C9300L-48P-4X-E

The Cisco Catalyst C9300L-48P-4X-E is a fixed-uplink Catalyst 9300L access switch built for enterprise closets that need dense copper connectivity, dependable PoE+, and high-speed fiber aggregation in a compact 1RU platform. It provides 48 Gigabit Ethernet downlink ports for user devices, phones, cameras, access points, and other powered endpoints, plus four fixed 10G/1G SFP+ uplinks for resilient connections toward distribution or core switches. The -E suffix identifies the Network Essentials software license, giving organizations a practical feature set for secure Layer 2 and routed-access deployments without stepping into higher-tier licensing. With a default 715W AC Platinum-rated power supply and a 505W PoE budget, this model fits offices, schools, healthcare branches, retail locations, and campus access layers where predictable power delivery matters as much as switching density. It is also small enough for standard access racks while retaining enterprise software behavior familiar to experienced Catalyst administrators.

Performance is tuned for modern access networks that must carry collaboration traffic, cloud applications, security telemetry, and wireless backhaul at the same time. Cisco lists the C9300L-48P-4X at 176 Gbps switching capacity and 130.95 Mpps forwarding rate in standalone operation, rising to 496 Gbps and 369.05 Mpps with StackWise-320 stacking. Up to eight Catalyst 9300L or 9300LM switches with the same license level can operate as one stack when the optional C9300L-STACK-KIT or C9300L-STACK-KIT2 is installed, simplifying management while increasing access-port scale. Hardware support for features such as Flexible NetFlow, IPv6 forwarding, QoS, ACLs, secure boot, MACsec, and Cisco IOS XE programmability helps teams standardize policy, monitor traffic, and automate day-to-day changes across distributed wiring closets. Because the uplinks are dual-rate SFP+, teams can reuse 1G optics during migration and move to 10G aggregation when the upstream design is ready, which helps control upgrade timing.

For buyers comparing 48-port access options, C9300L-48P-4X-E is the balanced choice when all ports need PoE capability but full 30W PoE+ on every port is not required from the base chassis. It can support all-port 15.4W PoE with a higher power configuration, and with a 1100W secondary supply it can reach 1440W for full PoE+ across 48 ports, making it flexible for phased endpoint growth. Fixed SFP+ uplinks reduce module selection complexity, while RJ-45 access ports preserve existing Category 5e cabling for 10/100/1000 endpoints. The switch also supports Perpetual PoE and Fast PoE to keep critical powered devices available through reload or power restoration events. For ORM Systems customers, this SKU is a strong fit when the project calls for authentic Cisco Catalyst 9000 access switching, centralized IOS XE operations, stackable resiliency, and enough uplink bandwidth to support refreshed Wi-Fi, surveillance, and voice environments. That balance makes it especially useful for refresh projects replacing older access switches without changing every endpoint or uplink at once.