Primary Device
Cisco Catalyst 9500
★ 3.3 Value Score
Technical Specifications
- Switching Capacity: Up to 12 Tbps (9500X, Q200 ASIC); up to 6.4 Tbps (C9500-32C); up to 3.2 Tbps (32QC, 48Y4C); up to 2.0 Tbps (24Y4C); up to 480 Gbps (9500-16X, UADP 2.0)
- Forwarding Rate: Up to 8 Bpps (9500X); up to 2 Bpps (C9500-32C); up to 1 Bpps (32QC, 48Y4C, 24Y4C); up to 360 Mpps (9500-16X)
- Ports: 16 to 92 ports by model, mixing 1/10/25G, 40/100G, and 400G. Examples: 16x 1/10G SFP+ (9500-16X); 24x 1/10/25G SFP28 + 4x 40/100G uplinks (9500-24Y4C); 48x 1/10/25G SFP28 + 4x 40/100G uplinks (9500-48Y4C); 32x 100G QSFP28 (9500-32C); 32x 40G or 16x 100G QSFP (9500-32QC); 28x 40/100G QSFP28 + 8x 400G QSFP-DD (9500X-28C8D); 60x 10/25/50G SFP56 + 4x 40/100/200/400G (9500X-60L4D)
- PoE Budget: N/A (no PoE variants listed in the Catalyst 9500 datasheet)
- Layer: Layer 3 (full IP routing; Network Essentials or Network Advantage license tier)
- Stacking Support: StackWise Virtual (SVL) on 9500 and 9500X families; no physical StackWise stacking
Curation Review
- ✔ Pros: One family spans 1G/10G access-aggregation to 100G/400G core uplinks; 9500X models reach up to 8 Bpps forwarding on the Silicon One Q200 ASIC; StackWise Virtual pairs two chassis into one logical L3 core with redundancy; Full Layer 3 routing with Network Essentials and Network Advantage license tiers; Modular uplink options on the 9500-16X (NM-8X, NM-2Q) add flexibility
- ✘ Cons: No PoE variants in the line, so access-layer PoE requires separate switches; Prices are not published by Cisco and reseller pricing varies widely (about $3,875 to $37,824); Older UADP 2.0 models like the 9500-16X are limited to 480 Gbps and 360 Mpps; SVL uses ports for the link and requires identical models on both chassis; Cisco DNA licensing is sold separately from the hardware and adds to total cost
- Est. Price: $3,875 - $37,824
Compare Against
Aruba (HPE) Aruba CX 6200
★ 4.2 Value Score
Technical Specifications
- 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
Curation Review
- ✔ 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