Catalyst 3750X licensing
While making a kit list for a network design with Cisco Catalyst 3750X switches, I got confused while looking at the different licensing features. The Cisco Catalyst 3750X switches are available with multiple licensing options, which can be upgraded.
A new switch can be ordered with two licensing options. These are LAN Base (Enhanced Intelligent Services) and IP Base (Baseline Enterprise Services). However an additional license is available: IP Services (Enterprise Services). The LAN Base feature is relative new for this switch. A normal Cisco Catalyst 3750 is a multilayer switch with routing capabilities by default. The LAN Base licensing only allows the usage of layer 2 “switching” features and no routing capabilities.
The LAN Base feature set offers enhanced intelligent services that includes comprehensive Layer 2 features. The IP Base feature set provides baseline enterprise services in addition to all LAN Base features. IP Base also includes the support for routed access, StackPower, and MACsec. The IP Services feature set provides full enterprise services that includes advanced Layer 3 features such as Enhanced Interior Gateway Routing Protocol (EIGRP), Open Shortest Path First (OSPF), Border Gateway Protocol (BGP), Protocol Independent Multicast (PIM), and IPv6 routing such as OSPFv3 and EIGRPv6. IP Services feature set also includes the Embedded Event Manager (EEM) and IP service-level agreements (SLAs) initiator functionalities. All software feature sets support advanced security, QoS, and management features. The IP Services feature set is only available as an upgrade option at the time of ordering or through a license at a later time; there is no dedicated IP Services switch model. [Source]
As I mentioned before, by default, the Cisco Catalyst 3750X can only be ordered with the LAN Base or IP Base license. Customers have the ability to upgrade from LAN Base to IP Base or from IP Base to IP Services. Below you see the article numbers for the different upgrades:
| C3750X-24-L-S | C3750X-24 LAN Base to IP Base Paper License |
| C3750X-48-L-S | C3750X-48 LAN Base to IP Base Paper License |
| L-C3750X-24-L-S | C3750X-24 LAN Base to IP Base E-License |
| L-C3750X-48-L-S | C3750X-48 LAN Base to IP Base E-License |
| LL-C3750X-24-L-S | C3750X-24 LAN Base to IP Base E-License for Used Switch |
| LL-C3750X-48-L-S | C3750X-48 LAN Base to IP Base E-License for Used Switch |
| C3750X-24-IOS-S-E | C3750X-24 IP Base to IP Services factory IOS Upgrade |
| C3750X-48-IOS-S-E | C3750X-48 IP Base to IP Services factory IOS Upgrade |
| C3750X-24-L-E | C3750X-24 IP Base to IP Services Paper License |
| C3750X-48-L-E | C3750X-48 IP Base to IP Services Paper License |
| L-C3750X-24-L-E | C3750X-24 IP Base to IP Services E-License |
| L-C3750X-48-L-E | C3750X-48 IP Base to IP Services E-License |
| LL-C3750X-24-L-E | C3750X-24 IP Base to IP Services E-License for Used Switch |
| LL-C3750X-48-L-E | C3750X-48 IP Base to IP Services E-License for Used Switch |
Hhhhmm, as you can see you have multiple choices for upgrading from LAN Base to IP Base or from IP Base to IP Services. But what do they all mean?!?! I didn’t know exactly and had doubts, so I asked our Cisco account manager and he gave me the following information.
| Factory IOS Upgrade | You can directly upgrade from IP Base to IP Services at the moment you buy the switch. To receive a switch with an IP Services software image, you simply have to add the “IP Base to IP Services Factory Upgrade”. The article number contains only the license which can be used with a brand new switch. |
| Paper License | You need to order this license if you already have the switch or if you are already using the switch. With the Paper License you receive a PAK code in paper format |
| E-License | Comparable to Paper License, but the license is delivered via e-mail. |
| E-License for Used Switch | This license is delivered via e-mail and needs to be ordered if you would like to upgrade a refurbished switch |
The above explanation cleared a lot of my confusion about the new licensing mechanism. Hope it will help you too.
René Jorissen
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Hi
thanks for your article , but I think you may be wrong in some parts like :
C3750X-24-L-E C3750X-24 IP Base to IP Services Paper License
but cisco say :
C3750X-24-L-E C3750X-24 LAN Base to IP Services Paper License
however it’s been 7 years ;)