C1300-24XT Cisco 24 Ports 10GBPS Ethernet Switch.

Cisco C1300-24XT Network Switch Overview

The Cisco C1300-24XT is a high-performance, rack-mountable network switch designed for enterprise-level connectivity. Offering 10Gbps data transfer and advanced Layer 2 and Layer 3 features, this switch ensures reliable and secure network operations.

General Specifications

• Manufacturer: Cisco
• Model Number: C1300-24XT
• Device Type: Wired Network Switch
• Form Factor: Rack-mountable
• Connectivity: Wired Ethernet

Key Features

• High-Speed Data Transfer: 10 Gbps
• Data Link Protocol: Gigabit Ethernet
• Processor Type: ARM-based CPU
• RAM Capacity: 1 GB
• Flash Storage: 512 MB
• Supported Networking Standards: IEEE 802.3az, IEEE 802.1ad, IEEE 802.1x, IEEE 802.3af/at
• Power Supply: 100-240V, 50-60 Hz
• Network Layers: Supports Layer 2 and Layer 3
• Reliability: MTBF of 945,878 hours
• Command-line Interface: Text view and full CLI options for advanced configuration

Networking Capabilities

Power and PoE

• No Power over Ethernet (PoE) support
• PoE power consumption: Not applicable

Performance and Management

• MAC address table: 16,000 entries
• Jumbo frame support: Up to 9000 bytes
• Remote management: SNMP, HTTP, TFTP, HTTPS, DHCP
• Routing protocols: IPv4, IPv6, CIDR
• Authentication: RADIUS and TACACS

Interface and Port Details

• 20 x 10 Gigabit copper ports
• 4 x 10 Gigabit SFP+ ports
• 1 x Gigabit Ethernet management port
• Standard RJ-45 console port
• USB Type-C port for configuration

Advanced Features

• Layer 2 switching with VLAN support
• Layer 3 routing capabilities for IPv4 and IPv6
• Supports energy-efficient Ethernet standards (IEEE 802.3az)
• Full CLI support for network professionals

Advantages of Choose Cisco C1300-24XT

• Reliable enterprise-level performance
• High-speed 10Gbps connectivity for modern networks
• Scalable rack-mountable design for growing infrastructures
• Advanced security and authentication methods
• Easy remote management with SNMP and HTTP/S protocols

Core Architecture and Performance Specifications

Designed for performance without compromise, the C1300-24XT is built on a non-blocking switching fabric that ensures all ports can operate at full wire speed simultaneously. This foundational architecture is critical for preventing bottlenecks in data-intensive environments.

Port Configuration and Throughput

The "24XT" designation is key to understanding its capabilities. The switch provides:

24 x 10GBASE-T Ports: These RJ-45 copper ports support 10/5/2.5/1 Gbps and 100Mbps speeds, offering exceptional flexibility for connecting to servers, storage, high-end workstations, and other switches. The use of standard Cat6a/Cat7 cabling simplifies deployments and reduces costs compared to fiber alternatives.
4 x SFP+ Uplink Ports: These fiber ports provide additional 10GbE connectivity for uplinking to core switches or creating high-bandwidth stacking connections. They support a wide range of Cisco SFP+ modules for both short-reach and long-haul fiber connections, extending network reach up to kilometers.
This combination yields a total switching capacity of up to 560 Gbps, with a forwarding rate of over 400 million packets per second (Mpps), ensuring smooth handling of peak traffic loads.

Hardware Design and Reliability

Built with enterprise-grade components, the switch features a fanless design for deployments in quiet office environments. Its robust metal housing ensures optimal heat dissipation and durability. For power reliability, it supports an optional external redundant power supply (RPS), minimizing the risk of downtime due to power source failure.

Advanced Feature Set for a Modern Network

Beyond raw speed, the C1300-24XT is imbued with a sophisticated set of features that enhance security, simplify management, and optimize traffic flow.

Enhanced Security and Threat Mitigation

Network security is integrated at multiple layers:

Cisco TrustSec® Technology: Enables software-defined segmentation through Security Group Tags (SGTs), allowing policy enforcement based on user and device identity, not just IP address.
MACsec Encryption (IEEE 802.1AE): Provides hop-by-hop data confidentiality and integrity on all 10GBASE-T ports, securing data as it travels between switches.
Advanced ACLs and Port Security: Offers granular control over traffic and prevents unauthorized device access.
Device Visibility with Cisco DNA Center: When integrated, provides deep contextual insights into all connected endpoints, identifying anomalies and potential threats.

Intelligent Traffic Management with QoS

To ensure critical applications like voice, video, and real-time data perform flawlessly, the switch employs comprehensive Quality of Service (QoS) mechanisms.

Classification and Prioritization

Traffic can be classified based on Layer 2 (CoS), Layer 3 (DSCP), or Layer 4 (TCP/UDP port) information. Policies then prioritize this traffic, guaranteeing bandwidth and minimizing latency and jitter for sensitive flows.

Buffer Management

Adequate packet buffering prevents drops during microbursts of traffic, a common occurrence in virtualized and high-throughput environments, ensuring consistent performance.

Virtualization and Network Segmentation

The switch supports StackWise® Virtual, a technology that allows two physical C1300-24XT switches to operate as a single logical entity. This provides:

Increased Operational Simplicity: A single management point and configuration file for the stack.
Enhanced Resiliency: Stateful switchover (SSO) ensures sub-second failover if one switch fails, maintaining user sessions and network uptime.
Improved Bandwidth Utilization: Multi-chassis EtherChannel (MEC) allows links across both physical devices to be bundled, creating resilient, high-bandwidth connections.

Additionally, support for VLANs (802.1Q) allows for logical segmentation of network traffic for security and organizational purposes.

Deployment Scenarios and Use Cases

The versatility of the Cisco C1300-24XT makes it an ideal fit for a spectrum of environments requiring high-density 10GbE access.

Small to Medium Business (SMB) Core/Backbone

For growing SMBs, the switch acts as a powerful backbone, aggregating traffic from multiple access switches (e.g., Gigabit Ethernet switches) and providing high-speed connectivity to on-premise servers, network-attached storage (NAS), and virtualization hosts. Its security features protect critical business data, while StackWise Virtual ensures network resilience as the business scales.

High-Performance Workgroup and Departmental Switching

In engineering, media & entertainment, scientific research, or financial analytics departments, teams work with massive files and datasets. The C1300-24XT delivers the necessary low-latency, high-throughput connectivity to every desk, accelerating workflows and collaboration. The 10GBASE-T ports are particularly valuable here for direct connections to high-end workstations.

Server Rack and Data Center Top-of-Rack (ToR)

In server racks, the switch serves as an efficient Top-of-Rack (ToR) solution, connecting multiple servers via 10GBASE-T and uplinking to the data center core via its SFP+ ports. This reduces cabling complexity, improves server-to-server communication speed, and provides a cost-effective entry point for 10GbE server access.

Video Production and IP Surveillance Backbone

For IP-based 4K/8K video production networks (Video over IP) or large-scale IP surveillance systems with high-resolution cameras, the switch provides the consistent, high-bandwidth pipeline required to transport multiple uncompressed or lightly compressed video streams without packet loss or delay.

Management and Programmability

The C1300-24XT offers multiple management avenues to suit different operational models and skill sets.

Cisco DNA Center Integration

As part of the Catalyst family, it is fully manageable by Cisco DNA Center. This delivers intent-based networking capabilities:

Automated Provisioning: Zero-touch deployment and consistent policy application across the network.
Assurance: AI/ML-driven analytics provide insights into user and application experience, enabling proactive troubleshooting.
Fabric Integration: Can act as an edge node within a software-defined access (SD-Access) fabric, dramatically simplifying segmentation and policy enforcement.

Traditional and Programmatic Interfaces

For environments not yet using DNA Center, the switch offers:

Cisco Catalyst Command Line Interface (CLI): The industry-standard, powerful CLI for granular configuration and control.
Web-based Management Interface: An intuitive graphical user interface (GUI) for day-to-day monitoring and configuration.
RESTCONF/YANG Data Models: Support for model-driven programmability, allowing network automation tools (like Ansible, Python scripts) to configure and manage the switch via APIs, facilitating Infrastructure as Code (IaC) practices.
SNMPv3: For integration with existing network monitoring systems.

Comparison and Positioning in the Catalyst Portfolio

Understanding where the C1300-24XT fits within the broader Cisco Catalyst portfolio clarifies its target audience and value proposition.

Catalyst 1000 Series

The Catalyst 1000 series is designed for essential Gigabit Ethernet access. The C1300-24XT is a significant step up, offering 10GbE ports, higher performance, advanced security (MACsec, TrustSec), and StackWise Virtual capabilities, making it suitable for more demanding aggregation and performance-sensitive access roles.

Catalyst 9200/9300 Series

The Catalyst 9200 and 9300 are broader modular platforms with more extensive uplink options, higher port densities, and more advanced features like full SD-Access capabilities on the 9300. The C1300-24XT serves as a more focused, cost-optimized solution for scenarios where the primary requirement is a high density of fixed 10GBASE-T ports with strong access-layer features.

Catalyst 4500/3850 Series (Legacy)

For organizations refreshing older chassis-based or stackable access layers, the C1300-24XT offers a modern, energy-efficient, and software-defined ready alternative with comparable or superior 10G port density in a compact, fixed form factor.