Software

At the heart of the switch is the software. At the moment, a variety of different images appear
in the range. This is partly because Cisco is in a transitional stage between the legacy operating
systems of the older switches and the completion of the migration toward IOS-based switches.
It is also partly because some switches do more than just layer 2 switching. The minute a switch
operates at layer 3, it is, in effect, a router as well—which means a router-compliant IOS.
The two main issues that you must understand when considering software are

On a 2950 switch, is the IOS
Standard Image (SI)
or
Enhanced Image (EI)
?

On a 4000 or 6500 series switch, is the IOS a hybrid of CatOS and IOS, or is it true IOS?

Particle buffers
64 64 64 64 64
320
300
300