Fast Ethernet switching is rapidly evolving from high-end backbone applications to desktop switching applications. The market has seen a dramatic drop in prices, while performance and feature sets continue to improve. One year ago, wire speed Fast Ethernet switches were practically unheard of; today, they dominate the market. Fixed configuration switches often skimp on features to make up for price gouging in the market. But the Cisco Systems' 2916M-XL breaks that mold by providing a complete feature set and room for expansion at a desktop switching price point.

The 2916M-XL has 16 fixed-configuration 10/100BASE-TX ports and room for two snap-in expansion modules. Setting the 2916M-XL apart from its competitors is Cisco's Fast EtherChannel technology. Fast EtherChannel enables a LAN administrator to aggregate multiple Fast Ethernet connections in a single logical pipe. Like the other switches that were nominated in this category, the 2916M-XL supports wire speed switching on every port. But when it comes to providing more bandwidth to the backbone, only the 2916-XL provides high-speed trunking for increased performance.

Cisco 2916M-XL,$3,995,
Cisco Systems,
(800) 553-6387.
www.cisco.com