Cisco Catalyst 6500/6800 WS-C6504-E Cisco Catalyst switch
Brand: Cisco | Category: Network Switches
SKU: CSC-WS-C6504-E | Part #: WS-C6504-E | MPN: WS-C6504-E
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About the Cisco Catalyst 6500/6800 WS-C6504-E Cisco Catalyst switch
The Cisco Catalyst WS-C6504-E delivers modular switching architecture with support for Gigabit Ethernet, 10 Gigabit Ethernet, and Fast Ethernet interfaces across four module slots, enabling flexible port density configurations tailored to enterprise backbone and campus core deployments. This 7U rack-mountable chassis provides up to 720 Gbps of switch fabric bandwidth when configured with a Supervisor Engine 2T and compatible fabric modules, positioning it as a high-capacity aggregation platform for organizations requiring non-blocking throughput at scale.
Network engineers and IT infrastructure teams select the Catalyst 6500-E series for its carrier-class redundancy and sophisticated Layer 2 and Layer 3 capabilities, including support for IEEE 802.1Q VLANs, RSTP, MSTP, IPv4 and IPv6 routing, OSPF, EIGRP, BGP, and MPLS. The platform supports redundant supervisor engines—the Supervisor Engine 720 and Supervisor Engine 2T—alongside dual power supply bays for N+1 resilience, NSF/SSO stateful switchover, and Virtual Switching System capability. Hardware-based QoS with DSCP marking and line-rate policing, combined with security enforcement including 802.1X authentication, hardware ACLs, and Dynamic ARP Inspection, address demanding service-level and security requirements in multi-tenant and compliance-sensitive environments.
The WS-C6504-E also integrates comprehensive management and monitoring through CLI, SNMP v1/v2c/v3, SPAN/RSPAN, Cisco Network Assistant compatibility, and NetFlow v5/v9 support for real-time traffic visibility. Hot-swappable fan trays and front-to-back airflow design simplify operational maintenance across data center and enterprise network cores. For pricing, availability, and technical configuration support for the Cisco Catalyst 6500 Enhanced platform, contact Omnixon Global to submit your detailed RFQ today.
Technical Specifications
| Brand | Cisco |
| Category | Network Switches |
| SKU | CSC-WS-C6504-E |
| Part Number | WS-C6504-E |
| Condition | New |
| Form Factor | 5U |
| Manufacturer Part Number | WS-C6504-E |
| Product Series | Cisco Catalyst 6500 Enhanced (6500-E) |
| Chassis Slots | 4 (module slots) |
| Form Factor | Rack-mountable |
| Rack Height | 7U |
| Chassis Type | Modular |
| Compatible Supervisor Engines | Supervisor Engine 720 (VS-S720-10G), Supervisor Engine 2T (VS-S2T-10G) |
| Maximum Switch Fabric Bandwidth | Up to 720 Gbps (with Supervisor Engine 2T and fabric modules) |
| Supported Line Card Interfaces | Gigabit Ethernet, 10 Gigabit Ethernet, Fast Ethernet (module-dependent) |
| Power Supply Bays | 2 (supports redundant power supplies) |
| Compatible Power Supplies | Cisco Catalyst 6500-E series AC and DC power supply modules |
| Cooling | Front-to-back airflow; hot-swappable fan tray |
| Layer 2 Features | IEEE 802.1Q VLANs, RSTP (802.1w), MSTP (802.1s), EtherChannel (802.3ad LACP) |
| Layer 3 Features | IPv4 and IPv6 routing, OSPF, EIGRP, BGP, MPLS (IOS/IOS-XE supervisor-dependent) |
| High Availability | Redundant supervisor support, NSF/SSO stateful switchover, Virtual Switching System (VSS) capable |
| QoS | Hardware-based QoS, DSCP marking and queuing, policing and shaping at line rate |
| Security Features | Hardware-enforced ACLs, 802.1X port-based authentication, Private VLANs, Dynamic ARP Inspection |
| Network Flow Monitoring | NetFlow v5/v9 (supervisor and line card dependent) |
| Management | CLI (SSH, Telnet), SNMP v1/v2c/v3, RSPAN/SPAN, Cisco Network Assistant compatible |
| Software | Cisco IOS or Cisco IOS-XE (dependent on installed supervisor engine) |
Frequently Asked Questions about Cisco Catalyst 6500/6800 WS-C6504-E Cisco Catalyst switch
What does the Cisco Catalyst 6500/6800 WS-C6504-E Cisco Catalyst switch do?
The Cisco Catalyst 6500/6800 WS-C6504-E Cisco Catalyst switch is enterprise networking hardware for data-center, campus, and branch deployments. Common roles include core/distribution switching, server uplinks, top-of-rack fabric, and edge connectivity in mixed Cisco/Juniper/Arista environments.
Is the Cisco Catalyst 6500/6800 WS-C6504-E Cisco Catalyst switch compatible with my infrastructure?
The Cisco Catalyst 6500/6800 WS-C6504-E Cisco Catalyst switch interoperates with standard switching protocols (LACP, MLAG/VPC, 802.1Q, OSPF/BGP). For specific cross-vendor scenarios — Cisco-to-Arista MLAG peering, fabric integration with Cumulus/SONiC, or migration from legacy Catalyst — our network engineers map a compatibility plan as part of the RFQ.