IE-9320-24T4X-A Cisco Catalyst IE9300 24 Ports Stackable Ethernet Switch

Cisco IE-9320-24T4X-A Catalyst IE9300 Ethernet Switch

The Cisco IE-9320-24T4X-A Catalyst IE9300 represents the pinnacle of industrial Ethernet switching technology, designed to deliver enterprise-grade networking capabilities in the most demanding operational environments. This stackable switch is part of the Cisco Catalyst IE9300 series, a family of switches built to withstand extreme temperatures, vibrations, shock, and electromagnetic interference commonly found in industrial settings. With its robust combination of 24 Gigabit Ethernet ports and 4 high-speed 10G SFP+ uplinks, it serves as a powerful aggregation and distribution layer switch for critical infrastructure.

Key Specifications

The Cisco IE-9320-24T4X-A is built into a compact, ruggedized metal enclosure designed for DIN-rail or wall mounting, saving valuable panel space in control cabinets.

Port Configuration and Interface Details

The primary interface configuration is a carefully balanced selection of access and uplink ports to handle diverse industrial traffic flows.

24 Gigabit Ethernet Copper Ports

These 10/100/1000BASE-T RJ45 ports provide connectivity for a wide array of field devices, including IP cameras, industrial PCs, programmable logic controllers (PLCs), Human-Machine Interfaces (HMIs), and wireless access points. They support features like Auto-MDI/MDIX, eliminating the need for crossover cables, and offer Power-over-Ethernet (PoE) capabilities on select models, though the 24T4X-A itself is a non-PoE variant focused on data switching.

4 SFP+ Ports for 10 Gigabit Uplinks

The four integrated 10 Gigabit SFP+ slots are a defining feature, enabling high-bandwidth uplinks to the network core or resilient fiber backbones across long distances. These ports support a vast range of Cisco SFP/SFP+ modules, including 1G and 10G fiber (single-mode and multi-mode) and direct-attach copper cables, providing unparalleled flexibility in network design for backbone, ring, or mesh topologies.

Performance and Switching Capacity

Beneath its rugged exterior, the switch houses high-performance switching silicon. It delivers a substantial switching capacity of 128 Gbps with a forwarding rate of 95.2 Mpps, ensuring wire-speed performance across all ports even under full load. This headroom is crucial for handling bandwidth-intensive applications like real-time video surveillance, process imaging, and data aggregation from multiple production cells.

Resilience and High Availability Features

Network uptime is non-negotiable in industrial operations. The Catalyst IE-9320-24T4X-A incorporates multiple layers of resilience.

Hardware Redundancy and Environmental Hardening

The switch features dual, redundant, hot-swappable power supply slots, allowing for AC or DC power input and ensuring continuous operation if one power supply fails. It operates flawlessly across an extended temperature range of -40°C to 75°C (-40°F to 167°F) and meets high standards for vibration and shock resistance (IEC 60068-2-6, 60068-2-27). Its conformal coated board provides protection against humidity, dust, and corrosive atmospheres.

Advanced Software-Based High Availability

Cisco Resilient Ethernet Protocol (REP)

REP provides fast convergence for ring topologies, a common design in industrial networks. It allows the creation of a single, managed Ethernet ring without the complexity of Spanning Tree Protocol, recovering from link failures in sub-50ms, which is vital for real-time control systems.

Media Redundancy Protocol (MRP) and PRP

The switch supports standard IEC 62439-2 MRP (Media Redundancy Protocol) and IEC 62439-3 PRP (Parallel Redundancy Protocol), enabling seamless interoperability with other vendor equipment in standards-based redundant network architectures.

Advanced Security for Operational Technology (OT) Networks

Securing the industrial network perimeter and internal segments is critical. The IE-9320-24T4X-A integrates comprehensive security features traditionally found in enterprise switches.

Network Segmentation and Access Control

The switch supports advanced security protocols including IEEE 802.1X for port-based network access control, MACsec (IEEE 802.1AE) for hop-by-hop encryption of data in motion, and TrustSec® software-defined segmentation using Scalable Group Tags (SGTs). This allows security policies to follow devices and users, simplifying the isolation of critical control systems from general traffic.

Threat Defense and Visibility

Cisco Cyber Vision

When integrated with Cisco Cyber Vision, the switch becomes a sensor for deep OT network visibility. It can perform passive traffic analysis to identify all connected assets (PLCs, drives, etc.), their vulnerabilities, and detect anomalous behavior, forming the foundation of an industrial demilitarized zone (IDMZ) and a zero-trust architecture for OT.

ACLs and Storm Control

Robust Access Control Lists (ACLs) provide granular control over traffic flows. Broadcast, multicast, and unicast storm control prevent traffic storms from disrupting critical control traffic.

Industrial Protocol Optimization

Carrying time-sensitive industrial control traffic alongside regular data requires sophisticated traffic prioritization.

Precision Timing with IEEE 1588 PTP

The switch supports IEEE 1588v2 Precision Time Protocol (PTP) in both transparent and boundary clock modes. This is essential for synchronizing devices like protective relays in substations, cameras in motion control systems, and sensors across an assembly line with microsecond accuracy.

Deployment Scenarios and Use Cases

The versatility of the Cisco IE-9320-24T4X-A makes it suitable for several key industrial deployment models.

Aggregation Switch

In a Purdue Model architecture, this switch excels as an aggregation switch in the Cell/Area Zone. It aggregates traffic from multiple lower-level access switches (like Cisco IE3400 or IE3200 series) and connects via its 10G uplinks to the industrial demilitarized zone (IDMZ) or plant-wide network, providing segmentation and security policy enforcement.

Backbone for High-Speed Resilient Rings

Its 10G SFP+ ports and support for REP, MRP, and PRP make it ideal for creating high-speed, resilient fiber optic rings that connect buildings across a campus, sections of a pipeline, or stations along a rail line. The high bandwidth ensures future-proofing for increasing data volumes from IIoT sensors.

Foundation for Converged Networks

This switch enables the convergence of historically separate networks for control, safety, video surveillance, and voice/data onto a single, robust physical infrastructure. Its advanced QoS and security features maintain the performance and isolation requirements of each application type.