Every Cisco switch has a serial number that shows information about it’s production location and year.
SW# show version
Cisco IOS Software, C3560 Software (C3560-IPBASE-M), Version 12.2(35)SE5, RELEASE SOFTWARE (fc1)
Copyright (c) 1986-2007 by Cisco Systems, Inc.
Compiled Thu 19-Jul-07 18:15 by nachen
Image text-base: 0x00003000, data-base: 0x01100000
ROM: Bootstrap program is C3560 boot loader
BOOTLDR: C3560 Boot Loader (C3560-HBOOT-M) Version 12.2(25r)SEC, RELEASE SOFTWARE (fc4)
SWxx uptime is 7 years, 49 weeks, 5 days, 1 hour, 48 minutes
System returned to ROM by power-on
System restarted at 09:33:45 UTC Thu Nov 21 2013
System image file is "flash:c35..."
cisco WS-C3560-48PS (PowerPC405) processor (revision Q0) with 122880K/8184K bytes of memory.
Processor board ID FDO1239XXXX
Last reset from power-on
2 Virtual Ethernet interfaces
48 FastEthernet interfaces
4 Gigabit Ethernet interfaces
...As you see this switch is very old and was running very long. Without any issues btw.
The serial number here is shown as “Processor board ID”, you might also find “System serial number” or similar. The format is “LLLYYWWXXXX”
- LLL show the production location like CTH (Celestica – Thailand) FOC (Foxconn – Shenzhen), or old Cisco Catalysts seem to have simply “CAT” at the beginning.
- YY is the production year – 1996:
01=1997
02=1998
04 = 2000
05 = 2001
06 = 2002
07 = 2003
08 = 2004
09 = 2005
10 = 2006
11 = 2007
12 = 2008
13 = 2009
14 = 2010
15 = 2011
16 = 2012
17 = 2013
18 = 2014
19 = 2015
20 = 2016
21 = 2017
22 = 2018
23 = 2019
… - WW week of production year
- XXXX Uniq ID
Version: checked with different catalyst switches from 2006 to 2019