PACKETPERF

Primary Device

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

Technical Specifications

  • Switching Capacity: 880 Gbps - 1.76 Tbps
  • Forwarding Rate: 660 - 1,310 MPPS
  • Ports: 24 or 48 ports (1GbE, 1/2.5/5GbE Smart Rate, or 10GbE SFP+); Uplinks up to 100GbE
  • PoE Budget: Up to 2880W (Supports up to 90W Class 8 per port)
  • Layer: Layer 3 (Full OSPF, BGP, VRF, VXLAN support)
  • Stacking support: Aruba VSF (Up to 10 switches per stack)

Curation Review

  • ✔ Pros: No subscription or licensing fees for core features like NAE; Built-in Network Analytics Engine (NAE) for real-time visibility; Flexible stacking using standard ports; Support for high-power 90W PoE for modern IoT devices.
  • ✘ Cons: Significant learning curve when transitioning from legacy ArubaOS-Switch (ProCurve); Web interface lacks some advanced configuration options found in CLI; Ecosystem is slightly smaller compared to industry leaders like Cisco.
  • Est. Price: $2,000 - $18,000

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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