Extreme networks STK-CAB-SHORT Data Sheet

B-Series – Data Sheet 

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The B5’s highly customizable Layer 2/3/4 packet classification 

capabilities work together with the 8 hardware-based priority 
queues associated with each Ethernet port to support a suite of 
differentiated services with as many as 8 distinct priority levels 

to provide guaranteed Quality of Service (QoS) for critical voice 
and video network traffic. In conjunction with its non-blocking 
L2 switching and L3 routing architecture, the B5’s intelligent 

queuing mechanisms ensure that mission-critical applications 

receive prioritized access to network resources.

The B5 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 B5 and complete 

power redundancy is provided by an optional external power 
supply. A virtual switch can be created by interconnecting as 
many as eight B5s in a single stack, which can be managed via 
a single IP address with redundant management connections. 

The B5’s closed-loop stacking capability utilizes bi-directional 

switch interconnects to maintain connectivity within the virtual 
switch despite any physical failures, which includes switches, 
cables and connections. Flexible Link Aggregation Groups (6 
groups of 8, 12 groups of 4 or 24 groups of 2) are supported 
which allow multiple Ethernet ports (8, 4 or 2) to be grouped 

together to create a LAG. A LAG’s Ethernet ports can be 

co-located on a single B5 or they can be distributed across 

multiple B5s within a stack to prevent a switch-level failure from 

disrupting data communications. The B5 also includes Host CPU 

Protection support to help prevent Denial of Service (DoS) and 
BPDU attacks.

Robust Quality of Service (QoS) features enable strong 

support for integrated multimedia networks, as well as all 

types of data-intensive applications. The B5 is a standards-
based solution optimized for multimedia applications, including 

VoIP, videoconferencing and real-time collaboration. The B5 

uses multiple standards-based discovery methods with policy 

capabilities to automatically identify and provision VoIP services 

for IP phones from all major vendors. B5 switches provide 

dynamic mobility for VoIP clients to reduce operating costs; 

when an IP phone moves and plugs in elsewhere in the enterprise 
network, its VoIP service provisioning, security and traffic priority 
settings move with it, with no manual administration required.

IThe B5 enables strong network security by utilizing its 
authentication and security features, which can be applied at 
the port level or at the user level. Making use of the Extreme 
Networks Network Management Suite’s Policy Manager or a 

standard CLI, the role-based architecture enables a network 
administrator to define distinct roles or profiles that represent 

operational groups within a business (e.g., employee, executive, 
guest, etc). Multiple users/devices per port can be authenticated 
via IEEE 802.1X, MAC address, or web authentication, and then 
assigned a pre-defined operational role. The B5 now supports 

increased password security via increased complexity, history 
tracking and aging. Passwords can now be encrypted using a 
FIPS 1402 approved algorithm.

Administrators can easily transition from RFC 3580 and complex 

access control list (ACL) deployments to the Extreme Networks 
role-based policy framework in a seamless fashion, without the 
need to make changes to their RADIUS infrastructure (e.g., adding 
filter-ID). In addition, the B5 also supports ACLs for supplementary 
network security. Network operations can be easily tailored to 
meet business-oriented requirements by providing each role 
with individualized access to network services and applications 
(e.g., a guest should have different network access privileges 
than an employee). Utilizing Extreme Networks role-based policy, 
administrators are able to manipulate DSCP and 802.1p rewrite for 
classification and prioritization of network traffic.

The B5 allows administrators even more network visibility, with 

the ability to audit their network for adherence to compliance 
regulations, such as PCI or HIPAA. The B5 is able to segment 
roles down to group levels, such as supporting a guest access 
role, helping to protect corporate applications and information.

The B5 is a cost-effective, feature-rich, stackable switch that 

provides a broad set of features today and will continue to 

deliver benefits well into the future. All B-Series products include 
a lifetime warranty that includes warranty and support services 

for which many competitors charge additional fees – adding up 
to 10% of initial deployment costs on an annual basis. Included 
benefits, such as advanced hardware return, firmware feature 
upgrades (which most vendors cover at most for 90 days) 
and telephone support (which most don’t include or severely 
limit) combine to significantly decrease operational costs for 

customers over the life of their network. For more information 

regarding warranty terms and conditions please go to 

The B5, with support for 32,000 MAC addresses, provides 

scalable, wire-rate performance in support of the bandwidth-

intensive and delay-sensitive requirements of today’s demanding 

applications. Along with a switch capacity of 184 Gbps, the 

B5 provides up to 48 10/100/1000 Ethernet ports as well as 
two 10 GE ports. Leveraging the B5’s stacking capability, as 
many as 8 B5s (both 24-port and 48-port combinations) can 
be interconnected in a single stack to create a virtual switch 
that provides 1.47 Tbps of capacity and up to 384 10/100/1000 
Ethernet ports as well as 16 10GE uplink ports.