Cisco C9300-48P-E Switch
- Managed, Rack-mountable, 48 x 1G ports, Modular Uplinks, PoE+ (437 W)
Overview
The Cisco Catalyst C9300-48P-E Switch is a secure, scalable, and efficient enterprise-grade solution for modern networks. With 48 PoE+ Gigabit Ethernet ports, it is ideal for powering IP phones, cameras, and wireless access points, delivering both power and data over a single connection. Modular uplink options and a rich feature set make it a versatile choice for enterprise and campus environments, while Network Essentials licensing provides essential Layer 3 functionality with the option to upgrade to advanced routing.
Technical Details
The Cisco Catalyst C9300-48P-E is a Layer 3 managed 1U rackmount access switch with 48 Gigabit Ethernet PoE+ ports and a modular uplink slot for a field-installable network module, running Cisco IOS XE with the perpetual Network Essentials license. Switching capacity is 256 Gbps and forwarding rate is 190.47 Mpps. It delivers PoE+ at up to 30 W per port, with a 437 W PoE budget expandable to 1440 W with a second 1100 W power supply. It supports Cisco StackWise-480 data stacking of up to eight members at 480 Gbps, plus Cisco StackPower for power sharing across the stack. It powers wireless access points, IP phones, and IP cameras in campus and branch networks.
Enterprise Network
Branch Office
Small Business
Best For
The C9300-48P-E suits campus and branch wiring closets that power a high density of PoE+ endpoints such as wireless access points, IP phones, and IP cameras drawing up to 30 W, and need Layer 2 with basic routed access. The Network Essentials license fits sites that do not require advanced dynamic routing or SGT segmentation, and Cisco StackPower lets stacked units share power for redundancy. A 437 W PoE budget, expandable to 1440 W with a second 1100 W power supply, is suitable for mixed deployments of powered devices; actual device counts depend on each device's power draw.
Not suitable if:
- you need to power devices that draw more than 30 W per port, since UPOE models such as the Cisco Catalyst C9300-48U deliver up to 60 W per port
- you need multigigabit access ports, since the access ports on this model are 1 Gigabit
- you need fixed built-in uplinks, since the uplinks on this model require a separately ordered network module
- you need full dynamic routing or SGT-based segmentation, since those require the Network Advantage tier
C9300-48P-E Specifications
| Class & Licensing | |
|---|---|
| License Tier | Network Essentials |
| License Detail / MTBF | Network Essentials; MTBF 277,770 hours |
| Ports & Uplinks | |
| PoE Budget | 437 W (default single 715 W PSU); up to 1440 W with dual PSUs |
| Port Speed | Gigabit |
| Uplink Configuration | Modular uplinks (1G/10G/25G/40G network modules) |
| Performance & Scale | |
| Stacking | StackWise-480 |
| Switching Capacity | 256 Gbps |
| Forwarding Rate | 190.47 Mpps |
| MAC Table | 32,000 entries |
| Stacking Bandwidth | 480 Gbps |
| Max Stack Members | 8 |
| IPv4 Routes | 32,000 (24,000 direct, 8,000 indirect) |
| Hardware & Memory | |
| DRAM | 8 GB |
| ASIC | UADP 2.0 |
| Flash | 16 GB |
| Power & Thermal | |
| Power Input / PSU | 715 W AC (PWR-C1-715WAC-P) default, 100-240 VAC auto-ranging |
| Redundant PSU | Yes (1+1; ships with one, second optional) |
| Cooling | Redundant fans (3 field-replaceable) |
| Physical & Environmental | |
| Dimensions (H x W x D) | 1.73 x 17.5 x 16.1 in (4.4 x 44.5 x 40.9 cm) |
| Weight | 16.73 lbs (7.59 kg) |
| Operating Temperature | 23 to 113 °F (-5 to 45 °C), up to 5000 ft (1500 m) |
| Operating System | Cisco IOS XE |
| Software | |
| Routing Protocols | RIP, OSPF (Routed Access, 1000-route limit), EIGRP Stub, PBR, VRRP, PIM Stub Multicast |
Part Number Decode
- C9300 — C9300 is the platform prefix, identifying the Cisco Catalyst 9300 Series modular-uplink platform.
- 48 — 48 is the port count, indicating 48 access ports.
- P — P is the PoE marker, indicating PoE+ ports that deliver up to 30 W each.
- E — E is the license suffix for the perpetual Network Essentials tier.
FAQ
Does the Cisco Catalyst C9300-48P-E support PoE?
Yes. The Cisco Catalyst C9300-48P-E delivers PoE+ (IEEE 802.3at) on all 48 Gigabit Ethernet access ports at up to 30 W per port, which lets it power devices such as wireless access points, IP phones, and IP cameras. The system PoE power budget is 437 W on the default 715 W power supply, expandable to 1440 W with a second 1100 W power supply installed.
What uplinks and transceivers does the C9300-48P-E use?
The Cisco Catalyst C9300-48P-E has a modular uplink slot rather than fixed uplink ports. It accepts a field-installable Cisco Catalyst 9300 Series network module, with options spanning 1G, multigigabit, 10G, 25G, and 40G uplinks. The network module is ordered separately. Specific transceiver compatibility should be verified against the manufacturer's transceiver compatibility matrix at tmgmatrix.cisco.com. Transceivers are sold separately.
How many C9300-48P-E switches can you stack, and does it support StackPower?
The Cisco Catalyst C9300-48P-E supports Cisco StackWise-480 data stacking of up to eight members at 480 Gbps of stack bandwidth, using StackWise stacking cables. As a modular C9300 it also supports Cisco StackPower, which pools the power supplies across the stack for power redundancy and supplemental power; up to four switches can be combined in a StackPower stack, or up to eight with the XPS-2200 appliance. It stacks with other C9300 modular switches; the fixed-uplink C9300L uses StackWise-320 and does not support StackPower.
What is the difference between the C9300-48P-E and the C9300-48P-A?
The two switches share identical hardware (48 Gigabit Ethernet PoE+ ports, a modular uplink slot, StackWise-480 stacking, and StackPower) and differ only in license tier. The C9300-48P-E ships with perpetual Network Essentials, which covers Layer 2 plus basic routed access. The C9300-48P-A ships with perpetual Network Advantage, which adds full OSPF, EIGRP, BGP, IS-IS, HSRP, VRF, VXLAN, LISP, and SGT segmentation.
Does the C9300-48P-E require a subscription to operate?
No. The switch runs on its included perpetual base license indefinitely. Under Cisco's ordering model, new switch orders include a term-based Cisco DNA or Cisco Catalyst software subscription of the same tier as the network license; that subscription unlocks Cisco Catalyst Center and cloud-managed features. When the subscription term ends, the switch continues operating on the perpetual base license capabilities after a reload.
Does the Cisco Catalyst 9300 replace an older switch?
Yes. Cisco positions the Catalyst 9300 Series as the successor to the end-of-sale Catalyst 3850 Series access switches. Organizations migrating from the 3850 to the C9300-48P-E move to Cisco IOS XE and gain StackWise-480 stacking, StackPower, SD-Access-capable hardware, and the Network Essentials routed-access feature set; existing Catalyst 3850 network modules remain compatible.
Is the Cisco Catalyst C9300-48P-E end of life?
No. Cisco has not published an End-of-Sale or End-of-Life hardware notice for the Cisco Catalyst C9300-48P-E. Cisco's published end-of-life notices for the Catalyst 9300 Series to date cover specific IOS XE software releases and license offers, not the switch hardware, so the C9300-48P-E remains an actively available product.
What condition is the C9300-48P-E sold in, and what warranty applies?
The Cisco Catalyst C9300-48P-E is sold new and factory-sealed. It is covered by a Network Devices Inc. one-year warranty and a 30-day return policy.
