Overview of EX Series Switches and the Juniper Mist Cloud

This example uses Junos OS Release 18.4R2.7 running on a Juniper Networks EX3400 switch with connections from Juniper access points. See JTAC switch recommendations for a current list of hardware and software that you can use to evaluate the features.

We recommend Juniper EX Series switches for interoperability with Juniper access points driven by Mist AI. These devices support Juniper’s Virtual Chassis, which we discuss later in this NCE, and provide Power over Ethernet (PoE) network interfaces and supply 8, 24, or 48 multigigabit ports that comply with IEEE 802.3af standards (such as delivering a regulated 15.4 watts of power).

Figure 1: Physical Connections Between Juniper EX Series Switches and Access Points in a NOC

EX Series switches also support PoE+, which extends normal operation to comply with IEEE 802.3at standards. PoE ports are typically used to connect VoIP telephones, wireless access points, video cameras, point-of-sale devices, and other such devices because they safely deliver power from the interface connection over a copper Ethernet LAN cable, and provide the necessary scale.

We recommend using any of the EX Series switches shown in the following table. They meet both the PoE and speed requirements needed for access point deployments, and they support Juniper’s Virtual Chassis.

Table 1: Recommended EX Series Switches for Use with Juniper Access Points
Switch	PoE	Speed	Juniper Access Points
EX2300	PoE+ (IEEE 802.3at)	1GbE	AP21, AP41, AP61, AP43 (no-mgig)
EX2300-C	PoE+ (IEEE 802.3at)	1GbE	AP21, AP41, AP61, AP43 (no-mgig)
EX2300 MP	PoE+ (IEEE 802.3st)	1GbE/2.5GbE	AP21, AP41, AP61, AP43
EX3400	PoE+ (IEEE 802.3at)	1GbE	AP21, AP41, AP61, AP43 (no-mgig)
EX4300-P	PoE+ (IEEE 802.3st)	1GbE	AP21, AP41, AP61, AP43 (no-mgig)
EX4300 MP	PoE+ (IEEE 802.3st) PoE (IEEE 802.3br)	1GbE/2.5GbE/5GbE/10GbE	AP21, AP41, AP61, AP43
EX4400	PoE++ (IEEE 802.3bt) PoE+ (IEEE 802.3at)	1GbE/2.5GbE/5GbE/10GbE	AP21, AP41, AP61, AP43

Cloud-ready, or “greenfield,” switches can be automatically added to the Juniper Mist cloud services using the zero-touch provisioning (ZTP) option, and then adopted in the Juniper Mist portal.

“Brownfield” switches, that is, existing switches that may have been used in a previous deployment, can also be added to the Juniper Mist cloud.

In either case, the switch needs to connect to a Domain Name System (DNS) server – a Network Time Protocol (NTP) server is also recommended – and it needs to be able to connect to the Juniper Mist cloud over the Internet. If there is a firewall between the cloud and the switch, you need to allow outbound access on TCP port 2200 to the management port of the switch.

We recommend that all switches added to the Juniper Mist cloud be managed exclusively through the Juniper Mist portal, and not from the device’s CLI. The Juniper Mist portal provides the user interface, and includes AI-driven cloud services and architecture. You can access these through your Juniper Mist account.

The Juniper website provides extensive documentation on both the Junos operating system and the EX Series hardware used in this NCE. Likewise, you can find documentation on Juniper Mist Premium Analytics including configuration details for Juniper access points on mist.com.

QFX Switches That Can Be Managed Through The Juniper Mist Portal

For QFX Series switches, we recommend the switches shown in the following table. The Juniper Mist feature, zero-touch provisioning (ZTP), is not currently supported for the QFX platform.

Table 2: QFX Series Switches for Use with Juniper Mist
Switch	Model
QFX5110
	QFX5110-32Q QFX5110-48S
QFX5120
	QFX5120-32C QFX5120-48YM QFX5120-48T QFX5120-48Y

Overview of EX Series Switches and the Juniper Mist Cloud

QFX Switches That Can Be Managed Through The Juniper Mist Portal

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