Cisco Cisco Catalyst 9200L vs Ubiquiti Switch Pro Max 48 PoE: Specs & Price Comparison

Cisco Cisco Catalyst 9200L

★ 4.3 Value Score

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)

✔ 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

Ubiquiti Switch Pro Max 48 PoE

★ 3.8 Value Score

Switching Capacity: 224 Gbps
Forwarding Rate: 167 Mpps
Ports (breakdown): 48 total: 32 x 1GbE RJ45 (24 PoE+ and 8 PoE++; 1G/100M/10M) + 16 x 2.5GbE RJ45 (8 PoE+ and 8 PoE++; 2.5G/1G/100M/10M) + 4 x 10G SFP+ uplinks (10G/1G)
PoE Budget: 720W total (PoE 15.4W, PoE+ 32W, PoE++ 64W max per port)
Layer: Layer 3
Stacking support: Not listed on Ubiquiti's spec page
Total Non-Blocking Throughput: 112 Gbps
MAC Address Table Size: 32,000
Jumbo Frames: Supported
Form Factor: 1U rack-mount, 442.4 x 400 x 44 mm (17.4 x 15.7 x 1.7 in)
Weight: 6.2 kg without mounting brackets (6.3 kg with brackets)
Power Supply: Internal AC/DC 870W; 100-240V AC input plus RPS DC input
Management: UniFi Network 8.0.24 or later
Warranty: 1-year limited

✔ Pros: Selective 2.5GbE ports (16 of 48) let you add Wi-Fi 7 APs and other high-bandwidth devices without buying a full 2.5GbE switch; PoE++ (64W per port on 8 of the 2.5GbE and 8 of the 1GbE ports) supports higher-power devices such as PTZ cameras; 720W PoE budget covers dense PoE deployments; Layer 3 features with 224 Gbps switching capacity and 4 x 10G SFP+ uplinks; Etherlighting port indicators help with port management and remote troubleshooting in dense racks
✘ Cons: Only 16 of 48 ports are 2.5GbE, which can surprise buyers expecting faster access ports; the price is high compared with 1GbE-only managed switches; the fans can be audible, so it suits server rooms or network closets better than offices; full Etherlighting effect requires Ubiquiti translucent patch cables, adding cost; the Etherlighting cable ecosystem is tied to Ubiquiti's own products; the reviewer recommends the Pro Max 16 PoE for most Wi-Fi 7 upgraders because of better value
Est. Price: $1,299 - $1,552

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