Cisco ME 3600X ME-3600X-24FS-M Cisco Metro Ethernet switch

Brand: Cisco | Category: Network Switches

SKU: CSC-ME-3600X-24FS-M | Part #: ME-3600X-24FS-M | MPN: ME-3600X-24FS-M

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The Cisco ME-3600X-24FS-M is a compact, 1 RU managed metro Ethernet access switch built specifically for telecom and enterprise edge deployments where fiber density and carrier-grade reliability matter. This unit delivers 24 SFP ports running at 100/1000 Mbps, paired with 2 x 10 Gigabit Ethernet SFP+ uplink ports, giving operators a familiar port layout for metro aggregation roles without the footprint overhead of larger chassis systems. The ME-3600X-24FS-M achieves 48 Gbps of switching capacity and sustains a forwarding rate of 35.7 Mpps, making it well-suited for high-touch subscriber access scenarios where sustained line-rate performance is non-negotiable.

Network engineers and infrastructure architects across GCC data centres have long favoured Cisco's Metro Ethernet product line for its OSI Layer 2–3 blending and carrier-grade OAM tooling. This particular model runs Cisco IOS with the Metro IP Access feature set, which brings support for advanced traffic engineering, MPLS tunnelling (including VPLS and EoMPLS), and full IPv4/IPv6 routing via OSPF and BGP. The ME-3600X-24FS-M also implements hierarchical QoS with 8 egress queues per port and MEF-compliant bandwidth profiling—a critical capability when you are selling or reselling bandwidth services and need to enforce SLA boundaries at line rate. Dual redundant power supply options (AC or DC) provide operational flexibility for sites with existing infrastructure constraints, and the 1 RU form factor ensures minimal rack real estate consumption.

What distinguishes this switch in edge and metro deployments is its depth of resiliency protocol support. The unit implements ITU-T G.8032 Ethernet Ring Protection Switching, which allows sub-50-millisecond failover in ring topologies—a baseline requirement in telecom transport networks. For mesh and traditional tree topologies, it backs RSTP (Rapid Spanning Tree Protocol) and MSTP (Multiple Spanning Tree Protocol) per IEEE standards. On the monitoring side, Cisco included IEEE 802.3ah Ethernet OAM, ITU-T Y.1731 performance monitoring, and IEEE 802.1ag Connectivity Fault Management, so network operations teams can instrument hop-by-hop path diagnostics and frame loss detection without external tools. This is the kind of transparency that operations centres in the GCC region demand when managing multi-tenant or SLA-bound services.

VLAN handling is equally comprehensive: the switch supports 4,094 tagged VLANs per IEEE 802.1Q, plus Q-in-Q (802.1ad) VLAN stacking for carrier-grade multi-tenant isolation. The MAC address table accommodates 16,000 entries, which is adequate for mid-scale metro rings serving enterprise campuses or cloud edge locations. The management port is a separate 10/100 Mbps out-of-band RJ-45 interface, meaning you can reach the device even if all 26 data ports are saturated or misconfigured. Physical dimensions are 1.75 inches tall, 17.5 inches wide, and 16.9 inches deep, with operating temperatures rated 0°C to 45°C—standard commercial-grade specs that work in typical data centre climates without special cooling.

Purchasing decisions for the ME-3600X-24FS-M typically fall to senior network engineers or metro infrastructure architects who are architecting carrier or service provider backhaul, or to enterprise network teams rolling out SD-WAN edge fabrics that require local Ethernet switching and MPLS termination. The combination of port density, uplink speed, Layer 3 routing, and OAM standards compliance makes this unit a logical choice for sites where a larger modular platform would be overkill but a basic unmanaged switch would leave too many operational gaps. Omnixon Global maintains stock of the Cisco ME-3600X-24FS-M and other metro-class switching equipment across our UAE and GCC distribution network, serving data centre operators, telecom infrastructure teams, and enterprise IT groups across the region and into South Asia and Europe. If you are evaluating this platform for a new deployment or refresh, contact our team for technical consultation and a detailed RFQ.

Resiliency, OAM, and Metro Service Standards

• ITU-T G.8032 Ethernet Ring Protection Switching with sub-50-millisecond failover for telecom ring topologies
• IEEE 802.3ah Ethernet OAM, ITU-T Y.1731 performance monitoring, and IEEE 802.1ag CFM for end-to-end path visibility
• MPLS, EoMPLS, VPLS, and MPLS Traffic Engineering support for carrier-grade service overlay
• Hierarchical QoS with 8 egress queues per port and MEF-compliant bandwidth profiles for SLA enforcement
• Dual redundant AC/DC power supply options for operational flexibility in diverse site configurations
• 4,094 VLAN support with IEEE 802.1ad Q-in-Q stacking for multi-tenant isolation and carrier services
• IPv4 and IPv6 static routing, OSPF, and BGP for edge aggregation and service provider backhaul roles