Cisco 200 vs. Cisco 300- The better option
Interested in the Small Business Series and what it has to offer? Below is a comparison review for the collections’ prominent series: the Cisco 200 and the Cisco 300. Read on for further insight.
Cisco’s SMB family of networking solutions houses some of the most reliable Switching devices, all of which are specifically designed to meet enterprise class demands. The Cisco 300 is one of the Managed Switch Series and alongside the 500 collection: form the upper echelon of this collection.
Alternatively, the 200 series features Smart Switches that provide users with a wide range of capabilities and Smart features. Take a look as we compare both of these Switching portfolios to help you decide on the better option.
Table of Contents
What are the differences between Cisco 200 and Cisco 300?
Cisco 200 |
Cisco 300 |
|
Types |
Smart Ethernet Switches |
Managed Ethernet Switches |
POE |
Some POE enabled ports |
All ports POE |
Layer Networking Access |
Basic Layer 2 functionality |
Layer 2 and IPv4 static routing over Layer 3 access |
Cost of ownership |
Affordable |
Depends on model |
Cisco 200 vs. Cisco 300- How do these compare
Types
Both the Cisco 200 and 300 series are fixed configuration switches. However, they are designed as two separate variations with the Cisco 200 categorized as a group of Smart switches, while the Cisco 300 is a family of Managed Switches. Smart switches are great for management and network segmentation features; however, they are not very scalable. Managed switches on the other hand not only deliver a elaborate list of features, but also offer scalability. For this reason, Cisco 300 switches have an upper hand over the 200 collection, because the Cisco 200 lacks enough scalability capacity for growing high demand environments.
Performance
There are many ways users can gauge and compare performance on switching devices. For instance, since the Cisco 300 series offers some advanced features unavailable of the 200 collection. One of these is IPv4 support which allows for routing on a 300 series platform. Different advanced features included on the Cisco 300 give these models an upper hand in terms of performance.
Similarly, the 200 Cisco switches with POE ports feature a 15W output per POE port while Since the Cisco 300 carry higher Power Over Ethernet ports, they readily support other high power POE devices connected on to the network. Unfortunately, this access is limited considering the 200 models only feature a 15 W output compared to the 30W per Port output on the 300 series.
Cisco 200 vs. Cisco 300- A comparison review
Cisco 200
When looking to build a powerful network for your business that is easy to use and affordable: the Cisco 200 series is worth considerations. As part of the Small and Midsized Business collection, this line comes with all the enterprise class capabilities with reliable security and performance for maximum productivity.
Features
Cisco describes this series of devices as an affordable collection of smart switches with great performance and management features integrated on there. The line includes Fast Ethernet and Gigabit Ethernet connectivity. The collection is available in two different categories. Each is designated the tag SF or SG to represent the port connectivity options.
Flexibility on the network is achieved using additional ports which allow for easy network expansion. Moreover, the available expansion slots allow for network expansion over fiber optic or Gigabit Ethernet connectivity. This high speed connectivity accommodates various deployment options: all of which are pretty secure. Some of these deployment scenarios include desktop connectivity, wireless connectivity and unified performance using a collaboration of features.
Many benefits and advantages accompany the use of Cisco 200 devices within business networks, including ease in use, configuration and management, connectivity and energy efficiency, reliability across various models and much more. Enabled with Layer 2 Switching capabilities and benefit, the Cisco 200 devices are capable gadgets even in business operations where connectivity demands are higher.
Various energy efficiency solutions on this series of devices ensure the line remains eco-friendly. With these, users can optimize energy use, in addition to lowering energy costs and overall cost of the operation.
SF200-24P
- Easy configuration and management
- Performance and reliability
The Cisco SF200-24P Smart Switch features 24 10./100 with POE support. It allows various deployment options including: unified communications, high speed wired connectivity and highly secure wireless. This switch features a forwarding rate of 6.55 Mpps and bandwidth output of 29.79 Gbps.
An intuitive and simplified Web-UI available on this model is great for configuration and interaction with your switch. It is designed for increased ease of use across the board, with several protocols and settings guiding user interaction. The model also offers IPv6 and telephony support, as well as a Power over Ethernet capacity to deploy wireless, telephony and other solutions without having to set up an IP camera and power supplies.
It is an energy efficient option, with energy efficient Ethernet combining with automatic power down to minimize consumption levels. Various integrated security features offer comprehensive threat protection against different types of adversaries as a result.
Cisco 300
Cisco’s Small Business Switches are a well received line of devices. They are tailored to ensure strong and dependable connection network is available to your employees. Business owners looking to provide a good foundation for their network can use the new generation of Cisco devices to do so.
Features
Combining affordability with advanced features and performance: the Cisco 300 series of Managed Switches are the ideal solution for many networking issues. The collection consists of a wide range of capabilities. High connectivity across the board with fast speeds ensure not only improved network performance, but also allows users to access enterprise class data security and wireless technologies.
The collection features a wide variety of tools all of which are great for improved network deployment, management and configuration. Speaking of connectivity, the models within this collection are enabled with Fast Ethernet or Gigabit Ethernet connectivity technology.
Some of the benefits of the Cisco 300 collection include high performance with reliability, quick and easy set up, energy efficiency among others. The flexibility accompanying the Cisco 300 collection ensures users can manage and prioritize information within high bandwidth optimization capabilities. Advanced security management offered by every model on this line ensures all users access enterprise level security technologies quite easily. In fact, combined with the networking features, the Cisco 300 devices are an advantageous addition to any Small to Mid Sized Business.
While this collection is not designed to be deployed with CLI’s, the Textview available makes deployment quite simple. In fact, there are many deployment options available to you including: desktop connectivity, wireless connectivity, Unified communications with advanced network traffic management and secure guest connectivity.
Cisco SG 300-20
The Cisco SG 300-20 offers only 20 ports, with 18 10/100/1000 options and 2 uplink ports. It features 40 Gbps bandwidth performance and a 29.76 Mpps forwarding rate. Different deployment options including secure desktop, wireless and guest connectivity alongside unified communication are available over the 300-20 switch.
It provides high reliability and performance which guarantees consistent output for different productivity needs. This switch is designed for increased ease of use, with an intuitive web based device manager to help troubleshoot or configure your profile without a problem.. Moreover, this unit delivers dual image support for uninterrupted updates, remote management, dual configuration support and other simplified management options. It features a high security level that blocks out different types of malicious agents. A combination of embedded security protocols with ACLs, VLANs and network security applications such as IEEE 802.1X port allow for limited network access. It also features SCT, BPDU and dynamic ARP monitoring to enhance network security.
Now, Let’s compare the Cisco SG 300-20 to the SF200-24P
Cisco SG 300-20 |
SF200-24P |
|
Number of ports |
20 |
24 |
Integrated security |
√ |
√ |
power consumption efficiency features |
√ |
√ |
forwarding rate |
29.76 Mpps with bandwidth output of 40 Gbps |
6.55 Mpps with bandwidth output of 29.79 Gbps |
Conclusion
In conclusion, the choice of best Cisco Small Business Switch series for your network really depends on what you need. Since these are ultimately two very different categories of switching tech, the choice should be strictly driven by your networking and application requirements.
