PACKETPERF

Primary Device

Aruba (HPE) Aruba CX 6100
Aruba (HPE) Aruba CX 6100
★ 3.4 Value Score

Technical Specifications

  • 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

Curation Review

  • ✔ 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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