Cisco Switch – 3850 Model Naming Convention

ciscohardwareswitch

I am having some trouble identifying a switch model via the CLI, and also understanding the differences between a few different models.

The models in question are :

  • 3850-48P-S
  • 3850-48P-L
  • 3850-48P-E

Any 'show version' or 'show hardware' command I use only shows 3850-48P and not the suffixes S, L or E that Cisco has on their website. Where in the world can I compare these models to see the difference? Additionally, how can I find what model my switch is via the CLI?

Best Answer

It is reporting your hardware. The letter to which you refer is the license, which can be updated.

  • L is for the LAN Base license
  • S is for the IP Base License
  • E is for the IP Services license

The letter is really only significant when you order the device because you can change the license, but the hardware doesn't change.