Cisco switch plans support for IPv6

Last time, I mentioned that vendors are offering more products that support IP Version 6, and it happens that Cisco this week unveiled a stackable switch with promised IPv6 support.

Initially, the Catalyst 3750 desktop switch will be “IPv6-capable in hardware,” meaning that it still needs a software upgrade to support the newer protocol, the company says. IPv6 is desirable for those organizations that have large numbers of devices connected to their networks.

The “stackable” part of the stackable switch is what Cisco calls StackWise, and it has a 32G bit/sec interconnect to accommodate up to nine switches. Connecting the switches allows them to be treated as a single, logical switch. The switches in the stack can take over for one another if there is a failure.

Some models of the Catalyst 3750 series have 24 ports of 10/100/1000M bit/sec Ethernet, while another variety comes with either 24 or 48 ports of 10/100M bit/sec Ethernet.

The Catalyst 3750 series starts at $5,000, and is expected to ship in June.

In related news, Cisco also introduced several storage networking products for connecting Fibre Channel devices to an IP network, using either iSCSI or Fibre Channel over IP.

One module is an eight-port card that fits into the Cisco MDS 9000 switches to support both protocols over Gigabit Ethernet. That’s expected to be available in June, and pricing was not disclosed. Another module is designed for the Cisco 7200 and 7400 routers for interconnecting storage area networks over long distances. That module is shipping today for $10,000.