PACKETPERF

Primary Device

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

Compare Against

Fortinet FortiSwitch 2048F
Fortinet FortiSwitch 2048F
★ 3.4 Value Score

Technical Specifications

  • Switching Capacity: 4 Tbps (4000 Gbps duplex)
  • Forwarding Rate: Up to 4000 Mpps (vendor-quoted; one reseller lists a conflicting 1310 Mpps figure)
  • Ports: 48x SFP28 (1/10/25 GbE); 8x QSFP28 (40/100 GbE uplinks); 2x SFP+ (1/10 GbE, per some listings)
  • PoE Budget: None (non-PoE switch)
  • Layer: L2/L3 (BGP, OSPF, IS-IS, RIP, VRRP, PIM-SSM, VXLAN, static routing)
  • Stacking support: Not confirmed in available sources; managed via FortiGate/FortiLink
  • Latency: Under 1 microsecond
  • Packet Buffer: 32 MB
  • MAC Address Table: 96K entries (per reseller listings)
  • VLANs: 4K
  • Form Factor: 1RU rack-mountable
  • Power Supply: Dual hot-swappable AC power supplies

Curation Review

  • ✔ Pros: 25GbE SFP28 density in a compact 1RU chassis; 8x 100GbE QSFP28 uplinks for aggregation and data center leaf/spine roles; 4 Tbps switching capacity with sub-microsecond latency; Layer 3 routing protocols (BGP, OSPF, IS-IS, VXLAN) included; Dual hot-swappable AC power for redundancy; Managed via FortiGate/FortiLink as part of the Fortinet Security Fabric
  • ✘ Cons: No PoE, so it cannot power access points, cameras or phones; Very high list price (about $30,653 MSRP) compared with most switches; Stacking support is not confirmed in available sources; Forwarding-rate figures vary between resellers, so the official datasheet should be checked; Designed for data center and aggregation roles, which is more than most campus access deployments need; Requires optics and cabling budget for SFP28/QSFP28 ports on top of the base price
  • Est. Price: $17,368 - $23,690

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