Overview:
The Juniper Networks EX2300 Ethernet Switch offers an economical, entry-level, standalone solution for access-layer deployments in branch and remote offices, as well as enterprise campus networks. Both 1 Gbps and 2.5 Gbps access port options are available to provide higher-speed options, especially when connecting to 802.11ac Wave 2 access points. For small networks, up to four EX2300 switches can be interconnected in a Virtual Chassis configuration, allowing them to be managed as a single switch.
Architecture & Key Components:
The EX2300 occupies a single rack unit, delivering a compact solution for crowded wiring closets and access locations where space and power are at a premium. The EX2300 switch’s 10-inch/12-inch depth and low acoustics also make it ideal for open office deployments. For silent operation requirements, please see the EX2300-C, a c ompact, fanless version of the EX2300.
Each EX2300 switch supports four fixed front-panel 1GbE/10GbE uplink ports (six 1/10GbE uplink ports on the 48-port multigigabit model) with pluggable optics (purchased separately) for high-speed backbone or link aggregation connections between wiring closets and upstream aggregation switches. The 1GbE EX2300 access switch models also feature a front-panel mode button that offers a simple interface for bringing devices up and selecting LED modes.
A dedicated rear panel RJ-45 Ethernet port is available for outof-band management, while a rear panel USB port can be used to easily upload the Junos OS and configuration files.
Cloud Management with Juniper Mist Wired Assurance: Juniper Mist Wired Assurance, a cloud-based service driven by Mist AI to claim, configure, manage, and troubleshoot the EX2300, delivers AI-powered automation and service levels to ensure a better experience for connected devices. Wired Assurance leverages rich Junos switch telemetry data to simplify operations, reduce mean time to repair, and improve visibility.
Virtual Chassis Technology: The EX2300 supports Juniper’s unique Virtual Chassis technology, enabling up to four interconnected EX2300 switches to be managed as a single logical device, delivering a scalable, pay-as-you-grow solution for expanding network environments.
While EX2300 switches can be interconnected over any of the front-panel uplink ports using standard 10GbE SFP+ transceivers (sold separately), these ports can also be configured as 1GbE/10GbE uplinks to aggregation devices by disabling the Virtual Chassis technology. When deployed in a Virtual Chassis configuration, the EX2300 switches elect a primary and a backup switch based on a set of preconfigured policies or criteria. The primary switch automatically creates and updates the switching and optional routing tables on all other Virtual Chassis switch members. Switches can be added to or removed from the Virtual Chassis configuration without service disruption.
EX2300 Virtual Chassis configurations operate as highly resilient unified systems, providing simplified management using a single IP address, single telnet session, single command-line interface (CLI), automatic version checking, and automatic configuration. The EX2300 switches are also capable of local switching, so packets coming into a port destined for another port on the same switch do not have to traverse the Virtual Chassis, increasing forwarding capacities. EX2300 Virtual Chassis configurations implement the same slot/module/port numbering schema as other Juniper Networks chassis-based products, providing true chassis-like operations. By using a consistent operating system and a single configuration file, all switches in a Virtual Chassis configuration are treated as a single device, simplifying overall system maintenance and management.
Multigigabit Switches: IEEE 802.11ac Wave 2 access points require switch ports capable of handling up to 2.5 Gbps in order to support the growing number of wireless devices and the amount of traffic they produce. To address this need, specific multigigabit EX2300 models now offer 1 Gbps and 2.5 Gbps access ports to support these increased bandwidth requirements over existing Category 5e cabling. These switches run the same Junos image and support all the same software features as other EX2300 models.
The EX2300 multigigabit switches can interoperate with other EX Series switches in Virtual Chassis deployments, protecting existing customer investments by enabling them to add multigigabit support to their existing Juniper network deployments. The EX2300 multigigabit switches support PoE+ on all access ports, provided the power demand is within the PoE budget.
Campus Fabric Deployments: Juniper campus fabrics support these validated architectures with the EX2300 switch playing the role of access switch in a Virtual Chassis:
- EVPN multihoming (collapsed core or distribution): A collapsed core architecture combines the core and distribution layers into a single switch, turning the traditional three-tier hierarchal network into a two-tier network. This eliminates the need for STP across the campus network by providing multihoming capabilities from the access to the core layer. EVPN multihoming can be deployed and managed using the Juniper Mist cloud.
- Core-Distribution: A pair of interconnected EX Series core or distribution switches provide L2 EVPN and L3 VXLAN gateway support. The EVPN-VXLAN network between the distribution and core layers offers two modes: centrally or edge routed bridging overlay.
In all these EVPN-VXLAN deployment modes, EX2300 switches can be used in Virtual Chassis configurations.
Features & Benefits:
High Availability Features: To avoid the complexities of the Spanning Tree Protocol (STP) without sacrificing network resiliency, the EX2300 employs a redundant trunk group (RTG) to provide the necessary port redundancy and simplify switch configuration. It also supports cross-member link aggregation, which allows redundant link aggregation connections between devices in a single Virtual Chassis configuration, providing an additional level of reliability and availability.
Junos Operating System: The EX2300 switches run the same Junos OS that is used by other Juniper Networks EX Series Ethernet Switches, QFX Series Switches, Juniper Routers, Juniper SRX Firewalls, and the Juniper NFX Series Network Services Platform. By utilizing a common operating system, Juniper delivers a consistent implementation and operation of control plane features across all products. To maintain that consistency, the Junos OS adheres to a highly disciplined development process that uses a single source code, and it employs a highly available modular architecture that prevents isolated failures from bringing down an entire system.
These attributes are fundamental to the core value of the software, enabling all Junos OS-powered products to be updated simultaneously with the same software release. All features are fully regression-tested, making each new release a true superset of the previous version. Customers can deploy the software with complete confidence that all existing capabilities are maintained and operate in the same way.
Converged Environments: The EX2300 provides the highest levels of flexibility and features in its class for the most demanding converged data, voice, and video environments, delivering a reliable platform for unifying enterprise communications. By providing a full 15.4 watts of Class 3 PoE to VoIP telephones, closed-circuit security cameras, wireless access points, and other IP-enabled devices, the EX2300 delivers a future-proofed solution for converging disparate networks onto a single IP infrastructure. The EX2300 PoE switches also support 802.3at standards-based PoE+, delivering 30 watts for powering networked devices such as IEEE 802.11ac wireless access points, and videophones that might require more power than available with IEEE 802.3af.
To ease deployment, the EX2300 supports the industry-standard Link Layer Discovery Protocol (LLDP) and LLDP-Media Endpoint Discovery (LLDP-MED) protocol, enabling the switches to automatically discover Ethernet-enabled devices, determine their power requirements, and assign virtual LAN (VLAN) membership. LLDP-MED-based granular PoE management allows the EX2300 to negotiate PoE usage down to a fraction of a watt on powered devices, enabling more efficient PoE utilization across the switch.
In addition, the EX2300 supports rich quality-of-service (QoS) functionality for prioritizing data, voice, and video traffic. The switches support eight class-of-service (CoS) queues on every port, enabling them to maintain multilevel, end-to-end traffic prioritizations. The EX2300 also supports a wide range of policy options, including strict priority, low latency, weighted random early detection (WRED), and shaped-deficit weighted roundrobin (SDWRR) queuing.
Security: Working as an enforcement point in Access Policy Infrastructure, the EX2300 provides both standards-based 802.1X port-level access control for multiple devices per port, as well as Layer 2-4 policy enforcement based on user identity, location, device, or a combination of these. A user’s identity, device type, machine posture check, and location can be used to determine whether access should be granted and for how long. If access is granted, the switch provides access to the network based on authorization attributes sent by the authentication server. The switch can also apply security policies, QoS policies, or both, or it can mirror user traffic to a central location for logging, monitoring, or threat detection by intrusion prevention systems.
The EX2300 also provides a full complement of integrated port security and threat detection features, including Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol (DHCP) snooping, dynamic ARP inspection (DAI), and media access control (MAC) limiting to defend against internal and external spoofing, and man-in-themiddle and denial of service (DoS) attacks.
Enhanced Limited Lifetime Warranty: The EX2300 includes an enhanced limited lifetime hardware warranty that provides return-to-factory switch replacement for as long as the original purchaser owns the product. The warranty includes lifetime software updates, advanced shipping of spares within one business day, and 24×7 Juniper Networks Technical Assistance Center (JTAC) support for 90 days after the purchase date. Power supplies and fan trays are covered for a period of five years.