PACKETPERF

Primary Device

Aruba (HPE) Aruba CX 6300M Switch
Aruba (HPE) Aruba CX 6300M Switch
★ 3.2 Value Score

Technical Specifications

  • Switching Capacity: Up to 880 Gbps per 48-port model (system range 496-880 Gbps across the 6300M family; varies by SKU)
  • Forwarding Rate: Up to 654 Mpps per model (system range 369-654 Mpps across the 6300M family; varies by SKU)
  • Ports: 48x 1/2.5/5GbE Smart Rate (Class 6 PoE) + 4x SFP56 uplinks (10/25/50GbE) for JL659A; other 6300M SKUs use different port mixes (24-port, 48-port 1GbE, and 100G variants)
  • PoE Budget: Class 6 PoE per port; 1440 W family maximum (SKU-dependent)
  • Layer: L2/L3
  • Stacking Support: VSF (Virtual Switching Framework), up to 10 units via 4 built-in QSFP28 stacking ports (1/10/25/50GbE, 50GbE DAC only)

Curation Review

  • ✔ Pros: Smart Rate 1/2.5/5GbE ports support multi-gig Wi-Fi 6/6E access points over existing copper cabling; Class 6 PoE budget supports high-power PoE devices; VSF stacking lets up to 10 switches be managed as one logical device; 4x SFP56 uplinks provide 10/25/50GbE capacity; L2/L3 feature set covers campus and branch access and aggregation
  • ✘ Cons: Specs vary widely by SKU, so family-level figures can mislead when comparing models; VSF stacking requires QSFP28 ports and DAC cables, which uses port capacity and adds cost; Pricing is well above basic unmanaged or entry-level L2 switches; Reseller price spread is wide (for example, JL658A listings range from about $4,975 to $15,343), so quotes need checking; Official HPE QuickSpecs were not directly verified in this research, and figures come from reseller and datasheet mirror pages
  • Est. Price: $13,174 - $20,497

Compare Against

Aruba (HPE) Aruba CX 6200
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

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