The SE6 image is lean and efficient on original hardware, but struggles with modern traffic patterns (many small flows, IPv6 neighbor discovery floods). Chapter 8: Comparison with Other 2960 Images | Image Name | Crypto | IPv6 | Stack | VLANs | Latest Version | |------------|--------|------|-------|-------|----------------| | c2960-lanbasek9-mz.122-44.SE6 | Yes | Mgmt only | No | 255 | 12.2(55)SE10 | | c2960-lanbase-mz.122-44.SE6 | No | Mgmt only | No | 255 | 12.2(55)SE10 | | c2960-lanbasek9-tar.122-55.SE12 | Yes | Mgmt only | No | 255 | – | | c2960s-universalk9-mz.150-2.SE11 | Yes | Layer 3 (static) | Yes | 255+ | 15.0(2)SE11 |
Using TFTP (preferred):
For networks needing or dual software , the 2960-S line with 15.x is superior. For pure Layer 2 access with no growth, 12.2(44)SE6 remains usable. Chapter 9: Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) Q1: Can I run this image on a 2960-Plus? No. 2960-Plus requires IOS 15.x. Booting this image will cause a “platform check” failure. C2960-lanbasek9-mz.122-44.se6.bin