EX2300-C-MGNT-MNT

Product Overview

The Juniper Networks EX2300-C Ethernet Switch offers an economical, entry-level solution in a compact, fanless form factor for access layer deployments in branches, retail, and workgroup environments.

The EX2300-C supports Juniper Networks Virtual Chassis technology, allowing up to four interconnected switches to be managed as a single logical device, delivering a scalable, pay-as-you-grow solution for expanding networks.

The EX2300-C is onboarded, provisioned, and managed in the Juniper Mist Cloud Architecture, with Wired Assurance delivering better experiences for connected devices through AI-powered automation and service levels.

Product Description

The Juniper Networks^® EX2300-C Ethernet Switch delivers a compact, silent, and power-efficient platform for low-density branch deployments and commercial access or enterprise workgroup environments outside the wiring closet.

Featuring 12 10/100/1000BASE-T access ports and two 10GbE uplink ports with and without Power over Ethernet (PoE/PoE+) in a fanless design, the EX2300-C switches deliver a powerful solution for supporting services such as unified communications, IP telephony, closed circuit television (CCTV), and other applications in office, classroom, hospitality, and other space and wiring-constrained environments. The key features of the EX2300-C switch include:

• Multiple hardware configurations:
  • 12 10/100/1000BASE-T access ports and two SFP+ 10GbE uplink ports
  • 12 10/100/1000BASE-T PoE/PoE+ access ports and two SFP+ 10GbE uplink ports
• IEEE 802.3at (PoE+) compliance, allowing a variety of devices to draw power from the switch through the access ports
• Cloud-managed and driven by Mist AI with Juniper Mist Wired Assurance
• Virtual Chassis support, allowing up to four switches to be interconnected and managed as a single logical device (optional license required)
• Energy Efficient Ethernet (EEE) support for GbE access ports
• Compact design featuring fanless and noiseless operation

Architecture and Key Components

The fixed-configuration EX2300-C line of Ethernet switches delivers complete Layer 2 and basic Layer 3 switching capabilities to satisfy the low-density branch and low-density wiring closet connectivity requirements of today’s high-performance business needs. The EX2300-C models extend that reach into workgroup environments that reside outside the wiring closet, including branch offices, retail access applications, education, hospitality, and other locations where the switch is deployed in open areas inside a building.

Two versions are available. The EX2300-C-12T offers 12 front panel 10/100/1000BASE-T access ports and two SFP+ 10GbE uplink ports. The EX2300-C-12P offers 12 front panel 10/100/1000BASE-T IEEE 802.3af/IEEE 802.3at (PoE/PoE+) access ports, which can be used for powering networked devices such as telephones, video cameras, multiple radio IEEE 802.11ac wireless LAN (WLAN) access points, and videophones in converged network environments. In addition, the EX2300-C-12P has two SFP+ 10GbE uplink ports.

Figure 1: EX2300-C branch and retail store deployments.

The uplink ports can be used to connect to higher-layer devices such as aggregation switches or routers. The uplink ports can also be configured as Virtual Chassis interfaces and connected via standard 10GbE interfaces. A fixed internal power supply ensures operational simplicity.

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-C, 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. Wired Assurance offers the following features:

• Day 0 operations—Onboard switches seamlessly by claiming a greenfield switch or adopting a brownfield switch with a single activation code for true plug-and-play simplicity. 
• Day 1 operations—Implement a template-based configuration model for bulk rollouts of traditional and campus fabric deployments, while retaining the flexibility and control required to apply custom site- or switch-specific attributes. Automate provisioning of ports via Dynamic Port Profiles. 
• Day 2 operations—Leverage the AI in Juniper Mist Wired Assurance to meet service-level expectations such as throughput, successful connects, and switch health with key pre- and post-connection metrics (see Figure 2). Add the self-driving capabilities in Marvis Actions to detect loops, add missing VLANs, fix misconfigured ports, identify bad cables, isolate flapping ports, and discover persistently failing clients (see Figure 3). And perform software upgrades easily through Juniper Mist cloud. 

Figure 2: Juniper Mist Wired Assurance service-level expectations

Figure 3: Marvis Actions for wired switches 

The addition of Marvis, a complementary Virtual Network Assistant driven by Mist AI, lets you start building a self-driving network that simplifies network operations and streamlines troubleshooting via automatic fixes for EX Series switches or recommended actions for external systems.

For more information see Juniper Mist Wired Assurance.

Virtual Chassis Technology

The EX2300-C supports Juniper’s unique Virtual Chassis technology, enabling up to four interconnected EX2300-C switches to be managed as a single logical device and delivering a scalable, pay-as-you-grow solution for expanding network environments. The EX2300-C can also be connected to an existing Virtual Chassis configuration composed of EX2300 switches.

Figure 4: When deployed in a Virtual Chassis configuration, up to four EX2300-C switches can operate as a single, logical device.

While EX2300-C switches can be interconnected over either of the two front panel 10GbE uplink ports, these ports can also be configured as 1GbE uplinks to aggregation devices by disabling the Virtual Chassis technology.

When deployed in a Virtual Chassis configuration, the EX2300-C 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-C Virtual Chassis configurations operate as highly resilient unified systems, providing simplified management using a single IP address, single telnet/SSH session, single command-line interface (CLI), automatic version checking, and automatic configuration. The EX2300-C 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-C 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.

Simplified Operations

Virtual Chassis technology simplifies network management for smaller deployments. Up to four interconnected EX2300-C switches can be managed as a single device utilizing a single Junos OS image and a single configuration file, reducing the overall number of units to monitor and manage. When the Junos OS is upgraded on the primary switch in an EX2300-C Virtual Chassis configuration, the software is automatically upgraded on all other member switches at the same time.

Dedicated front panel RJ-45 and USB console ports offer flexible out-of-band management options, while a front panel USB port can be used to easily upload the Juniper Networks Junos operating system and configuration files. All front panel access and uplink ports have dedicated link status and link activity LEDs. In addition, a series of front panel LEDs offer system status information with a button that allows users to toggle through four different modes for reporting speed (SPD), duplex mode (DX), administrative status (EN), and PoE status (PoE). A fixed internal power supply ensures operational simplicity.

Easy Provisioning

Auto-configuration and Auto-Image Install features allow the switches to be configured and imaged over the network using the Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol (DHCP) message exchange process. These features eliminate the need to stage devices prior to deployment, dramatically reducing operational expenses. Auto-configuration and Auto Image Install allow new branches and retail stores to rapidly deploy their networks, and they also enable software upgrades and security fixes to be performed at the touch of a button. The ZTP feature allows a DHCP server to push configuration details and software images to multiple switches at boot-up time.

Campus Fabric Deployments

Juniper campus fabrics support these validated architectures with the EX2300-C 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-C switches can be used at the access layer.

Figure 5: Campus fabrics showing Virtual Chassis and EVPN-VXLAN-based architectures

Features and Benefits

The EX2300-C model switches include a number of features that make them ideal for low-density, open space deployments.

Managing AI-Driven Campus Fabric with the Juniper Mist Cloud

Juniper Mist Wired Assurance brings cloud management and Mist AI to campus fabric. It sets a new standard moving away from traditional network management towards AI-driven operations, while delivering better experiences to connected devices.  The Juniper Mist Cloud streamlines deployment and management of campus fabric architectures by allowing:

• Automated deployment and zero touch deployment
• Anomaly detection 
• Root cause analysis

Product Options

Table 1. EX2300-C Ethernet Switch Models

Physical Specifications

Power Options

• Fixed internal power supply (AC)

Dimensions (W x H x D)

• EX2300-C-12T: 10.98 x 1.72 x 9.4 in (27.9 x 4.4 x 23.9 cm)
• EX2300-C-12P: 10.98 x 1.72 x 9.4 in (27.9 x 4.4 x 23.9 cm)

Backplane

• 40 Gbps Virtual Chassis interconnect to link up to four switches as a single logical device

System Weight

• EX2300-C-12T: 5.45 lb (2.48 kg)
• EX2300-C-12P: 6.99 lb (3.17 kg)

Environmental Ranges

• Operating temperature: 32° to 104° F (0° to 40° C)^{1, 2}
• Storage temperature: -40° to 158° F (-40° to 70° C)
• Operating altitude: up to 5,000 ft (1524 m)
• Nonoperating altitude: up to 16,000 ft (4877 m)
• Relative humidity operating: 10% to 85% (noncondensing)
• Relative humidity nonoperating: 0% to 95% (noncondensing)