Primary Device
Cisco Catalyst 9300X
★ 3.3 Value Score
Technical Specifications
- Switching Capacity: 1,760 Gbps (48-port HX, current Cisco datasheet); 2,000 Gbps (24Y and 48-port models in older datasheet copies); 2,760-3,000 Gbps with stacking. Figures differ between datasheet versions.
- Forwarding Rate: 1,309 Mpps (48-port HX, current datasheet); 1,488 Mpps (24Y and older datasheet copies); 2,232 Mpps with stacking
- Ports (breakdown): Varies by SKU: 12-port 25G SFP28 (12Y); 24-port 25G SFP28 (24Y, no PoE); 24-port 10G multigigabit UPOE+ (24HX); 48-port 10G multigigabit UPOE+ (48HX). Uplink breakdown per SKU not confirmed in sources.
- PoE Budget: 24HX: 735 W (reseller datasheet); 48HX: up to 90 W per port (UPOE+), total budget not confirmed; 24Y: no PoE
- Layer: L3 (managed switch; Network Essentials listing shows L3)
- Stacking Support: Yes. StackWise-1T, 1 Tbps stacking bandwidth, up to 8 members. Mixed stacks with standard Catalyst 9300 run at StackWise-480 speeds.
Curation Review
- ✔ Pros: 1 Tbps StackWise-1T stacking with up to 8 members; 25G SFP28 uplinks on 24Y and 12Y models; 10G multigigabit UPOE+ downlinks on HX models; Layer 3 managed switching; high switching capacity (1,760-2,000 Gbps)
- ✘ Cons: High list price (MSRP roughly $15,000-$23,000 for 24- and 48-port models, reseller pricing lower); spec figures differ across Cisco datasheet versions, so verify against the current Cisco datasheet before purchase; 48-port PoE budget not confirmed; mixed stacks with standard Catalyst 9300 drop to StackWise-480 speeds; Network Essentials vs. Network Advantage licensing adds cost and changes features; meaning of the -E and -A SKU suffixes not confirmed in sources
- Est. Price: $10,783 - $14,684
Compare Against
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