Build a Powerful, Easy-to-Use Basic Business Network at an Affordable Price The key to succeeding in today's competitive business environment is investing resources wisely - knowing how to separate the essential from the extraneous and get the most value for your dollar. As the backbone of your business and productivity applications, the small business network clearly falls into the "essential" category. But that doesn't mean you need the most advanced feature set on the market. With Cisco ® 200 Series Smart Switches, you can achieve business-class network security and performance without paying for advanced network management features that you will not need. When you need a reliable solution to share network resources and connect computers, printers, and servers, but low cost is a top priority, Cisco 200 Series Smart Switches provide the ideal solution. Cisco 200 Series Smart Switches The Cisco 200 Series (Figure 1) is a series of affordable smart switches that combine powerful network performance and reliability with the essential network management features you need for a solid business network. These expandable Fast Ethernet or Gigabit Ethernet switches provide basic management, security, and quality-of-service (QoS) features beyond those of an unmanaged or consumer-grade switch, at a lower cost than managed switches. And with an easy-to-use web user interface, Cisco Discovery Protocol, and Cisco Smartports, you can deploy and configure a rock-solid business network in minutes. Business Applications Whether you need basic high-speed connectivity for your computers and servers or a comprehensive voice, data, and wireless technology solution, Cisco 200 Series switches can meet your business needs. Possible deployment scenarios include: - High-speed desktop connectivity. Cisco 200 Series switches can quickly and securely connect employees working in small offices with one another and with all of the servers, printers, and other devices they use. High performance and reliable connectivity help speed file transfers and data processing, improve network uptime, and keep your employees connected and productive. - Highly secure wireless connectivity. Cisco 200 Series switches work with Cisco and third-party wireless solutions to extend the reach of your network. Employees can work productively from conference rooms and common areas, collaborate in any office, and access business applications from wherever they are. With their security features, Power over Ethernet (PoE), Auto Smartports, VLAN, and QoS, these switches are the perfect foundation to add business-grade wireless to a network. - Unified communications. The Cisco 200 Series provides QoS features to enable you to prioritize delay-sensitive traffic in your network and let you converge all of your communications solutions - such as IP telephony and video surveillance - onto a single Ethernet network. Cisco offers a complete portfolio of IP telephony and other unified communications products designed for small businesses, and Cisco 200 Series switches have been rigorously tested to help ensure easy integration and full compatibility with these and other vendor products. Features and Benefits Performance and reliability: Cisco 200 Series switches have been tested to deliver the high availability and performance you would expect from a Cisco switch and help you prevent costly downtime. The switches speed file transfer times, improve slow and sluggish networks, keep your vital business applications available, and help your employees respond more quickly to customers and each other. With a network based on Cisco 200 Series switches, you can address all of your business communications and connectivity needs and reduce the total cost of ownership of your technology infrastructure. - Power over Ethernet (PoE): Cisco 200 Series switches are available with PoE on both Fast Ethernet and Gigabit Ethernet models. This capability simplifies the deployment of IP telephony, wireless, video surveillance, and other solutions by allowing you to send data and power to network endpoints over the same network cable. With no need for separate power supplies or outlets for IP phones, IP cameras, or wireless access points, you can speed up deployment and installation and take advantage of advanced communications technologies quickly, and at a lower cost. - Network security: Cisco 200 Series switches provide security and network management features you need to maintain a high level of security for your business, keep unauthorized users off the network, and protect your business data. The switches provide integrated network security to reduce the risk of a security breach, with IEEE 802.1X port security to control access to your network. Denial-of-service (DOS) attack prevention increases network uptime in the presence of an attack. - IP telephony support: Cisco 200 Series switches include QoS features to prioritize delay-sensitive services such as voice and video, simplify unified communications deployments, and help ensure consistent network performance for all services. - Networkwide automatic voice deployment: Using a combination of Cisco Discovery Protocol, LLDP-MED, Auto Smartports, and Voice Services Discovery Protocol (VSDP) - a unique patent-pending Cisco protocol - customers can deploy an end-to-end voice network dynamically. The switches in the network automatically converge into a single voice VLAN and set of QoS parameters and then propagate them out to the phones on the ports where they are discovered. For example, automated voice VLAN capabilities let you plug any IP phone (including third-party phones) into your IP telephony network and receive an immediate dial tone. The switch automatically configures the device with the right VLAN and QoS parameters to prioritize voice traffic. - IPv6 support: As the IP network addressing scheme evolves to accommodate more devices, you can make sure that your network is ready. Cisco 200 Series switches provide native support for IPv6 alongside traditional IPv4. That means you can take full advantage of IPv6-enabled operating systems and applications in the future, without having to upgrade your network equipment. - Additional Gigabit Ethernet ports: The Cisco 200 Series provides more ports per switch than other switches in the market, giving you more flexibility to connect and empower your business. Gigabit Ethernet models feature 26- and 50-port switches, versus traditional devices that offer 20 or 44 ports with 4 shared ports. The Cisco 200 Series also offers mini Gigabit Interface Converter (mini-GBIC) expansion slots that give you the option to add fiber optic or Gigabit Ethernet uplink connectivity to the switch. With the ability to increase the connectivity range of the switches, you have more flexibility to design your network around your unique business environment, and to easily connect switches on different floors or across the business.