Why Cisco, Why?

Why does Cisco always label there switch product / serial number information on the top or worst yet bottom of the switch? Haven't they learned by now to have it on the front or back of the switch? If I'm paying $6,000 a switch or $40,000 for a router, I want at least the product ID, Serial number on the front, back and sides of the switch. Does having this information really compromise security? I can see having the MAC address on the top or bottom of the switch, for security reasons, but damn Cisco, your a pain in my butt.

You can pull the Model/Serial number/MAC with show version.

Yes, I know you can pull Model / Serial number /MAC info off a switch, but imagine for a moment the documentation I have is crap and I need to know what the serial number of a switch in a stack is, how am I going to know what the switch I'm looking at?

With show switch, they are numbered dummy.

This assumes the switch stack was set up correctly in the first place. It's possible to have switch 1,2,3 really be 1,3,2 in the stack.

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Comments

ccie14023

Thanks for the feedback, I agree wholeheartedly. I work in the switching BU and have raised this issue myself. I will happily borrow some quotes from you and press it again. Someone wasn't thinking there IMO.

nitramdraw

If you have physical access to the switch stack you can use the mode button on the front to select the stack option that displays the stack membership order..

TechGuru80

It probably has to do with their assembly line setup...what is to stop you from just doing it yourself? Inconvenience yes...but it’s not like you are rack and stacking hundreds of them.

lantech

If your documentation is crap and your stack is setup wrong then you have a lot bigger problems than where Cisco placed the serial number on their switch and that Cisco isn't your problem.

Ismaeljrp

lantech wrote: »

If your documentation is crap and your stack is setup wrong then you have a lot bigger problems than where Cisco placed the serial number on their switch and that Cisco isn't your problem.

Sometimes companies hire consultants to come in on the fly because they were left hanging by their previous engineer. Actually now that I think about it, the reason doesn't matter.

Cisco makes billions, they can afford a miniscule change in their assembly to give their customer's a better experience with their product.

The customer is always right.