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
Cisco Cisco Catalyst 9200L
★ 4.3 Value Score
Technical Specifications
- Switching Capacity: 56 Gbps (24P-4G) to 128 Gbps (24-port 4x10G) and 104 Gbps (48P-4G) to 176 Gbps (48P-4X); varies by SKU and source
- Forwarding Rate: 83.33 Mpps (24P-4G) to 190.4 Mpps (24P-4X); 154.76 Mpps (48P-4G) to 261.9 Mpps (48P-4X); varies by SKU and source
- Ports (breakdown): 24 or 48 x 10/100/1000 downlink ports (PoE+ on P models, non-PoE on T models; some 48-port PXG variants add mGig ports) plus 4 fixed uplinks: 4 x 1G SFP (-4G) or 4 x 10G SFP+ (-4X)
- PoE Budget: 24P models: about 370 W default, up to about 740 W with redundant PSU; 48P models: about 740 W default, up to about 1440 W with two PSUs (sources conflict, e.g. 600 W and 1 kW PSU options quoted)
- Layer: L2/L3: Network Essentials provides L2 switching with basic L3 features; Network Advantage adds full dynamic L3 routing
- Stacking support: Yes, StackWise-80 with 80 Gbps stacking bandwidth, up to 8 switches (requires stacking module/kit)
Curation Review
- ✔ Pros: Cisco StackWise-80 stacking of up to 8 units with 80 Gbps stacking bandwidth; 4x10G SFP+ uplink option for higher-bandwidth aggregation; Full PoE+ (802.3at) on P models with budgets up to roughly 1440 W with redundant power; Two licensing tiers (Network Essentials and Network Advantage) let buyers pay only for needed L3 features; Lower price point than Catalyst 9300 for standard campus access deployments
- ✘ Cons: Uplinks are fixed with no modular expansion slots, which limits future upgrade paths; Full dynamic L3 routing requires the more expensive Network Advantage license; Stacking needs a separate stacking module and is capped at 8 units; Switching capacity and PoE budgets differ widely between SKUs, making spec comparison and sizing confusing; Lower forwarding performance and feature depth than Catalyst 9300 for aggregation or core roles
- Est. Price: $1,783 - $4,604