S7300 VS S7600 Core Switch, Which One to Choose?

The S7300 and S7600 core switches offer different models that are applicable in various scenarios and industries. Core switches play an indispensable role in enterprise and campus networks, being responsible for high-speed routing and switching. Therefore, selecting a suitable core layer switch is essential for enterprise or campus networks. This article will introduce you to the S7300 and S7600 series core switches, helping you make an informed decision about the best device for your needs.

Comparison of S7300/S7600 Core Switches Parameters

S7300 and S7600 Core Switches Hardware Comparison

By comparing the information in the above table, we have gained a preliminary understanding of the S7300 and S7600 series network core switches. Now, we will proceed with a hardware-based comparison of these two series of core switches to help you make an informed decision in choosing the one that suits your needs.

S7300 VS S7600 Series Core Switches Ports

The main port configuration of both S7300 and S7600 series core switches is 24/48 ports, but they support different data rates. The S7300 L3 switch ports support 10G ports and also support 40G and 100G uplink connections. On the other hand, the S7600 series switches support 10G and 25G ports, as well as 40G and 100G uplink connections. The primary difference in the port configuration between S7300 and S7600 series core switches is that the S7600 series switches provide 25G ports, while the S7300 series only provides 10G ports.

Switching Capacity and Forwarding Rate

Compared to the S7300 series switch, the S7600 series switch offers more options in terms of switching capacity and forwarding rate. If you are looking for a network switch with the maximum possible switching capacity, then the S7600 series is undoubtedly a great choice. On the other hand, if your network architecture does not require a large switching capacity, you can consider selecting the S7300 series core switch.

Power Consumption and Supply

The power consumption and power supply of each different model of switches also vary. As shown in the table above, the maximum power consumption of the S7300 series core switches ranges from 75W to 147W, and they are equipped with hot-swappable power supplies. On the other hand, the maximum power consumption of the S7600 series network core switches ranges from 59W to 160W, and they are equipped with 1+1 redundant power supplies. You can choose different switches based on your specific requirements.

Fans of the S7300 and S7600

The S7300 series core switches are equipped with 4 intelligent fans, while the S7600 series has different fan configurations, such as 2+1 redundant fans and 4 intelligent hot-swappable fans to choose from. The intelligent fans can adjust their speed based on the stability of the switch's operation, resulting in energy-saving and emission-reduction benefits. The hot-swappable fans allow for easy replacement of fans in the switch, allowing you to assemble the fans according to your specific needs.

Software Feature Comparison

After presenting the hardware differences between the S7300 and S7600 series switches, we will now introduce the disparities in their software features. This comparison aims to assist you in selecting the appropriate network core switch for your needs.

MLAG

MLAG, or Multi-Chassis Link Aggregation Group, is an essential feature that enables redundancy, high availability, and rapid failover capability, thereby improving network reliability and stability. The S7600 series core switches support MLAG functionality, making them suitable for network environments with higher requirements for reliability and stability. However, if your network demands are not as stringent for reliability and stability, the S7300 series core switches can fully meet your needs.

VXLAN

VXLAN is a virtualization technology that is primarily used to create, isolate, and interconnect virtual networks within data centers or enterprise networks, thereby enhancing network reliability, flexibility, and security. The S7600 series core switches support VXLAN, which not only isolates traffic from different virtual networks to improve network security and privacy but also enables cross-subnet communication, reducing the complexity of virtual machine migration and deployment, and accelerating communication between virtual machines. However, if your network scale is not large, the S7300 series network core switches, although not supporting VXLAN, are still fully sufficient for use.

Stacking Capability

Stacking refers to the technique of connecting switches together using specific technology to form a logical unit, allowing multiple switches to be managed as one large switch. The S7300 series switch supports stacking of up to 8 switches, making it a suitable choice for environments requiring a higher number of switches. In contrast, the S7600 series core switch does not support stacking functionality. Through stacking, networks can be efficiently expanded and managed, meeting the growing demands of the network.

Applications

Stacking

When you are dealing with a high-density network or facing continuously growing network demands, stacking switches becomes the ideal choice. QSFPTEK's S7300 series switches support stacking of up to 8 switches, which can be managed as a single logical unit. By utilizing the stacking feature, you can maximize space utilization and provide higher port density, offering increased throughput and bandwidth to meet the requirements of large-scale data transmission and processing.

Three-layer network architecture

In the three-tier network architecture, the S7300 and S7600 series network core switches have wide applicability and can play a significant role in different levels of networks, including the aggregation layer and the core layer. These switches offer flexible configurations and functionalities to meet various scales and complexities of network requirements, suitable for small enterprise networks to large data center networks. Therefore, during network planning, the S7300 and S7600 series core switches can be deployed flexibly at different network levels according to specific needs, enabling faster, more reliable data transmission and routing, and providing excellent network management and security.

MLAG

When your network requires high availability and fast fault recovery capability, choosing switches that support MLAG is undoubtedly a better option. MLAG allows multiple switches to be configured as a logical aggregation group, enabling redundancy and load balancing between devices. When one switch in the MLAG experiences a failure, another switch immediately takes over its operation, achieving seamless failover. Additionally, load balancing distributes traffic across different switches, enhancing network performance and throughput. MLAG technology plays a crucial role in scenarios like data center networks that demand high reliability and performance.

Conclusion

After reading this article, you will find that the S7300 and S7600 series core switches have their own advantages, although they share some similarities, there are also certain differences in hardware and software aspects. You can choose the appropriate core switch based on the application scenarios provided in this article. If you have any other questions, please feel free to contact QSFPTEK's CCIE/HCIE engineers at [email protected].