Primary Device
Aruba 6000 24G 4SFP
★ 3.3 Value Score
Technical Specifications
- Switching Capacity: 56 Gbps
- Forwarding Rate: 41.6 Mpps
- Ports (breakdown): 24x 10/100/1000BASE-T RJ-45 + 4x 1G SFP (non-PoE R8N88A; PoE variant R8N87A has the same port layout)
- PoE Budget: None on R8N88A; R8N87A PoE variant: 370W Class 4 PoE+
- Layer: L2/L3 managed (Layer 3 lite)
- Stacking Support: Not supported
Curation Review
- ✔ Pros: Low-cost entry point into managed Aruba CX switching; 24 Gigabit copper ports plus 4 SFP uplinks in a compact 1U chassis; Layer 3 capable with managed features for small branch or SMB networks; PoE+ variant (R8N87A, 370W) available for powering access points and cameras; Supports Aruba CX management tools including Aruba Central cloud management
- ✘ Cons: The non-PoE R8N88A cannot power devices, so PoE needs the separate R8N87A SKU; SFP uplinks are 1G only with no 10G option; 56 Gbps switching capacity is modest compared with newer Aruba CX 6100/6200F models; Stacking is not supported, which limits scalability; Only 28 total ports limits density for larger deployments; Published forwarding and PoE figures for the PoE variant conflict across retailer listings, so they should be verified against HPE QuickSpecs
- Est. Price: $540 - $850
Compare Against
Ubiquiti Enterprise 8 PoE
★ 4.2 Value Score
Technical Specifications
- Switching Capacity: 80 Gbps
- Forwarding Rate: 59.52 Mpps (Ubiquiti tech specs list 60 Mpps)
- Non-Blocking Throughput: 40 Gbps
- Ports (breakdown): 8 x 2.5GbE RJ45 (all PoE+; 2.5G/1G/100M/10M) + 2 x 10G SFP+ (10G/1G)
- PoE Budget: 120W total PoE; 802.3af/at (PoE+) only, up to 32W per port
- Layer: L3 (managed)
- Stacking Support: Not stated in official specs
- Packet Buffer: 1.5 MB
- MAC Address Table: 16,000 entries
- Power Consumption: 30W excluding PoE; 150W including PoE output
- Form Factor: Compact desktop, wall-mount kit included
- Dimensions: 200 x 248 x 44 mm
- Management Display: 1.3-inch color LCM touchscreen
- Product Status: Listed as 'Enterprise 8 PoE (Vintage)' on Ubiquiti's store; no official replacement or EOL announcement found
Curation Review
- ✔ Pros: Eight 2.5GbE PoE+ ports suit multi-gig Wi-Fi 6 access points and desktop devices; Layer 3 managed feature set at a low price for the class; 80 Gbps switching capacity and 59.52 Mpps forwarding rate cover small-office and branch loads; Two 10G SFP+ uplinks allow 10G backhaul or fiber links; Compact desktop form factor with wall-mount kit and LCM touchscreen for local status; 120W PoE budget is enough for several PoE+ access points or cameras
- ✘ Cons: Only 802.3af/at PoE+ (max 32W per port), so it cannot power PoE++ devices such as Ubiquiti's U7/E7 access points; Product is listed as Vintage with no official successor named, so long-term availability and firmware support are uncertain; 120W total PoE budget limits how many high-draw devices can be powered at once; Only two SFP+ uplinks and no stacking support, which limits scaling; Price varies widely across resellers ($479 on Ubiquiti's US store, up to about $688 or more at third-party sellers)
- Est. Price: $479 - $688