A stackable switch is a network switch that is fully functional operating standalone but which can also be set up to operate together with one or more other network switches, with this group of switches showing the characteristics of a single switch but having the port capacity of the sum of the combined switches. The term stack refers to the group of switches that have been set up in this way. The common characteristic of a stack acting as a single switch is that there is a single IP address for remote administration of the stack as a whole, not an IP address for the administration of each unit in the stack. Stackable switches are customarily Ethernet, rack-mounted, managed switches of 1–2 rack unit (RU) in size, with a fixed set of data ports on the front. Some models have slots for optional slide-in modules to add ports or features to the base stackable unit. The most common configurations are 24-port and 48-port models.

Comparison with other switch architectures

A stackable switch is distinct from a standalone switch, which only operates as a single entity. A stackable switch is distinct from a switch modular chassis.

Benefits

Stackable switches have these benefits:

Drawbacks

Compared with a modular chassis switch, stackable switches have these drawbacks:

Functionality

Features associated with stackable switches can include: There is not universal agreement as to the threshold for being a stackable versus being a standalone switch. Some companies call their switches stackable if they support a single IP address for multiple units even if they lack other features from this list. Some industry analysts have said a product is not a stackable if it lacks one of the above features (e.g., dedicated bandwidth).

Terminology

Here are other terms associated with stackable switches: