PACKETPERF

Primary Device

Cisco Cisco Catalyst 9300X
Cisco Cisco Catalyst 9300X
★ 3.3 Value Score

Technical Specifications

  • Switching Capacity: Family: 800 Gbps to 2,000 Gbps standalone (24Y 2,000; 12Y 1,000; 24HX 800; 48HXN 960; 48HX/48TX 1,760). Stacked: up to 3,000 Gbps (24Y) / 2,760 Gbps (48HX/48TX) / 1,880 to 2,760 Gbps for other SKUs
  • Forwarding Rate: Family: 654.72 to 1,488 Mpps standalone (24Y 1488; 12Y 744.04; 24HX 654.72; 48HXN 714.24; 48HX/48TX 1309), measured at 64-byte IPv4. Stacked: 1,398.72 to 2,232 Mpps depending on SKU
  • Ports (breakdown): C9300X-12Y: 12x 1/10/25G SFP28 (modular uplinks). C9300X-24Y: 24x 1/10/25G SFP28 (modular uplinks). C9300X-24HX: 24x 10G mGig UPOE+ (modular uplinks). C9300X-48HXN: 8x 10G mGig + 40x 5G mGig UPOE+ (modular uplinks). C9300X-48HX: 48x 10G mGig UPOE+ (modular uplinks). C9300X-48TX: 48x 10G mGig data (modular uplinks, no PoE)
  • PoE Budget: C9300X-24HX: 735W to 1,835W (1100W AC PSU, depends on secondary PSU). C9300X-48HXN: 690W to 1,790W (1100W AC). C9300X-48HX: 590W to 1,690W (1100W AC). 24Y and 48TX: no PoE (715W AC PSU)
  • Layer: L3 (Network Essentials includes basic routing: RIP, EIGRP stub, OSPF limited to 1,000 routes; Network Advantage adds BGP, full OSPF/EIGRP, IS-IS). Scale: 39,000 IPv4 routes, 19,500 IPv6 routes, 8,000 multicast routes
  • Stacking: Yes. StackWise-1T, 1 Tbps stacking bandwidth, up to 8 members. Stacks with other 9300X models at StackWise-1T speed; stacks with C9300 models at StackWise-480. Stacking cables: 50 cm, 1 m, 3 m
  • Data Source: Cisco Catalyst 9300 Series Switches Data Sheet (cisco.com, nb-06-cat9300-ser-data-sheet-cte-en); reseller listings (CDW, CDWG, Avendor, Avoira) for pricing. Official list prices not published in datasheet; price range reflects reseller listings and varies by license tier and port configuration

Curation Review

  • ✔ Pros: Wire-speed nonblocking IPv4 and IPv6 forwarding across all SKUs; StackWise-1T stacking with 1 Tbps bandwidth and up to 8 members; Multigigabit (mGig) UPOE+ downlinks on HX models for 2.5G to 10G wired and high-power Wi-Fi 6/7 AP deployments; 25G SFP28 uplink/downlink options on 12Y and 24Y for modern aggregation; High routing scale (39,000 IPv4 routes) for a switch in this class; Mixed stacking with C9300 at StackWise-480 eases migration; Modular uplinks allow flexible network module upgrades
  • ✘ Cons: Pricing is high, with reseller listings from roughly $10,800 to $29,600+ and wide variance; Full routing (BGP, full OSPF, IS-IS) requires the Network Advantage license, adding recurring subscription cost; IPsec VPN on 9300X requires a separate HSEC key; PoE budget on HX models depends on secondary PSU choice, and no-PoE models (24Y, 48TX) cannot power endpoints; Official SKU-level list prices are not published in the datasheet, making budgeting harder; Higher-speed 25G/10G optics and StackWise-1T cables add cost beyond the base chassis
  • Est. Price: $10,783 - $29,572

Compare Against

Ubiquiti Switch Pro Max 24 PoE
Ubiquiti Switch Pro Max 24 PoE
★ 4.1 Value Score

Technical Specifications

  • Switching Capacity: 112 Gbps
  • Non-Blocking Throughput: 56 Gbps
  • Forwarding Rate: 83.3 Mpps
  • Ports: 24 total: 8x 2.5GbE PoE++, 8x 1GbE PoE++, 8x 1GbE PoE+, plus 2x 10G SFP+ uplinks
  • PoE Budget: 400W total (max 60W per port)
  • Layer: L3
  • Stacking support: Not confirmed; no physical stacking documented in sources reviewed
  • MAC Address Table Size: 32,000 entries
  • Packet Buffer Size: 2 MB
  • Form Factor: 1U rack-mountable, 442 x 325 x 44 mm, 5.1 kg without brackets
  • Management: UniFi Network 8.0.24+
  • Operating Temperature: -5 to 40u00b0C (23 to 104u00b0F)
  • Certifications: CE, FCC, IC (one listing states NDAA compliant)

Curation Review

  • ✔ Pros: Layer 3 switching in a 24-port 1U chassis; 8x 2.5GbE PoE++ ports for multi-gig wireless and workstation uplinks; 400W total PoE budget with up to 60W per port; 2x 10G SFP+ uplinks; 112 Gbps switching capacity and 56 Gbps non-blocking throughput; managed centrally through UniFi Network; list price of $799 USD from Ubiquiti's US store is competitive for L3 PoE++ hardware
  • ✘ Cons: 400W total PoE budget is limited if many high-power PoE++ devices are connected at once; No physical stacking documented, so scaling beyond one unit needs separate management; Port breakdown is described inconsistently across retailer listings, so the official Ubiquiti datasheet should be checked; Reseller prices vary widely (about $799 to $951 USD, plus higher regional prices); Independent hands-on reviews with measured performance were not found; Requires UniFi Network 8.0.24 or later for management
  • Est. Price: $799 - $951

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