HP E5500 switches deliver premium levels of performance, security, and reliability for robust switching at the enterprise network edge. The series consists of Layer 2/3/4 Fast Ethernet and Power over Ethernet switches, with advanced features that can accommodate the most demanding applications. They offer resilient and secure connectivity and the latest traffic-prioritization technologies to optimize applications on converged networks. Designed for maximum flexibility and scalability, they come with 24 or 48 10/100 ports, plus four active SFP-based Gigabit Ethernet ports for stacking and uplinks. They can be stacked up to eight units high in one location—or distributed over several sites up to 70 km (43.5 miles) apart and connected via Gigabit links to form a virtual “stack.” One stack can provide up to 384 Fast Ethernet ports and may be managed centrally as a single-IP entity.