The Cisco Catalyst 3850 series switches are designed to deliver robust wireless throughput capabilities, which vary depending on the specific model and its configuration within a stack.
The throughput of a Cisco Catalyst 3850 Series Switch is primarily defined by its wireless throughput capacity, indicating its ability to process wireless traffic aggregated from connected access points.
Wireless Throughput Capacity by Model
The wireless throughput capacity of the Catalyst 3850 series differs based on the number of ports on the switch model:
| Cisco Catalyst 3850 Model Type | Wireless Throughput (Gbps) |
|---|---|
| 48-port models | 40 Gbps |
| 24-port/12-port models | 20 Gbps |
These figures represent the dedicated capacity for wireless traffic, allowing the switch to efficiently handle data from numerous wireless clients and access points.
The Impact of Stacking on Throughput
A key feature of the Cisco Catalyst 3850 series is its ability to form a stack, which significantly enhances its overall capacity and resiliency. When multiple Cisco Catalyst 3850 switches are stacked together, their wireless capacity increases proportionally with the number of members in the stack.
This stacking capability offers several benefits for network performance:
- Aggregated Wireless Capacity: The individual wireless throughputs of stacked switches combine, providing a much larger pool of bandwidth for wireless traffic across the network.
- Simplified Management: A stack operates as a single logical unit, simplifying configuration and management.
- Enhanced Resiliency: Stacking provides redundancy, ensuring continuous operation even if one switch in the stack fails.
Key Considerations for Network Performance
While the wireless throughput is a crucial aspect, the overall performance of a network leveraging Cisco Catalyst 3850 switches also depends on other factors:
- Wired Switching Capacity: Beyond wireless, these switches also possess significant wired forwarding capacities for traditional Ethernet traffic.
- Uplink Bandwidth: The speed of the uplinks connecting the switch or stack to the rest of the network (e.g., core switch, router) can influence the effective throughput.
- Network Design: The overall architecture, including VLANs, QoS policies, and routing protocols, plays a vital role in optimizing data flow and ensuring efficient utilization of the available throughput.
- Connected Devices: The number and type of wireless access points and client devices will impact how the wireless throughput is utilized.
Understanding these capacities is essential for designing and maintaining a high-performing and scalable network infrastructure.
