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
Cisco 200 Series Smart Switches provide all of the features you need to create a basic business-class network at an affordable price. These features include:

Easy configuration and management
Cisco 200 Series switches are designed to be easy to deploy and use by small businesses or the partners that serve them. Simple-to-use web-based interfaces reduce the time it takes to deploy, manage, and troubleshoot your network. Key features include:

– Cisco Discovery Protocol and Link Layer Discovery Protocol (LLDP-MED) automatically detect all the devices connected to your network and then automatically configure themselves for the appropriate connectivity and instruct the devices to use appropriate voice VLAN or QoS parameters.

– Cisco Smartports technology provides for more advanced capabilities and hands-on control by automatically configuring ports with specific levels of security, QoS, and availability according to the type of connected device, based on Cisco best practices and pretested configurations. The Auto Smartports feature automatically applies the intelligence delivered through the Smartports roles to the port based on the devices discovered over Cisco Discovery Protocol or LLDP-MED. This capability facilitates zero-touch deployments.

– Cisco FindIT Network Discovery Utility works through a simple toolbar on the user's web browser to discover Cisco devices on the network and display basic information, such as serial numbers and IP addresses, to aid in the configuration and speed the deployment of Cisco Small Business products.

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.

An energy-efficient solution
Cisco 200 Series switches are designed to be energy efficient and eco-friendly without compromising performance. They help conserve energy by optimizing power use, which helps protect the environment and lowers your energy costs. Power-saving features include:

– Energy-Efficient Ethernet (EEE, the IEEE 802.3az standard), supported on all Cisco 200 Series Gigabit Ethernet switch models. EEE improves the efficiency of network equipment and provides standardized signaling mechanisms that can enable rapid transitions between normal operation and low power idle (LPI) states in systems on either end of the physical layer link.

– Automatic power down on Gigabit Ethernet ports when a link is not active.

– Embedded intelligence to adjust power based on cable length on Gigabit Ethernet models.

– Fanless design in most models, which reduces power consumption, increases reliability, and provides quieter operation.

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.

Peace of mind and investment protection
Cisco 200 Series switches offer the reliable performance, investment protection, and peace of mind you expect from a Cisco switch. When you invest in the Cisco 200 Series, you gain the benefit of:

– Cisco limited lifetime warranty to protect your investment.

– Rigorous testing to help ensure easy integration and compatibility with other Cisco networking and communications products, including the complete Cisco Small Business portfolio.