Cisco IE-3500H-12P2MU2XE: Ruggedized 10G Industrial Ethernet Switching for Extreme Environments

The Cisco IE-3500H-12P2MU2XE is part of Cisco’s Heavy Duty IE3500 series, engineered for high-bandwidth, mission-critical industrial applications. Designed to operate reliably in harsh, outdoor, and heavy-industrial environments, this model delivers advanced gigabit and multigigabit connectivity, 10G uplinks, enhanced PoE++ capability, and a rugged IP67-rated, fully sealed housing. With Network Essentials software licensing, it provides secure, robust Layer 2 features ideal for industrial automation, utilities, transportation, mining, and smart cities.

Built to withstand shock, vibration, dust, moisture, corrosion, and extreme temperature fluctuations, the IE-3500H-12P2MU2XE provides industrial network architects with a future-proof platform that handles increasing network loads, video traffic, IoT expansion, and edge-to-cloud convergence.

Key Features of the Cisco IE-3500H-12P2MU2XE

Heavy-Duty, Outdoor-Ready Design

This switch uses a fully sealed IP67 enclosure, eliminating the need for a cabinet or climate control system. It is purpose-built for extreme environments, supporting reliable operation across wide temperature ranges, intense vibration zones, and exposure to water or dust.

High Performance with 10G Fiber Uplinks

With two 10G SFP+ uplink ports, the IE-3500H-12P2MU2XE delivers high-speed backbone connectivity, enabling superior throughput for real-time applications such as 4K video, security systems, and industrial sensors.

2 Multigigabit UPoE Access Ports

The switch includes two mGig (2.5G/5G/10G) UPoE X-Code ports, enabling high-bandwidth connectivity for advanced devices such as high-resolution cameras, Wi-Fi 6/6E access points, and high-power industrial endpoints.

12 Gigabit X-Code Access Ports

With twelve 1G X-Code copper interfaces, the switch supports a broad range of industrial devices using standard Ethernet while delivering flexible PoE options.

240W PoE Power Budget

The switch provides up to 240W of Universal Power over Ethernet (UPOE / PoE++), enabling power-hungry devices to operate directly from the switch without separate power injectors. This simplifies deployment and reduces wiring complexity.

Layer 2 Network Essentials

Network Essentials licensing delivers foundational switching features including VLANs, MSTP/RSTP, IGMP snooping, port security, QoS, DHCP options, and device management. It offers the reliability needed for industrial automation and OT/IT convergence.

Technical Specifications

Hardware Specifications

• Model: IE-3500H-12P2MU2XE
• Enclosure Rating: IP67 heavy-duty sealed design
• Cooling: Fanless, convection-based
• Operating Temperature: Wide industrial temperature range
• Form Factor: Fully ruggedized, DIN-rail or panel mount (depending on deployment hardware)
• Redundancy: Dual power inputs for high availability

Port Configuration

• 2 × 10G SFP+ fiber uplink ports
• 2 × multigigabit (mGig) UPoE/PoE++ X-Code ports
  • Supports 2.5G/5G/10G Ethernet
• 12 × 1G X-Code copper Ethernet ports

Power & PoE

• Total PoE Power Budget: 240W
• PoE Types Supported: UPoE / PoE++ / PoE+
• Input Voltage: Industrial DC ranges (depending on PSU)
• Redundant power input support

Performance

• Forwarding Rate: Wire-speed switching across all ports
• MAC Address Table: High-capacity industrial-grade table
• Latency: Optimized for real-time industrial control
• Security:
  • Port security
  • 802.1X authentication
  • Storm control
  • DHCP snooping

Software (Network Essentials)

• VLAN and Layer 2 switching
• IGMP snooping for multicast control
• QoS for traffic prioritization
• Rapid Spanning Tree Protocol (RSTP)
• Multiple Spanning Tree (MST)
• Simple network management (SNMP, web UI, CLI)

Environmental

• Ingress Protection: IP67 sealed
• Shock & Vibration: Industrial compliant
• Humidity: Highly resistant due to sealed enclosure
• Corrosion Resistance: Built for chemical and marine environments

Benefits of Deploying the IE-3500H-12P2MU2XE

Built for Mission-Critical Industrial Applications

This switch supports tough environments common in oil & gas fields, substations, railway systems, roadside cabinets, industrial automation systems, mining sites, and outdoor IoT networks.

Reduced Network Downtime

With its fully sealed enclosure and redundant power options, it delivers high reliability and eliminates failures related to dust, moisture, or extreme weather.

High-Bandwidth Support for Edge Compute & Video

The combination of mGig access ports plus 10G uplinks supports modern devices like AI cameras, smart sensors, and edge compute nodes without bottlenecks.

Easy Deployment Without Enclosures

The IP67 design allows mounting directly in the field without protective cabinets, significantly reducing installation costs.

Ideal Use Cases

Energy & Utilities

SCADA, substations, and field communication systems.

Transportation

Trackside networks, intelligent transport systems (ITS), roadside infrastructure.

Industrial Automation

PLC networks, robotics, assembly line communications.

Smart Cities & IoT

High-resolution surveillance, city sensors, traffic systems, environmental monitoring.

Oil, Gas & Mining

Harsh, remote environments requiring fully rugged equipment.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

1. What makes the IE-3500H-12P2MU2XE different from standard IE3500 models?
This is a heavy-duty, IP67-sealed version with multigig PoE, 10G uplinks, and a rugged design that does not require an external enclosure.

2. Can this switch operate outdoors without a cabinet?
Yes. Its IP67 enclosure protects it from dust, water, corrosion, and extreme temperatures, allowing direct outdoor deployment.

3. Does the switch support PoE++ for high-power devices?
Yes. It supports UPoE/PoE++ with a 240W power budget, ideal for cameras, access points, and industrial sensors.

4. What type of uplinks are available?
It features two 10G SFP+ fiber uplinks to ensure high-speed core or aggregation connectivity.

5. Is the license upgradable from Network Essentials to Network Advantage?
Yes, the switch is license-upgradeable if advanced Layer 3 features are required in the future.

For more information you can view the datasheets for CISCO IE3500H here.