Stacking Support: Yes, StackWise Virtual (up to 9 units)
Form Factor: Modular, 1U/2U rackmount
Throughput per Port: 10 Gbps (downlink), 40 Gbps (uplink)
Management: SNMP v3, SSH, Web UI, Telnet
Curation Review
✔ Pros:Enterprise-grade Catalyst OS with advanced security features; Full Layer 3 routing with OSPF, BGP, EIGRP support; Excellent PoE+ budget (740W) for powering APs and VoIP phones; StackWise Virtual redundancy for high availability; 40G QSFP28 uplinks for high-speed core connectivity; Low-latency forwarding with predictable performance; Secure boot and threat detection capabilities
✘ Cons:Premium pricing ($5.5K–$14K), 2–3x more expensive than commodity switches; Steep learning curve with complex IOS-XE configuration; Requires licensing for advanced features and support; High power consumption (~350W typical) increases operational costs; Overkill for small deployments under 50 ports; Vendor lock-in to Cisco ecosystem; Support contracts recommended for production environments
Est. Price:
$5,500 - $14,000
Compare Against
Ubiquiti Enterprise 8 PoE
★ 4.3 Value Score
Technical Specifications
Wi-Fi Standard: Wi-Fi 6 (802.11ax)
Spatial Streams (MIMO): 2x2 MIMO (2 spatial streams per band)
✔ Pros:Enterprise-grade Wi-Fi 6 with strong dual-band coverage; Simple PoE power delivery (802.3at standard); Excellent UniFi integration and centralized management; Cost-effective for mid-market deployments; Reliable firmware and security updates from Ubiquiti
✘ Cons:Limited to 2x2 MIMO (lower stream count than flagship models); 1 Gbps uplink can bottleneck in high-density deployments; Requires UniFi Controller ecosystem (not standalone); Internal antennas limit customization; 5GHz range more limited than external-antenna competitors