Cisco® Catalyst® 2960 Series Switches with LAN Lite software are fixed-configuration, standalone switches that provide desktop Fast Ethernet connectivity for entry-level wiring closet and small branch-office networks (Figure 1). These switches simplify the migration from nonintelligent hubs and unmanaged switches to a fully scalable managed network. The LAN Lite Cisco IOS® Software provides entry-level security, quality of service (QoS), and availability capabilities while lowering the network total cost of ownership.

The Cisco Catalyst 2960 LAN Lite Switches offer:
-Dual-purpose uplinks for Gigabit Ethernet uplink flexibility, allowing use of either a copper or a fiber uplink; each dual-purpose uplink port has one 10/100/1000 Ethernet port and one Small Form-Factor Pluggable (SFP)-based Gigabit Ethernet port, with one port active at a time.
-Scalable and secure network management.
-Baseline Network Admission Control based on users, ports, and MAC addresses.
-Easy network configuration, Cisco IOS Software updates, and troubleshooting using Cisco Network Assistant software.
-QoS for traffic classification and shaping to prioritize various applications.
-Single IP address, syslog, and Simple Network Management Protocol (SNMP) management for a stack of up to 16 switches.
-Autoconfiguration using Smartports.
-Enhanced troubleshooting for link connectivity problems and cable diagnostics.
-QoS and support for multicast services.
-Software updates at no additional cost.