Power Consumption: Approx 80-250W (depending on PoE load)
Max PoE Devices: 24
Throughput per 2.5G Port: 2.5 Gbps full duplex
Curation Review
✔ Pros:Excellent 2.5G port density at mid-range price; Fanless design offers silent operation and reliability; 600W PoE budget supports modern high-power devices; Integrated into UniFi ecosystem for centralized management; 10G uplink SFP+ ports for aggregation; Low latency and responsive performance; Energy efficient under typical loads
✘ Cons:Limited to L3 (no advanced routing); No stacking support limits scalability for large deployments; 2.5G ports may not justify cost if 1G sufficient for use case; Passive cooling means outdoor/high-temp deployments not recommended; Limited redundancy/HA features compared to enterprise switches; SFP+ modules sold separately
Ports: Modular: 12-40 ports (10GbE to 400GbE capable)
Port Breakdown: C9500-12Q: 12u00d7100GbE QSFP28; C9500-40X: 40u00d710GbE SFP+
PoE Budget: Optional - available on select linecards
Layer Support: L2/L3 (Multi-layer)
Stacking Support: Yes - up to 8 units
Throughput (Aggregate): Up to 38.4 Tbps per chassis
Redundancy: Dual supervisors, dual power supplies
Curation Review
✔ Pros:Modular design enables flexible port configurations and future upgrades; Industry-leading switching capacity (38.4 Tbps) for carrier-grade deployments; Advanced L3 routing with sophisticated QoS, security, and multicast capabilities; Stackable architecture supports seamless scaling to 8 units; Cisco IOS XE OS provides extensive features, automation, and security; Exceptional support for high-density 100GbE/400GbE connectivity
✘ Cons:Extremely high capital expenditure ($150K–$500K+) unsuitable for small/medium deployments; Complex modular architecture requires significant operational expertise; High power consumption and cooling requirements; Licensing costs can add 30–50% to acquisition price; Over-engineered for most enterprise use cases; Limited ROI for organizations not requiring carrier-grade performance