Questions about getting used Cisco 6500

AMD_Gamer

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I am going to take a look at a 6506 Chassis that some guy is selling on craigslist with the power supplies and Supervisor engine. He says the console put out the correct output.

What should I look for to make sure it works ok? Now the console connector you use is the one on the supervisor board?

How much power do these things draw? I see the PSU's listed as over 1000W each. Can you use one PSU at a time and not both in redundant mode?

This guy is selling it dirt cheap that is why I am looking to get it.
 
You use the console port on the sup. You can use one PSU at a time but it is till going to pull a ton of power and be amazingly loud.
 
You use the console port on the sup. You can use one PSU at a time but it is till going to pull a ton of power and be amazingly loud.

That is ok. I want to get experience with a modular switch.

Does the Supervisor board hold the IOS?
 
Make sure it's not a CatOS switch. If it is don't bother..it's useless these days...even for study.
 
The giant PSU's are for PoE deployments. Of course, they still kill a few hundred watts with a few modules, but you need PoE or an asston of optics to break 1KWe.
 
The giant PSU's are for PoE deployments. Of course, they still kill a few hundred watts with a few modules, but you need PoE or an asston of optics to break 1KWe.

I would plan to just get the fan and 10/100 ethernet module.
 
I've already posted that I think it's a waste of time, money, electricity, etc.

That said, you want at least a sup2 with msfc2. Something like this:

http://cgi.ebay.com/Cisco-WS-X6K-SU..._EN_Networking_Components&hash=item5644376461

Ideally, it will be running native mode. If not, you'll have to upgrade and make sure the gear is supported (and you have the memory/flash for it). Look for some 6148 or 6548 cards. This link will be invaluable:

http://www.cisco.com/en/US/products/hw/switches/ps708/products_tech_note09186a0080a70cda.shtml

Seriously though, you're not gaining much by getting something like this. There are far cheaper and more energy-efficient devices which will have the feature support you need for studying. You should focus on learning at this point, not just buying random shit.
 
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I would plan to just get the fan and 10/100 ethernet module.

Okay - except the fan module has 9 fans in it - and those are 'enterprise grade' fans. The fan module alone uses 100W to 200W, and the supervisor cards aren't exactly energy efficient.
 
amd i say buy it all up man, hook that up and heat your whole house :)

BTW where are you putting all this stuff ? you should post pics of your pile that is growing :)

dash
 
Yeah..should be able to upgrade that to IOS though I don't think I'd bother. Not much that old switch can do that some other more recent IOS switch can't. It's going to be LOUD and pull a lot of power.
 
Yeah..should be able to upgrade that to IOS though I don't think I'd bother. Not much that old switch can do that some other more recent IOS switch can't. It's going to be LOUD and pull a lot of power.

But it is pretty damn cool right?

What if i could get it for $45?
 
Hey,
I'm all for large quantities of gear - so I'm not here to discourage you. I even wanted to get myself a Black Diamond 6808 a couple months back. :eek:

But you need to strike a line between what's necessary and what's not for your studies (extra, and very distracting toys).

I do a listing like this, every time an eBay urge kicks in:
Why should I get a 6506:
Uber-l33tness in mah rack
Lots o' ports

Why I should not get a 6505:
Huge power draw.
Outdated.
Requires more space.
Loud & puts out a ton of heat.
Can find a more efficient/smaller device that would do almost the same.

That being said, treat your CCNA studies and associated materials/lab equipment with priority. That $50 + Shipping can get you another router or switch (who knows, even both) that you can actually use.

Focus on your primary goal and what will get you to that point. Toys can always be acquired. :p

The decision is always yours - but weigh it out first.

Summary: Listen to Vito on this one.
 
Anyone who buys a giant modular switch for home use is an idiot. It's pointless.
 
I feel like I should post, only because Im one of those people that do use a "huge modular switch" at home. Do I have lots of them, yes! Did I pay for any of them, not a one! and thats probably my only reason Im using one of them for my home network(the 4500).

With that said, heres how I see it:
the 6500 with a sup2 and one 6548 will probably draw a bit more electric than a 3560G-PoE(about 230W). So the people bitching about the power being so much more dont know what they're talking about.

The 6500/4500(I have both) are NOT switches that you want if you want a quiet switch. Pop them in a basement so you wont have to hear them.

The 6500 w/ a sup2 will get you hybrid mode(in most case) at best(depending on memory). This is possibly the worst way for this switch to run, but despite what the "experts" think its still, and unfortunate, commonly used in this manner. Its good to know, but as time goes on it gets more useless by the day. If you can run native, this is the way to go.

Would I ever go out an buy a 6500? Nope, I have one already but If im supporting one thats running hybrid/native mode every day at work then its a good tool to have at your disposal... if I were you would I buy it? No!


You need to focus on building your foundation of networking concepts, not on playing with hardware that will be far beyond your knowledge. Sorry dude, but you gotta crawl first and THEN run.

So im summary:

Will the 6500 run your electric bill up that much: Depending on how populated it is, yes.. but no more than other Cisco gigabit switches
Will the 6500 heat that room: Indeed
Will the 6500 be louder than you would like: Most definitely
Is the 6500 a waste of money: Depends, you cant blanket say it is... and anyone who does is simply ignorant.
 
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Dude, stop seeking peoples approval on these forums... You're not going to get it. If you want to buy it, buy it.... but I wouldn't expect anyone, except for dash(and only because he doesn't know anything about networking), to tell you to go for it. If you have the money, why not... waste it. At the end of the day you will learn something but most likely, like I said above, you dont have the foundation to truly understand the technology you're playing with.
 
I did some calculations with the Cisco power tool and, if it's to be trusted, the actual power usage on the 6500s is much higher than a PoE switch (with no PoE devices connect).

6506 with WS-X6K-SUP2-MSFC2 and WS-CAC-1000W along with a 48 port (The 6148s and 6548s gave me the same numbers. Didn't do PoE on any.) blade:
Code:
Output Current(@42V) (A): 6.92
Output Power (W): 290.64
Typical Power Used (W): 232.51
Heat Dissipation (BTU/Hr): 1295.65

WS-C3560G-48PS:
Code:
Switch Power Consumption (with no PoE Devices) (W): 80
Heat Dissipation (with no PoE Devices) (BTU/Hr): 273.2

Not sure how real world the calculator is, but this is what it told me. The power thing is a good point though. If the chassis isn't too populated, it could still be okay on energy use. But I still don't think it's reasonable for 99% of people (especially people just starting out).

For someone without even a CCNA, the 6500 is silly. Get some routers and 2950s/3550s and learn what you need. This should be much more cost-effective (and likely more energy-efficient). Buying a 6500 just to have one doesn't make a lot of sense. Especially when you don't understand 95% of what it can do. Anyway, I feel like a broken record. Trying to help AMD is like pissing upwind.
 
Complete waste. I wouldn't take one if someone paid me $100 :)

Though I'm sure some of us care a lot less since we deal with big iron shit on a daily basis. If you decide to buy it, remember that you can only put native IOS on it if you buy a 24MB+ PCMCIA card for that 1A and have an onboard MSFC2. Don't even bother with hybrid mode, it's awful to say the least.

If I were you I'd just pick up a 3550 instead, but do whatever you want.
 
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