Ubiquiti Enterprise 8 PoE vs Juniper Networks QFX5120-48Y: Specs & Price Comparison

Ubiquiti Enterprise 8 PoE

★ 4.2 Value Score

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

✔ 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

Juniper Networks QFX5120-48Y

★ 3.2 Value Score

Switching Capacity: 4 Tbps (bidirectional)
Forwarding Rate: 2 Bpps
Ports (breakdown): 48 x 1/10/25GbE SFP28 + 8 x 40/100GbE QSFP28
PoE Budget: N/A (non-PoE data center switch)
Layer (L2/L3): L2/L3 (L3 features such as OSPF/BGP/IS-IS require Juniper licensing; the licensing tier is unclear across sources)
Stacking support: Virtual Chassis, up to 2 members (licensing requirement unclear across sources)
Packet Buffer: 32 MB
Form Factor: 1U fixed, 1.72 x 17.36 x 20.48 in (W x H x D)
Power Consumption: 272 W max / 247 W typical
Airflow: Varies by SKU (AFI = airflow in, AFO = airflow out, AFO2/AFI2 variants, AC or DC power)

✔ Pros: Dense 25GbE access with 8 x 100GbE uplinks in a compact 1U chassis; 4 Tbps switching capacity and 2 Bpps forwarding rate for line-rate leaf/access use; 32 MB packet buffer suited to bursty data center traffic; Junos OS with full L2/L3 feature set and Virtual Chassis for two-member redundancy; Low power draw (about 272 W max) relative to its port density; Widely available new and used through resellers, with varied airflow and power SKUs
✘ Cons: Limited Virtual Chassis scale (max 2 members) compared with larger stacking platforms; Layer 3 and Virtual Chassis licensing tiers are inconsistently documented, which can add cost; Juniper's official spec pages now redirect to HPE, making primary-source verification harder; Prices vary widely by SKU (airflow direction, AC/DC, license bundle), so the price range is broad; No PoE, so it cannot power access points or phones directly; Fixed 1U form factor with no modular expansion options
Est. Price: $4,995 - $22,544

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