Abstract

Intel Corporation commissioned The Tolly Group to evaluate the layer 2 switching performance of its Intel(r) Express 550T Routing Switch, an Ethernet/Fast Ethernet stackable, against Cisco Systems, Inc.'s Catalyst 5000, a modular switch capable of supporting multiple LAN types. The Tolly Group tested both products in a 56-port Fast Ethernet configuration, the maximum port capacity of the Intel Express 550T Routing Switch. (The Catalyst 5000 can support up to 96 Fast Ethernet ports.) The Cisco Catalyst 5000 was outfitted with a Supervisor Engine Module I (WS-X5009), a 1.2 Gbit/s backplane module (Cisco also offers a SEM III upgrade in its Catalyst 5500 and 5505 models to boost the backplane to 3.6 Gbit/s.)

The Intel routing switch delivered performance greater than, or equal to, Cisco's Catalyst 5000; Delivered up to 3.4 times greater thoughput than the Cisco Catalyst 5000 in zero-loss throughput; preserved switch ports by using Stack Interface Modules to interconnected Ethernet/Fast Ethernet switches.