PACKETPERF

Primary Device

Cisco Catalyst 9500-48Y4C
Cisco Catalyst 9500-48Y4C
★ 3.2 Value Score

Technical Specifications

  • Switching Capacity: 3.2 Tbps
  • Forwarding Rate: 1 Bpps (64-byte packets)
  • Ports (breakdown): 48 x 1/10/25G SFP28 + 4 x 40/100G QSFP28 uplinks
  • PoE Budget: None (non-PoE data switch)
  • Layer: L2/L3 (L3 features depend on license: Network Advantage -A, Network Essentials -E)
  • Stacking support: StackWise Virtual per reseller listings (verify against Cisco documentation)

Curation Review

  • ✔ Pros: 1U chassis with 48 x 25G ports and 4 x 100G uplinks for dense data center and aggregation use; 3.2 Tbps switching capacity and 1 Bpps forwarding on the UADP 3.0 ASIC; Layer 3 routing available with Network Advantage licensing; no PoE overhead, so the platform suits server and aggregation roles; -E and -A licensing tiers let buyers match features to budget; widely available new and refurbished from resellers
  • ✘ Cons: No PoE support, so it cannot power edge endpoints such as APs or IP phones; the -E tier omits some advanced features (reported as SD-Access and advanced QoS, verify against Cisco licensing); only 4 uplink ports limit high-bandwidth aggregation; list prices are high and street prices vary widely between sellers; spec sheets from resellers conflict on port count and stacking, so Cisco's official datasheet should be checked before purchase
  • Est. Price: $9,444 - $29,326

Compare Against

Cisco Cisco Catalyst 9200L
Cisco Cisco Catalyst 9200L
★ 4.3 Value Score

Technical Specifications

  • Switching Capacity: 56 Gbps (24P-4G) to 128 Gbps (24-port 4x10G) and 104 Gbps (48P-4G) to 176 Gbps (48P-4X); varies by SKU and source
  • Forwarding Rate: 83.33 Mpps (24P-4G) to 190.4 Mpps (24P-4X); 154.76 Mpps (48P-4G) to 261.9 Mpps (48P-4X); varies by SKU and source
  • Ports (breakdown): 24 or 48 x 10/100/1000 downlink ports (PoE+ on P models, non-PoE on T models; some 48-port PXG variants add mGig ports) plus 4 fixed uplinks: 4 x 1G SFP (-4G) or 4 x 10G SFP+ (-4X)
  • PoE Budget: 24P models: about 370 W default, up to about 740 W with redundant PSU; 48P models: about 740 W default, up to about 1440 W with two PSUs (sources conflict, e.g. 600 W and 1 kW PSU options quoted)
  • Layer: L2/L3: Network Essentials provides L2 switching with basic L3 features; Network Advantage adds full dynamic L3 routing
  • Stacking support: Yes, StackWise-80 with 80 Gbps stacking bandwidth, up to 8 switches (requires stacking module/kit)

Curation Review

  • ✔ Pros: Cisco StackWise-80 stacking of up to 8 units with 80 Gbps stacking bandwidth; 4x10G SFP+ uplink option for higher-bandwidth aggregation; Full PoE+ (802.3at) on P models with budgets up to roughly 1440 W with redundant power; Two licensing tiers (Network Essentials and Network Advantage) let buyers pay only for needed L3 features; Lower price point than Catalyst 9300 for standard campus access deployments
  • ✘ Cons: Uplinks are fixed with no modular expansion slots, which limits future upgrade paths; Full dynamic L3 routing requires the more expensive Network Advantage license; Stacking needs a separate stacking module and is capped at 8 units; Switching capacity and PoE budgets differ widely between SKUs, making spec comparison and sizing confusing; Lower forwarding performance and feature depth than Catalyst 9300 for aggregation or core roles
  • Est. Price: $1,783 - $4,604

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