Juniper Networks EX4100-48P vs Aruba (HPE) Aruba CX 6200: Specs & Price Comparison

Juniper Networks EX4100-48P

★ 3.2 Value Score

Switching Capacity: 376 Gbps full duplex (188 Gbps unidirectional), per reseller listings citing Juniper's datasheet
Forwarding Rate: 279 Mpps (Juniper specs page)
Ports (breakdown): 48x 1GbE 10/100/1000BASE-T RJ-45 access ports (PoE+); 4x 1GbE/10GbE SFP+ MACsec-enabled uplinks; 4x 10GbE/25GbE SFP28 ports (Virtual Chassis by default, configurable as uplinks); 1x dedicated RJ-45 management port; RJ-45 and USB Type-C console
PoE Budget: 1440 W with two power supplies (740 W with one 920 W PSU per Juniper spec table); 30 W per port (802.3at PoE+)
Layer: L2 switch with Layer 3 features (Junos OS, first release 22.2R1); license requirements for L3 features not confirmed in sources
Stacking support: Virtual Chassis, up to 10 switches over the 4x 25GbE SFP28 ports
Power supplies: 1x 920 W AC PSU shown on the datasheet; redundancy depends on the second PSU slot
Form factor: 1U, 44.09 cm wide x 35 cm deep (38.24 cm with PSU and fans), front-to-back airflow (AFO)
Weight: 6.495 kg with PSU and fan module

✔ Pros: 48 x 1GbE PoE+ access ports at 30 W per port in a compact 1U chassis; 4 x 25GbE SFP28 ports allow Virtual Chassis stacking of up to 10 switches or use as uplinks; 4 x 10GbE MACsec-capable SFP+ uplinks for secure backhaul; 1440 W PoE budget with dual power supplies; Junos OS management and Layer 3 feature set; front-to-back airflow suits data-center and rack deployments
✘ Cons: Only 802.3at PoE+ (30 W per port), so it cannot power 802.3bt/PoE++ devices such as high-power APs or PTZ cameras (the 24MP/48MP models are needed for that); access ports are 1GbE, not multi-gig; Layer 3 features may require a separate license; retail pricing varies widely (about $4,300 to $11,000) across sellers; the model is now sold under the HPE Juniper Networking brand, so Juniper-branded support paths may differ; redundancy requires buying a second PSU
Est. Price: $4,341 - $10,999

Aruba (HPE) Aruba CX 6200

★ 4.2 Value Score

Switching Capacity: 128 Gbps (24-port models); 176 Gbps (48-port models)
Forwarding Rate: 95.2 Mpps (24-port models); 130.9 Mpps (48-port models)
Ports (breakdown): 24x or 48x 10/100/1000BASE-T (PoE+ on PoE SKUs) + 4x SFP/SFP+ uplinks (1GbE/10GbE); 6200M models add 4x SFP+ uplinks
PoE Budget: 370W Class 4 (24G and 48G 370W SKUs); 740W Class 4 (48-port 6200F PoE SKU); up to 1440W Class 6 (60W per port) on 6200M PoE SKUs. Varies by SKU
Layer: L2/L3 (Layer 3 static routing; dynamic routing depends on software license)
Stacking support: Yes, VSF virtual stacking up to 8 members (single logical device); VSX redundancy also supported

✔ Pros: Fixed-port, Layer 2/3 managed access switch in a compact 1U form factor; Wide range of PoE and non-PoE SKUs (370W, 740W, and 1440W class 6 PoE options) for IP phones, cameras, and APs; VSF stacking of up to 8 members simplifies management as one logical device; Full Aruba CX OS features with REST API, network analytics, and automation support via Aruba Central; Solid mid-range pricing compared with enterprise-class core switches; 10GbE SFP+ uplinks support aggregation and campus backbone links
✘ Cons: Model and SKU naming (6200F vs 6200M, 24G vs 48G, PoE vs non-PoE) is confusing and specs differ significantly between variants; Public spec sources conflict on some figures (for example, 6200F throughput and uplink types), so exact datasheet values should be verified per SKU; Dynamic routing and advanced L3 features require additional licensing; Power budget is limited on 370W and 740W SKUs, so high-draw PoE devices may not all be supported at full load; Pricing is in USD only for 6200F SKUs. European 6200M pricing was found only in EUR and GBP, and no official HPE list price was confirmed
Est. Price: $4,261 - $8,663

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