Cisco Cisco Catalyst 9200L vs Juniper Networks QFX5120-48Y: 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

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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