Cisco SG vs Cisco SF – Which Ethernet connectivity option is better?

Have you ever wondered what the SF or SG tag attached to Cisco SMB switches means? Take a look as we differentiate Fast Ethernet from Gigabit Ethernet connectivity options, with respect to Cisco’s Small Business switches.

Cisco has been in the telecommunications game for a long time, creating, and upgrading many of their devices with Ethernet connectivity. The Cisco Small Business line it a prime example of this. Featuring a wide collection of features which deliver great performance and budget friendly prices: the SMB collection does well to equip small to midsized business’ network operations.

Below is our comparison review of Cisco SF and SG models We take a look at the connectivity options available to you on this Cisco Switch portfolio, highlighting their advantages and comparing what each has to offer.

What are the differences between the Cisco SF and Cisco SG?

Cisco SF vs Cisco SG- How these compare

Performance and speed

The most significant difference between Gigaethernet and Fast Ethernet is with their speed. Denoted 10/100, Fast Ethernet is the slower of the two. It runs at 100Mbps. Gigabit Ethernet on the other hand offers up to a 1000Mbps and is detonated as 10/100/1000. Since this speed is f10 times faster than Fast Ethernet speeds. Moreover, Fat Ethernet connections tend to experience delay and lag compared to Gigabit Ethernet.

Across the board, SG models, enabled with Gigabit Ethernet are significantly faster compared to SF models on the same collections. Looking at the differences in forwarding rates and switching capacities on these models, it is quite evident that SG Switches are better off, in terms of performance.

Deployment

First off, setting up Fast Ethernet connections is not as difficult or as complicated as installing or configuring Gigabit Ethernet. While Cisco SF and SG models from the same collection typically include many similar features and capabilities, some models might be difficult to set up on account of the GE connectivity features. Luckily, for both instances, Cisco offers a wide selection oof deployment and management tools to ease the task.

SKU

The stock keeping units on Fast Ethernet enabled Cisco Switches is SF, while for gigabit Ethernet enabled devices is GE. This information is useful especially for new users, who are not well versed with Cisco devices. While the SKU is not a functional difference, it its important in differentiating devices with FE from those with GE connectivity.

Availability on series

Cisco SF models are not exclusively equipped with Fast Ethernet technology. In fact, many SF Switches feature additional GE connections for improving overall network performance. However, the Cisco SG features exclusively Gigabit Ethernet connections with different uplink models. Without incorporating Fast Ethernet into their features, SG models are able to rely on GE and outperform SF devices.

Cisco SF vs Cisco SG- A comparison review

Cisco SF

Fast Ethernets, designated the abbreviation FE is quite popular on Cisco Switches. All the members of the Cisco Small Business collection include this connectivity option. Models equipped Fast Ethernet powered Switches are designated the tag SF within the product. Fast Ethernet models are designed to handle speeds of up to 100Mpbs. It was designed as an improvement on the 10-Base-T Ethernet.

Interestingly, the Cisco SF models feature GE connection uplinks to help improve performance and speeds, and harness some of the benefits of Gigabit Ethernet.

SF300-24PP-K9-NA

CISCO SF300-24PP 24-Port 10/100 PoE+ Managed Switch w/Gig Uplinks (SF300-24PP-K9-NA)

• Product Type- network switch
• Total Number of network Ports: 26. Interfaces: 24 x 10Base-T/100Base-TX - RJ-45 - PoE, 1 x console - 9...

Check Price

The Cisco SF 300 24PP-K9 is a 24 port network switch that also includes 2 mini-GBIC ports. It offers a bandwidth capacity of 12.8 Gbps and a forwarding rate of 9.82 Mpps. This model features easy to use management and control tools. It offers various templates and wizards to suit new users or help set configuration within minutes.

Various Energy efficiency features work together to minimize power consumption on the operation. Additional power control features such as an automatic power off on unused lines, fan-less design to minimize consumption, low power circuits and LED lighting controls. Different and impressive security features alongside threat defense work together to protect your networks.

View Price on Amazon

Cisco SG

Gigabit Ethernet designated the abbreviation GE is the newer Ethernet standard compared to the FE. It is available on the SMB collection and is designated the tag GE. Often, even models with FE connections include GE connections in form of uplinks for scalability and improved performance over GE connections.

SG300-28PP-K9

No products found.

The Cisco SG 300-28PP-K9 comes with a dynamic port setup which offers 24 ports designed with POE+ capabilities along with a combo mini-GBIC.  This 10./100 Gigabit POE switch is designed to be very easy to use, helping even first time users enjoy network efficiency.

It supports true stacking, allowing control of multiple switches from a single functional unit. Moreover, this model accommodates mixed stacking with similar Cisco 300 Switching Devices. Using the web based interface, users can access to security, setup, quality of service prioritization and other configurations.

The SG  300-28PP-K9 offers a bandwidth capacity of 56 Gbps and a forwarding rate of  41.67 Mpps. The model offers advanced security to protect your network against any unauthorized access. It features threat management, access control lists, secure core technology, BPDU guard, guest VLANs and dynamic inspection to offer security against different types of security threats.

View Price on Amazon

Conclusion

In conclusion, both the SF and SG models available on the Cisco SMB collection are highly valuable Switching devices. They carry all the same features and allow basically the same capabilities, with a difference in their ports.