S6720-32C-PWH-SI-AC

The Huawei S6720-32C-PWH-SI-AC is a highly capable 10 Gigabit Ethernet (GE) fixed switch that is part of Huawei’s S6720-SI series. This model stands out due to its multi-gigabit copper ports, Power over Ethernet (PoE++) capabilities, and robust feature set, making it ideal for modern campus networks and next-generation wireless deployments. The “SI” signifies it’s a “Standard Version” offering a comprehensive range of Layer 2 and Layer 3 functionalities, and the “-AC” indicates it comes with an AC power supply.

Here’s an introduction to its key characteristics:

Key Features:

• Multi-Gigabit Base-T Ports with PoE++: This is a defining feature. It comes with 24 x 100M/1G/2.5G/5G/10G Base-T Ethernet ports that support PoE++ (802.3bt). This makes it an excellent choice for:
  • Powering and connecting high-bandwidth Wi-Fi 6/6E access points (APs) that require more than 1 Gbps.
  • Connecting other PoE-powered devices like IP cameras, video phones, and thin clients.
  • The multi-gigabit capabilities allow these ports to auto-negotiate speeds, providing flexibility for various connected devices.
• 10GE SFP+ Fixed Ports: In addition to the copper ports, it includes 4 x 10GE SFP+ ports. These are typically used for high-bandwidth uplinks to the aggregation or core layer of the network, or for connecting 10GE servers or storage.
• One Extended Slot: The presence of an extended slot provides flexibility for future expansion. This slot can typically accommodate various interface cards, such as:
  • 2-port 40GE QSFP+ interface card, for powerful 40 Gigabit uplinks.
  • 4-port 10GE SFP+ interface card, for additional 10GE fiber connectivity.
• Built-in AC Power Supply: The “-AC” suffix denotes that it comes with an integrated AC power module.
• Dual Pluggable Power Supplies: The switch supports two pluggable power supply slots, allowing for 1+1 power redundancy. This is crucial for ensuring high availability and continuous network operation in mission-critical environments. It can use AC or DC power modules, providing flexibility.
• High Performance:
  • Switching Capacity: 2.56 Tbit/s (terabits per second). This high capacity ensures non-blocking, wire-speed forwarding across all its ports, even with a mix of multi-gigabit and 10GE traffic and full PoE loads.
  • Packet Forwarding Rate: 240 Mpps (million packets per second). This indicates its efficient processing of a large volume of network packets.
• Comprehensive Security Policies: The switch incorporates a wide array of security features to protect against various network threats:
  • Defense against DoS (Denial of Service), ARP, and ICMP flood attacks.
  • DHCP snooping, IP source check, and strict ARP learning to prevent unauthorized DHCP servers and IP/MAC spoofing.
  • 802.1X, MAC address authentication, and portal authentication for stringent user and device access control.
  • Port security and MAC address limits to prevent MAC address table exhaustion.
• Advanced QoS (Quality of Service): It offers sophisticated QoS mechanisms to ensure the prioritization of critical services:
  • Traffic classification based on various criteria (e.g., 5-tuple, IP precedence, DSCP, VLAN IDs).
  • Flow-based two-rate three-color CAR (Committed Access Rate).
  • Multiple queue scheduling algorithms (WRR, DRR, PQ, WRR+PQ, DRR+PQ) to guarantee the performance of delay-sensitive services like voice and video.
• High Reliability: To maximize network uptime, it supports numerous redundancy protocols:
  • STP/RSTP/MSTP for loop prevention.
  • RRPP (Rapid Ring Protection Protocol), Smart Link, SEP (Smart Ethernet Protection), and G.8032 ERPS (Ethernet Ring Protection Switching) for rapid protection switchover in various network topologies.
  • Enhanced Trunk (E-trunk) for inter-device link aggregation and load balancing.
• Flexible Management and iStack:
  • iStack Technology: This allows multiple physical switches to be virtualized into a single logical switch, simplifying management, enabling scalability, and improving overall network resilience. Any MultiGE, 10GE SFP+, or 40GE QSFP+ (via extended slot) ports can be configured as stack ports.
  • Supports various management interfaces, including CLI, Web NMS, and SNMPv1/v2/v3, for versatile network administration.
  • Features like automatic configuration, plug-and-play, USB-based deployment, and remote upgrades simplify operations and maintenance.
• Layer 3 Routing Capabilities: Provides comprehensive IPv4 routing (Static, RIP, OSPF, IS-IS, BGP, VRRP, policy-based routing) and IPv6 routing (Static, RIPng, OSPFv3, BGP4+, ISISv6) for efficient network segmentation and inter-VLAN communication.

Typical Applications:

• Next-Generation Wireless Access: The PoE++ and multi-gigabit ports make it an ideal choice for connecting and powering high-performance Wi-Fi 6/6E access points, eliminating bottlenecks in wireless networks.
• High-Density PoE and 10GE Access: Excellent for access layer deployments in campus networks where a large number of PoE-powered devices (IP phones, cameras, thin clients) and high-bandwidth devices (workstations, servers) need to be connected.
• Data Center Access: Can serve as an access switch for 10GE servers in data center environments, particularly where PoE capabilities are also required.

The S6720-32C-PWH-SI-AC is a powerful and versatile solution for building future-proof, high-performance, and resilient enterprise networks, especially those with a significant reliance on high-speed wireless and PoE-powered devices.