Switch Features 59
Stacking Features 
For information about creating and maintaining a stack of switches, see 
"Managing a Switch Stack" on page 143.
High Port Count
You can stack PowerConnect 8000-series and 8100-series switches up to six 
switches high, supporting up to 132 front-panel ports on the PC8024 series 
and up to 336 front panel ports on a stack of six PC8164 series, when two 
ports on each unit are configured as stacking ports. The stack can contain any 
combination of Power Connect 8024 and PowerConnect 8024F switches as 
long as all switches are running the same firmware version.
Single IP Management
When multiple switches are connected together through the stack ports, they 
operate as a single unit with a larger port count. The stack operates and is 
managed as a single entity. One switch acts as the master, and the entire stack 
is managed through the management interface (Web, CLI, or SNMP) of the 
stack master.
Automatic Firmware Update for New Stack Members
By default, if a switch is added to a stack and the switch is running a different 
backup version of firmware than the active version on the stack master, the 
backup firmware on the new member is automatically updated to match the 
stack master, the backup version of firmware on the new member is activated, 
and the new member is rebooted.