I’d stay away from the older units with onboard PS. The newer PD models are better by quite a bit in my system than the older models. I’d try to get one of the models below if you can. And if you’re inclined you can get one of each and try out POE in your last leg.
WS-C2960CPD-8PT-L (sends POE)
WS-C2960CPD-8TT-L (receives POE)
Yes, the SFPs can be a multitude of fibre types or twisted pair.
With fibre it’s important to use the right fibre type/SFP combination for successful operation.
I suggest if you want to try fibre you focus on 1000 Base SX SFP for multimode fibre for ease of use and minimum special handling.
I’ve just got a CISCO 2960 today, may I ask which mode am I supposed to use if my network signal comes from a TPLINK X60 MESH ?
SYST
STAT
DPLX
SPD
Am I supposed to plug the source signal into the “CONSOLE” then the 272 into 1 out of the 8 ports ?
thanks
i think console is for computer hook up, i thought it is the one with the yellow round it on the right.
I’ve tried the yellow one also. No signal. Do I need to configure it ? If yes, how ? I thought just plug the source signal into yellow one then 272 into 1 of the 8 ports, but no signal.
please help.
thanks
Depends. If it was factory reset (or new) you shouldn’t have to. If it comes with the previous owner’s configuration still stored, you may well have to. It’s a powerful device that can do things that would inhibit traffic if configured in a way that does not fit your network.
This should help for the how:
You should just use ports 1-8 for router source and 272. Leave the other ports alone unless you have to use the console port if the above doesn’t work.
Black cable below is from router. Orange to devices.
thanks gthack. I’ve tried that, but no signal. Any idea why and how could I fix that ?
My plan if that didn’t work for my switch was to follow setup guide from Cisco: Catalyst 2960 Switch Getting Started Guide (8-Port Switches), February 2008 - Cisco
or similar. Luckily my switch worked out of the box. The console port requires a special cable, the setup guide section should work with ports 1-8. There’s also a reset process described in the instructions that might be worth following.
Having said all that, they’re are lots of folks more knowledgeable on here that will have better ideas. I have done some basic admin on Cisco switches, about 20 years ago, I was frankly relieved mine worked without needing to get involved with configuration.
The ‘Mode’ that you refer to is in fact just a set of diagnostic LED’s - SYStem, STATus, DuPLeX and SPeeD. The button simply rotates through each in turn depending on what the user wishes to see. The ‘Console’ port is purely for configuration purposes and does require a special cable known as a roll-over. Describing how to connect to it is a little more involved than I have time for right at this minute, but it may also not be required to resolve your current issue.
The port on the far right of the switch is known and an uplink port, and is generally used when connecting to other network infrastructure devices - another switch for example. They are often capable of connecting at faster speeds in order to carry more of the information from your connected devices to the rest of the network. Depending on the layout of your network, it may make sense to utilise this for its intended purpose. Where does your X60 Mesh connect today?
The post from gthack shows a great starting point for connectivity, and one which increases your chances of success. However, if you are able to provide a basic pencil like diagram of your network today, we/I may be able to provide further assistance.
Regards
JR
My network is really simple.
Original fiber optic modem <> TP Link DECO X60 MESH(wifi6) in living room <> another DECO X60 MESH(wifi6) in study room
MESH(wifi6) CISCO 2960 272
There is something hilariously funny about a small niche forum for Naim owners probably being the single most enthousiastic group of collectors of a specific model of ethernet switch from a generic network brand.
Who actually started this fad, and when??
There may be a guy at Cisco’s sales department scratching his head over some odd numbers
Those old blue ciscos are the noisiest of the bunch I tried. Try to get a newer model with external PS if you can. Also, you want to make sure it’s not configured so do a factory reset if you need to.
Breaking news. Cisco Roon Ready audiophile switch under development. You heard it here first 
Pretty sure If you keep your finger on the button on the left for a bit this puts to factory reset. the 1-8 ports for your cables
Guilty… but it all started when I was eliminating some RF interference from my Netgear Ethernet switch breaking into my NAT05 tuner… I replaced with a 2960 Catalyst switch I had available. It removed the RFI and I noticed my then NDX sounded better.
I reversed back… and noticed the deterioration. I shared my experiences on the previous Naim forum… others tried it and some, but certainly not all, found similar results… and it spread from there… I was even contacted by an audiophile journalists over it… and I predicted there would be dedicated switches with tighter serial clocks hitting the market for the audiophile market… and about 24 months later they appeared 
But the benefits I found were not limited to the Catalyst 2960, all Catalysts I tried benefitted including the Catalyst 3750 layer 3 switch.
You should have gotten into the game back then, you’d have to give away Statements on the forum for lack of space
If a previous user has configured the switch you need to console into it to clear any remaining settings. The reset button won’t do this.
I’m curious as to how you came to this conclusion. I have a number of 2960s including a couple of old blue ones, and they are all electrically very quiet.
