Cisco WS-SUP32-10GE-3B
Cat 6500 Supervisor 32 with 2 ports 10GbE and PFC3B
Product Highlights
What's Included
256MB DRAM Switch Processor (1x MEM-XCEF720-256M)
64MB Flash Route Processor (1x BF-S720-64MB-RP)
256MB Flash Switch Processor (1x MEM-C6K-CPTFL256M)
Managing a growing campus or WAN edge network demands a supervisor engine that delivers robust security, high availability, and scalable performance — without breaking the budget. The Cisco WS-SUP32-10GE-3B is the Supervisor Engine 32 for the Catalyst 6500 Series and Cisco 7600 Series, equipped with two 10 Gigabit Ethernet XENPAK-based uplink ports and the Policy Feature Card 3B (PFC3B).
Built on the proven Cisco Catalyst 6500 Supervisor Engine 720 technology, the Supervisor Engine 32 extends core intelligent services to the network edge at a cost-effective price point. The integrated PFC3B performs hardware-based Layer 2–4 packet forwarding, ACL enforcement, QoS policing, and NetFlow statistics collection, while the onboard MSFC2A handles Layer 3 control-plane functions including routing protocols and address resolution. This combination delivers feature consistency with the Supervisor Engine 720 in a more accessible package.
The WS-SUP32-10GE-3B is ideal for small-to-medium LAN core, distribution, collapsed core/distribution, WAN edge, and Metro Ethernet access deployments. It supports all existing classic and CEF256-based line cards (without DFC), providing investment protection for current Catalyst 6500 and 7600 infrastructure. Hardware-based security features — including DoS mitigation, CPU rate limiters, DHCP Snooping, and Dynamic ARP Inspection — can be enabled concurrently without compromising system performance.
Features & Benefits
Hardware-Based Security Services
The PFC3B enables hardware-accelerated security features including DoS mitigation via multiple CPU rate limiters, hardware-based MAC learning, and user-based rate limiting. Features such as DHCP Snooping and Dynamic ARP Inspection protect against IP address spoofing and default gateway attacks — all enforced in hardware without impacting forwarding performance.
10 Gigabit Ethernet Uplinks
Two XENPAK-based 10GbE uplink ports deliver high-bandwidth connectivity for bandwidth-intensive applications such as daily desktop backups, e-learning, and video broadcasting. All uplink ports remain fully functional even when the supervisor is in standby mode for redundancy, ensuring continuous data path availability.
Advanced Layer 3 Routing (MSFC2A)
The onboard MSFC2A daughter card performs Layer 3 control-plane functions including address resolution and routing protocols. Compared to the earlier MSFC2, the MSFC2A supports up to 1 GB of DRAM, enabling larger routing tables and more complex network topologies.
Hardware-Accelerated IP Services
The Supervisor Engine 32 with PFC3B supports advanced hardware-accelerated IP services including MPLS, IPv6, NAT, GRE tunneling, ACLs, rate limiting, and advanced QoS. Shaped Round Robin (SRR) on uplink ports enables granular traffic rate limiting for service provider and enterprise WAN edge deployments.
Investment Protection
The WS-SUP32-10GE-3B supports all existing classic and CEF256-based line cards, enabling deployment of new advanced services on existing Catalyst 6500 and Cisco 7600 chassis. This backward compatibility protects your current infrastructure investment while extending the platform's service life.
High Availability & Redundancy
Supervisor Engine 32 supports redundant supervisor engine configurations in compatible chassis. Uplink ports on the standby supervisor remain fully functional, providing seamless failover and continuous network availability for mission-critical environments.
Deployment Scenarios
Small/Medium LAN Core & Distribution
The Supervisor Engine 32 provides enhanced security, availability, and manageability services ideal for small and mid-size core, distribution, and collapsed core/distribution LAN deployments. The 10GbE uplinks deliver the bandwidth needed for aggregating traffic from multiple access-layer switches.
Enterprise LAN/WAN Access Layer
Equipped with PFC3B, the Supervisor Engine 32 extends the intelligent services of the Supervisor Engine 720 to the access layer. Hardware-based DoS mitigation and identity-based networking (802.1x) protect the network edge while maintaining wire-speed forwarding performance.
WAN Edge & Metro Ethernet Access
The Supervisor Engine 32 is targeted for WAN edge and Metro Ethernet access deployments. Hardware-accelerated MPLS, NAT, GRE tunneling, and advanced QoS enable service providers and enterprises to build feature-rich, scalable WAN edge solutions on the Catalyst 6500 or Cisco 7600 platform.
Service Appliance Platform
A Cisco Catalyst 6504-E or Cisco 7604 chassis paired with the Supervisor Engine 32 and up to three service modules (such as CSM or SSL modules) forms a compact, high-performance service appliance for content switching and security services.
General
Daughter Cards
Interfaces & Ports
Memory (as included)
Performance
Physical
Power & Cooling
Standards & Protocols
Slot Requirements
Compatibility Notes
Chassis Compatibility
The WS-SUP32-10GE-3B is compatible with the following Cisco chassis:
- Catalyst 6500 Series: 6503, 6503-E, 6504-E, 6506, 6506-E, 6509, 6509-E, 6509-NEB, 6509-NEB-A, 6513
- Cisco 7600 Series Routers
Slot Requirements
- Slots 1 and 2 in 3-slot and 4-slot chassis
- Slots 5 and 6 in 6-slot or 9-slot chassis
- Slots 7 and 8 in 13-slot chassis
Power & Cooling Requirements
- Requires the high-speed fan tray in all Catalyst 6500 chassis
- Minimum 2500W AC (110V or 220V) or DC power supply for 6-, 9-, and 13-slot chassis
- Minimum 950W power supply for 3-slot chassis
Line Card Support
- Supports all classic line cards and all CEF256 line cards (without DFC) at initial deployment
- Does NOT support: DFCs, Switch Fabric Modules (WS-C6500-SFM / WS-X6500-SFM2), PFC3A, PFC3BXL, or select 10GE/GE modules (WS-X6716-10GE, WS-X6708-10GE, WS-X6704-10GE, WS-X6748-SFP, WS-X6816-GBIC, WS-X6748-GE-TX), or OSMs
Uplink Transceivers
- 2x XENPAK slots (XENPAK transceivers sold separately)
Downloads & Resources
Frequently Asked Questions
| Part Number | Product | Key Difference |
|---|---|---|
| WS-SUP32-GE-3B | Supervisor Engine 32 with 8x GE SFP & PFC3B | 8x 1GbE SFP uplinks instead of 2x 10GbE XENPAK — lower bandwidth but more port density for GE aggregation |
| WS-SUP720-3B | Supervisor Engine 720 with PFC3B | Higher-performance supervisor with integrated MSFC3, built-in switch fabric, and DFC support — suited for larger core deployments |
| WS-SUP720-3BXL | Supervisor Engine 720 with PFC3BXL | Extended Layer 3 forwarding table capacity with PFC3BXL — ideal for large-scale routing environments |
| VS-S2T-10G | Supervisor Engine 2T with 10GE | Cisco-recommended migration path from SUP32 — significantly higher performance, VSS support, and current-generation features |
