schneiderEnterasys® SecureStack™ A2 Switch

Enterasys® SecureStack™ A2 Switch

Secure Fast Ethernet Stackable L2 Switch 

High availability design assures

reliable network operations

Granular QoS capabilities support

converged multimedia networks

Power over Ethernet (PoE)

supports a variety of

network devices

Investment protection via Limited

Lifetime Warranty

140.8Gbps capacity and

104.8Mpps

Product Overview

Enterasys’ leadership position in the switching market is further enhanced by the Enterasys®

SecureStack™ A2 stackable enterprise switch. The SecureStack A2 is a high-performance Fast 

Ethernet edge switch that provides scalable, wire-rate performance in support of the bandwidthintensive and delay-sensitive requirements of today’s demanding applications. With support for 

8,000 MAC addresses, the A2 is an excellent choice for environments that require complete 

multilayer switching capabilities and support for high density (10/100Base-T, 100Base-FX) 

Ethernet ports. The A2 is well suited for 100Mb networks that may also require Gigabit Ethernet 

uplink connections. In addition to its complete multilayer switching capabilities, the A2 also 

provides multilayer packet classification and priority queuing for differentiated services. Along 

with a switch capacity of 17.6Gbps, the A2 provides up to 48 10/100Base-T or 24 100Base-FX 

Ethernet ports as well as 2 10/100/1000 Ethernet ports, which can be used as uplink or stacking 

connections. As many as 8 A2s can be interconnected in a single stack to create a virtual switch 

that provides 140.8Gbps of capacity and up to 384 10/100Base-T or 192 100Base-FX Ethernet 

ports as well as 32 10/100/1000 Ethernet ports for uplink or stacking connections.

Robust quality of service (QoS) features enable strong support for integrated multimedia networks, 

including Voice over IP, video, as well as all types of data-intensive applications. The A2 provides 8 

hardware-based priority queues for each Ethernet port to support a suite of differentiated services 

with as many as 8 distinct priority levels. In conjunction with its non-blocking L2 switching 

architecture, the A2’s intelligent queuing mechanisms ensure that mission-critical applications 

receive prioritized access to network resources.

The A2 provides a secure network by utilizing its authentication and security features, which can be 

applied at the port level or at the user level. The A2 supports a single user/device per port, which 

can be authenticated via IEEE 802.1X or MAC address.

The SecureStack product line provides high port density in a 1u footprint and is environmentally 

friendly by design. By maximizing port density within a given amount of rack space, the A2 

minimizes its cooling requirements. The A2’s overall electrical requirement is further reduced by a 

low current draw and an extreme tolerance for high environmental temperatures. A highly scalable 

architecture and a Limited Lifetime Warranty ensures that an A2 network investment will sustain a 

secure, feature rich and cost-effective network well into the future.

Benefits

Business Alignment

• Granular QoS capabilities support

converged multimedia networks

• Reliable network operation for mission

critical applications

Operational Efficiency

• Scalable architecture supports

continued growth of network capacity

• Consolidated management capabilities

reduce network operational expenses

• Security capabilities without the

high overhead

Security

• Network access secured by 802.1x

and MAC address authentication

methods

• Network security maintained

concurrently with user mobility

• Architecture designed with integral

network security

Support and Service

• Industry leading customer satisfaction

and first call resolution rates

• Personalized services

• Limited Lifetime Warranty

There is nothing more important 

than our customers.

Reliability and Availability

The A2 design incorporates redundancy and failure protection mechanisms complete with 

automatic failover and recovery capabilities to provide a reliable network. An integral power 

supply is the primary source of power for the A2 and complete power redundancy is provided 

by an optional external power supply. In addition to the standard version of the A2, there is also 

a redundant Power over Ethernet (PoE) version of the A2 which supports network devices that 

require external power such as wireless access points, VoIP phones and network cameras. A 

virtual switch can be created by interconnecting as many as 8 A2s in a single stack, which can be 

managed via a single IP address with redundant management connections. The A2’s closed-loop 

stacking (CLS) capability utilizes bidirectional switch interconnects to maintain connectivity within 

the virtual switch despite any physical switch-level failure. Up to 4 Ethernet ports can be grouped 

together to create a multi-link aggregation group (LAG). A LAG’s Ethernet ports can be collocated 

on a single A2 or they can be distributed across multiple A2s within a stack to prevent a switchlevel failure from disrupting data communications.