Cisco Catalyst C9300-48P-E is a high-performance, 48-port Power over Ethernet Plus (PoE+) access layer switch with Network Essentials software license. Part of Cisco’s industry-leading Catalyst 9300 Series — the most widely deployed stackable enterprise switching platform — the C9300-48P-E delivers wire-speed performance, carrier-grade security, and seamless integration with Cisco DNA Center, Cisco Meraki, and SD-Access architectures.
Designed for branch offices, education campuses, large enterprise access layers, and high-density wireless deployments, the C9300-48P-E handles modern demands: power-hungry 802.11ax (Wi-Fi 6/6E) access points, IP cameras, VoIP phones, and IoT endpoints — all from a single 1U rack-mountable platform that grows with your network.
Key Features of the C9300-48P-E
- 48 × 10/100/1000BASE-T (RJ-45) PoE+ Ports — IEEE 802.3at compliant, up to 30W per port
- 437W Total PoE Budget — Power up to 48 PoE devices simultaneously across the switch
- 1 Modular Uplink Slot — Field-replaceable; supports C9300-NM-4G (4×1G) or C9300-NM-8X (8×10G) modules
- 256 Gbps Switching Capacity — Wire-speed, non-blocking for both IPv4 and IPv6 traffic
- 47 Mpps Forwarding Rate — Handles dense traffic without bottlenecks
- Cisco StackWise-480 — Stack up to 8 switches at 480 Gbps total stacking bandwidth
- Cisco Stack Power — Share power across the stack for N+1 power redundancy without separate UPS per switch
- 715W Platinum-Rated PSU — Single default supply; dual PSU slots for full power redundancy
- Network Essentials License (-E) — Includes IP routing, QoS, ACLs, DHCP, IPv4/v6 routing
- Cisco IOS XE — Open, programmable OS with gRPC, NETCONF/YANG, REST API support
- x86 CPU Architecture — Host containers and run third-party apps natively on the switch
- Cisco TrustSec, MACsec-256, 802.1X — Multi-layer security built into hardware and software
- SD-Access Ready — Building block for Cisco Software-Defined Access fabric deployments
- Cisco DNA Center / Meraki Compatible — Unified cloud or on-premises management
- 3 Field-Replaceable Fan Modules (N+1 Redundancy) — Hot-swappable for zero-downtime maintenance
- 16 MB Packet Buffer — Absorbs burst traffic without drops in congested networks
- USB 2.0 Port — For image upload, configuration via USB drive
- RJ-45 Console + USB Mini-B Console — Flexible out-of-band management access
Technical Specifications
| Specification | Details |
| Model Number | C9300-48P-E |
| Product Family | Cisco Catalyst 9300 Series |
| License | Network Essentials |
| Ports | 48 × 10/100/1000 Mbps PoE+ (RJ-45) |
| Uplink Slot | 1 × modular slot (C9300-NM-4G or C9300-NM-8X) |
| PoE Standard | IEEE 802.3af / 802.3at (PoE+) |
| PoE Budget | 437W available |
| Max per-port PoE | 30W (PoE+) |
| Switching Capacity | 256 Gbps |
| Stacking Capacity | 480 Gbps (StackWise-480) |
| Max Stack Members | 8 switches |
| Forwarding Rate | 190.47 Mpps |
| MAC Address Table | 32,768 entries |
| VLAN IDs | 4,000 |
| Packet Buffer | 16 MB |
| Flash Memory | 1.6 GB |
| DRAM | 4 GB |
| Default Power Supply | 1 × 715W Platinum AC |
| PSU Slots | 2 (supports dual redundant PSUs) |
| Fan Modules | 3 × field-replaceable (N+1) |
| Form Factor | 1U Rack-mountable |
| Dimensions (H×W×D) | 1.73″ × 17.5″ × 17.5″ |
| Weight | 16.73 lbs (7.59 kg) |
| Operating Temperature | 0°C to 40°C (32°F to 104°F) |
| Operating Humidity | 10%–90% non-condensing |
| OS | Cisco IOS XE |
| IEEE Standards | 802.1D, 802.1p, 802.1Q, 802.1s, 802.1w, 802.1x, 802.3, 802.3ab, 802.3ad, 802.3af, 802.3at, 802.3u, 802.3x |
| Certifications | FCC Class A, CE, VCCI, UL 60950-1, IEC 60950-1, RoHS |
Compatible Network Modules for the C9300-48P-E
| Part Number | Description |
| C9300-NM-4G | 4 × 1GE SFP uplink network module |
| C9300-NM-8X | 8 × 10GE SFP+ uplink network module |
| C9300-NM-2Q | 2 × 40GE QSFP+ uplink network module |
| C9300-NM-4M | 4 × Multigigabit (100M/1G/2.5G/5G/10G) module |
| STACK-T1-50CM | StackWise-480 cable 0.5m (default) |
| STACK-T1-1M | StackWise-480 cable 1m |
| STACK-T1-3M | StackWise-480 cable 3m |
C9300-48P-E vs C9300-48P-A — What Is the Difference?
The only difference between the C9300-48P-E (Network Essentials) and C9300-48P-A (Network Advantage) is the software license tier. Hardware is identical.
| Feature | C9300-48P-E (Essentials) |
| Hardware | Identical |
| Layer 3 Routing | IP Base (static, EIGRP stub, OSPF) |
| SD-Access | Basic |
| NetFlow | Flexible NetFlow (basic) |
| MPLS | No |
| Best For | Campus access / branch |
Typical Use Cases for the Cisco C9300-48P-E
- High-density Wi-Fi 6/6E access point deployments requiring 30W PoE+ per port
- Enterprise campus access layer with StackWise stacking for simplified management
- Education networks with IP cameras, digital signage, and wireless endpoints
- Healthcare access layer with 802.1X and TrustSec security enforcement
- Branch office networks with centralized Cisco DNA Center management
- IoT convergence deployments with device classification and segmentation
- SD-Access fabric edge node for policy-based network automation
Categories: Network Products, Network Switches
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