Aruba (HPE) Aruba CX 6200 vs Aruba (HPE) Aruba CX 6100: Specs & Price Comparison

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

Aruba (HPE) Aruba CX 6100

★ 3.4 Value Score

Device Category: Switch
Switching Capacity: 176 Gbps (family figure, from datasheet copies and reseller listings)
Forwarding Rate: Up to 98.6 Mpps family maximum; 95.2 Mpps for 24-port JL678A; 45.1 Mpps for 12-port JL679A
Ports: 12, 24, or 48 x 10/100/1000BASE-T ports plus 2 or 4 SFP+ 1/10GbE uplinks, depending on model (e.g., 24G 4SFP+ JL678A, 48G 4SFP+ JL676A, 12G 2SFP+ JL679A)
PoE Budget: Model-dependent: 139W on 12G Class 4 PoE model; 370W on 24G/48G Class 4 PoE models; 740W on 48G Class 4 PoE model R9Y04A; non-PoE models have none. Sources conflict on the series-wide maximum, so verify per SKU
Layer (L2/L3): Layer 2 switching with static IPv4 and IPv6 routing; no dynamic routing protocol (OSPF/BGP) found in the sources
Stacking Support: HPE VSF (Virtual Switching Framework) up to 6 members in chain or ring topology; requires AOS-CX 10.16.1006 or later; 12-port models stack only with 12-port models, and 24/48-port models stack only with each other
Form Factor: 1U rack-mount

✔ Pros: 1U rack-mountable form factor with built-in 1/10GbE SFP+ uplinks; Multiple port-count and PoE options (non-PoE and Class 4 PoE) from one series; VSF stacking of up to 6 members simplifies management as a single logical switch; Layer 2 switching with static IPv4/IPv6 routing suits small-to-mid access-layer deployments; Runs HPE Aruba AOS-CX, which offers a modern API-driven, Aruba-ecosystem management experience; Lower entry price than many enterprise-class switches in the same port density
✘ Cons: No dynamic routing protocols (OSPF/BGP) found in the sources, which limits Layer 3 use; PoE budget varies widely by model (139W to 740W), so the series-wide PoE figure is unclear; Official HPE per-model forwarding rates were not directly confirmed (figures come from QuickSpecs and reseller pages); VSF stacking is restricted by port count, so 12-port and 24/48-port models cannot be mixed; Street prices vary a lot between resellers, and the highest-PoE SKU was listed out of stock
Est. Price: $1,959 - $4,805

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