PACKETPERF

Primary Device

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

Technical Specifications

  • Switching Capacity: 880 Gbps - 1760 Gbps
  • Forwarding Rate: 660 Mpps - 1310 Mpps
  • Ports: 24 or 48 ports (1GbE or Smart Rate 1/2.5/5GbE), 4x 1G/10G/25G/50G SFP56 uplinks
  • PoE Budget: Up to 2880W (Supports up to 90W per port, IEEE 802.3bt Class 8)
  • Layer: Layer 3 (Static, RIP, OSPF, BGP, EVPN/VXLAN)
  • Stacking support: Up to 10 switches per stack via VSF (200-400 Gbps stacking bandwidth)

Curation Review

  • ✔ Pros: Modern AOS-CX operating system with built-in Network Analytics Engine (NAE); No additional licensing required for advanced Layer 3 features; High-density 90W PoE support for high-power IoT and Wi-Fi 7; Modular design with hot-swappable power and fans.
  • ✘ Cons: Significant upfront investment compared to entry-level series; Learning curve for administrators moving from legacy AOS-S or Cisco-style CLI; Requires disciplined firmware management due to OS complexity.
  • Est. Price: $3,500 - $20,000

Compare Against

Fortinet FortiSwitch 124G (FS-124G)
Fortinet FortiSwitch 124G (FS-124G)
★ 3.7 Value Score

Technical Specifications

  • Switching Capacity: 240 Gbps
  • Forwarding Rate: 355 Mpps
  • Ports: 24 x 100/1000/2500 Mbps RJ45, 6 x 10 Gbps SFP+
  • PoE Budget: 0W (Non-PoE)
  • Layer: Layer 2 with Static Routing
  • Stacking support: FortiLink (Management Stacking)
  • Form Factor: 1 RU, Fanless

Curation Review

  • ✔ Pros: High-speed 2.5G multi-gigabit ports ideal for Wi-Fi 6/7 access points; generous 6x 10G SFP+ uplinks for high backhaul capacity; fanless design ensures completely silent operation; seamless integration with FortiGate firewalls via FortiLink for centralized security management.
  • ✘ Cons: Lacks Power over Ethernet (PoE) support, requiring injectors or a separate power source for connected devices; fanless design leads to high operating temperatures (often exceeding 50°C); limited Layer 3 features compared to enterprise core switches.
  • Est. Price: $1,130 - $1,504

Popular Comparisons

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