired and wireless domains.

Q: What is the LAN Base feature set, and can I upgrade the license?
A: The LAN Base feature set provides essential Layer 2 switching, static routing, access control lists, and QoS. You can upgrade the license to IP Base (adds enhanced Layer 3 routing protocols like OSPF, EIGRP) or IP Services (adds advanced features like MPLS, VRF-Lite) by purchasing the appropriate software license for the switch.