Cisco Catalyst 3850 Switches: Enterprise Access - Ready to Deploy

Shop Cisco Catalyst 3850 models built for secure, scalable enterprise access. Choose 24/48-port, PoE/PoE+, and 10G uplink options with global shipping and Cisco-certified support.

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Questions & Answers

What switching capacity and forwarding rate does the Cisco Catalyst 3850 offer?

The Catalyst 3850 provides up to 176 Gbps of switching capacity and a forwarding rate of 154.76 Mpps for high-performance Layer 2/3 switching.

What PoE and UPOE capabilities are available on the Catalyst 3850?

The Catalyst 3850 supports PoE+ delivering up to 30 W per port with a 740 W aggregate budget and UPOE modules for up to 60 W per port.

How many switches can I stack with Cisco StackWise-480?

You can stack up to nine Catalyst 3850 switches using StackWise-480, providing 480 Gbps of bidirectional stack bandwidth.

Which Cisco IOS XE software versions and feature sets run on the Catalyst 3850?

The Catalyst 3850 runs Cisco IOS XE, supporting IP Base and Network Advantage feature sets for advanced routing, security, and application services.

What uplink modules are compatible with the Catalyst 3850?

The switch supports modular uplinks including 1 GbE SFP, 10 GbE SFP+, and 40 GbE QSFP+ to accommodate diverse connectivity needs.

What redundancy and power-supply options does the Catalyst 3850 provide?

The Catalyst 3850 offers dual hot-swappable internal power supplies and optional external redundant power supply units for high availability.

What advanced QoS features does the Catalyst 3850 support?

It delivers hardware-based QoS with eight priority queues per port, supporting classification, marking, policing, shaping, and hierarchical policies.

How can I manage and monitor the Catalyst 3850?

Management options include CLI, Cisco DNA Center, Cisco Prime Infrastructure, SNMP, REST APIs, and the embedded web GUI for full lifecycle control.

What built-in security features are available on the Catalyst 3850?

The Catalyst 3850 offers 802.1X port-based access control, MACsec encryption, Cisco TrustSec, Control Plane Policing, and dynamic ARP inspection.

What licensing model does the Catalyst 3850 use?

The Catalyst 3850 uses per-switch feature licenses with two tiers—Network Essentials and Network Advantage—via Permanent Activation Keys (PAKs).

Is the Cisco Catalyst 3850 switch End-of-Life or supported?

Cisco announced End-of-Sale for the Catalyst 3850 in June 2022 with End-of-Support slated for July 2027 under Cisco’s standard lifecycle policy.

What IPv6 features are supported on the Catalyst 3850?

The Catalyst 3850 supports full IPv6 forwarding, routing (OSPFv3, EIGRP named, BGP), ACLs, QoS, and neighbor discovery.

Does the Catalyst 3850 support multicast routing and management?

Yes, it includes IGMP snooping, static and dynamic group management, PIM-SM, PIM-SSM, and MSDP for robust multicast support.

How many MAC addresses and VLANs can the Catalyst 3850 handle?

It supports up to 16,000 MAC address entries and 4,094 VLANs to scale enterprise network segmentation.

What are the environmental and power-consumption specifications?

Operating at 0–45 °C with up to 150 W typical power draw (non-PoE), the Catalyst 3850 meets NEBS and RoHS compliance.

What warranty and support options are available for the Catalyst 3850?

Cisco offers a limited lifetime hardware warranty with next-business-day replacement and optional SMARTnet service for 24×7 support.

Why Buy Cisco Catalyst 3850 from ORM Systems

ORM Systems supplies genuine Cisco networking hardware with expert guidance and fast international delivery. Every Catalyst 3850 undergoes rigorous testing to ensure reliability, performance, and compatibility with your network.

Certified & Authentic: 100% genuine Cisco with warranty and optional Cisco SmartNet Support.
Deployment Expertise: Cisco-certified engineers help pick the right 3850 variant and plan access-layer rollouts.
Global Fulfilment: Priority, insured shipping to North America, Europe, Middle East, and APAC.
Value Options: New and refurbished inventory to match performance, budget, and lead time.
End-to-End Stack: Pair with next-gen access (Catalyst 9300) or core/aggregation (Nexus 9000).

Compare Cisco Catalyst 3850 Models

Model	Ports	PoE	Layer	Uplinks	Stacking	Form Factor	Availability
WS-C3850-24T-L	24 × GE	No	L3	4 × 1G/10G SFP/SFP+	StackWise-480	Rack-mount	In Stock / Quote
WS-C3850-48T-L	48 × GE	No	L3	4 × 1G/10G SFP/SFP+	StackWise-480	Rack-mount	In Stock / Quote
WS-C3850-24P-L	24 × GE	PoE/PoE+	L3	4 × 1G/10G SFP/SFP+	StackWise-480	Rack-mount	In Stock / Quote
WS-C3850-48F-S	48 × GE	Full PoE+	L3	4 × 1G/10G SFP/SFP+	StackWise-480	Rack-mount	In Stock / Quote
WS-C3850-12XS-S	12 × 10G SFP+	No	L3	Fixed 10G	StackWise-480	Rack-mount	In Stock / Quote

Need a different configuration? Browse the full range of Cisco Switches, or compare alternatives like Catalyst 2960 and Catalyst 3750, or upgrade paths with Catalyst 9200 and Catalyst 9300.

Deployment Scenarios for Cisco Catalyst 3850

The Catalyst 3850 is a versatile enterprise access switch with advanced QoS, security, and stacking, ideal for converged wired/wireless deployments and scalable campus architectures.

Enterprise Access Layer: High-density edge switching with L3 features, secure segmentation, and QoS. For next-gen access, see Catalyst 9300.
Branch & Retail Networks: PoE/PoE+ for IP phones, cameras, APs; resilient stacking for simple expansion. If you need quieter options, explore Cisco Small Business Switches.
Wireless Convergence: Optimized access for AP backhaul and policy enforcement; evaluate migration to Catalyst 9200 if you prefer newer DNA-ready models.
Distribution / Aggregation Edge: Use 10G uplinks and StackWise-480 for resilient campus cores; integrate with Nexus 9000 at data-center edge.
Uptime & Lifecycle: Pair hardware with Cisco SmartNet for 24×7 TAC, software updates, and hardware replacement.

Frequently Asked Questions About Cisco Catalyst 3850

1. What makes the Catalyst 3850 suitable for enterprise access?

It offers L3 features, StackWise-480 stacking, PoE/PoE+, and 10G uplinks for scalable, secure access-layer deployments.

2. Do Catalyst 3850 switches support PoE and PoE+?

Yes, select models provide PoE/PoE+ to power IP phones, cameras, and wireless access points over Ethernet.

3. Can I stack multiple Catalyst 3850 switches?

Yes. StackWise-480 supports resilient stacking for simplified management and higher availability.

4. Which uplink options are available on 3850 models?

Most models support 1G/10G SFP/SFP+ uplinks; some variants offer fixed 10G SFP+ ports for higher throughput.

5. Where can I purchase Cisco Catalyst 3850 switches?

Buy directly from ORM Systems with global delivery and optional SmartNet coverage.

Cisco Catalyst 3850 Switches: Enterprise Access - Ready to Deploy

WS-C3850-12S-S (Cisco Catalyst 3850 12 Port GE SFP IP Base)

WS-C3850-12S-E (Cisco Catalyst 3850 12 Port GE SFP IP Services)

WS-C3850-12XS-E (CATALYST 3850 12PORT 10G FIBER SWITCH IP SERVICES)

WS-C3850-24XS-E (Cisco Catalyst 3850 24 Port 10G Fiber Switch IP Services)

WS-C3850-48XS-S (WS-C3850-48XS-S 48SFP+ 4QSFP+ ENET PORTS W/ 750WAC PSU 1RU)

WS-C3850-24T-L (Cisco Catalyst 3850 24 Port Data LAN Base )

WS-C3850-24P-L (Cisco Catalyst 3850 24 Port PoE LAN Base)

WS-C3850-24T-S (Cisco Catalyst 3850 24 Port Data IP Base)

WS-C3850-12XS-S (Cisco Catalyst 3850 12 Port 10G Fiber Switch IP Base)

WS-C3850-24S-E (Cisco Catalyst 3850 24 Port GE SFP IP Services )

WS-C3850-48P-L (Cisco Catalyst 3850 48 Port PoE LAN Base)

WS-C3850-48T-L (Cisco Catalyst 3850 48 Port Data LAN Base)

WS-C3850-24U-S (CATALYST 3850 24PORT UPOE IP BASE)

WS-C3850-24U-L (CATALYST 3850 24PORT UPOE LAN BASE)

WS-C3850-24P-S (Cisco Catalyst 3850 24 Port PoE IP Base )

WS-C3850-24PW-S (Cisco Catalyst 3850 24 Port PoE with 5 AP license IP Base )

WS-C3850-24UW-S (CATALYST 3850 24PORT UPOE WITH 5 AP LICS IP BASE)

WS-C3850-48F-L (Cisco Catalyst 3850 48 Port Full PoE LAN Base )

WS-C3850-24T-E (Cisco Catalyst 3850 24 Port Data IP Services)

WS-C3850-48U-L (Cisco Catalyst 3850 48 Port UPOE LAN Base)