Cisco Cisco Catalyst 9200L vs Cisco Catalyst 9200: 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

Cisco Catalyst 9200

★ 3.3 Value Score

Switching Capacity: Up to 128 Gbps (24-port PoE+ model) and 176 Gbps (48-port PoE+ model); up to 288 Gbps and 336 Gbps when stacked
Forwarding Rate: Up to 95.23 Mpps (24-port PoE+) and 130.95 Mpps (48-port PoE+); 214 Mpps and 250 Mpps when stacked
Ports: 24 or 48 x 1GbE downlink ports (PoE+/UPOE models, with a multigigabit variant on the 9200L); modular uplink slots (1G/10G, 25G, or 40G depending on module); fixed-uplink 9200L models have 4x1G or 4x10G/2x25G uplinks
PoE Budget: 740W for 24-port PoE+ models; 1440W for 48-port PoE+ models; 370W partial-PoE budget on selected 48-port models (600W power supply required)
Layer: L2 with L3 features (static routing, OSPF, EIGRP, and others) available with the Network Advantage license
Stacking: StackWise-160 on modular 9200 models, up to 160 Gbps per member and up to 8 members with the same license level; 9200L fixed models use StackWise-80 and cannot stack with modular 9200 switches
Pricing Note: Range based on reseller street prices for 9200L 24-port and 48-port models (SHI listings, Network Essentials/Advantage variants). Modular 9200 pricing not verified; check a current quote before relying on these figures

✔ Pros: Enterprise-grade PoE+ and UPOE switching for access layer deployments; StackWise-160 stacking simplifies management and scales capacity; Modular uplinks allow 10G/25G/40G upgrades; Lower entry price than many enterprise access switches, especially for the 9200L line; Strong security and automation support through DNA Center and IOS-XE; Wide availability through resellers and refurbished channels
✘ Cons: Fixed-uplink 9200L models cannot be stacked with modular 9200 switches, limiting mixed-fleet growth; L3 routing features require the Network Advantage license, which adds cost; 24-port PoE budget (740W) may be limiting for high-power APs and cameras; Published forwarding rates and PoE budgets differ across resellers, so exact figures must be checked against Cisco's datasheet for the specific SKU; Lower switching capacity than Catalyst 9300 for aggregation and core roles
Est. Price: $1,844 - $3,704

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