C9300L-48PF-4X-E vs C9300L-48P-4X-E: 890W vs 505W PoE Compared (2026)

C9300L-48PF-4X-E and C9300L-48P-4X-E are both Cisco Catalyst 9300L 48-port 1G PoE+ access switches with four fixed 10G/1G SFP+ uplinks, StackWise-320 stacking, UADP 2.0 ASIC, and Network Essentials licensing. They share the same hardware platform, performance specs, and software image. The only meaningful difference is the bundled (default) power supply and the resulting default PoE budget: C9300L-48P-4X-E ships with one PWR-C1-715WAC-P (505W PoE budget), and C9300L-48PF-4X-E ships with one PWR-C1-1100WAC-P (890W PoE budget).

When C9300L-48PF-4X-E is unavailable, has a long lead time, or is more expensive, C9300L-48P-4X-E plus a secondary PWR-C1-1100WAC-P PSU can deliver 1220W of available PoE — exceeding the PF’s 890W default — making it a practical equivalent-capacity alternative. However, the base SKU does not change, so tenders, approved BOMs, and end-user specifications must confirm acceptance of substitution before ordering.

For current pricing and availability, see the C9300L-48P-4X-E product page or the C9300L-48PF-4X-E product page.

C9300L-48PF-4X-E vs C9300L-48P-4X-E: Full Side-by-Side Comparison

The two switches are mechanically and functionally identical on every spec except the bundled power supply. The table below is built directly from the Cisco Catalyst 9300 Series Data Sheet (updated October 9, 2025).

Bottom line: every line in this table is identical except default PSU, default PoE budget, and maximum PoE achievable with a single primary PSU. The two SKUs are not “different switches”; they are the same hardware with different power supplies pre-installed at the factory.

Default PSU and PoE Budget — Why It Matters

The “48 PoE+ ports” specification is a marketing summary. In a real deployment, only the total PoE budget determines how many endpoints the switch can safely power. The IEEE 802.3at PoE+ standard reserves up to 30W per port, so 48 ports running at the full PoE+ limit would consume 1440W — far beyond the default budget of either switch.

Model	Bundled PSU	Default PoE Budget	Approx. Avg Watts/Port (48 ports)
C9300L-48P-4X-E	PWR-C1-715WAC-P	505W	~10.5W per port
C9300L-48PF-4X-E	PWR-C1-1100WAC-P	890W	~18.5W per port

The “PF” suffix in Cisco’s fixed-uplink naming convention indicates “Full PoE,” signaling that the switch is pre-configured to provide more usable PoE per port out of the box. Below ~10W per port average, the standard “P” model is fine; above that, the PF SKU (or an upgraded P configuration) is the safer choice.

Can C9300L-48P-4X-E Replace C9300L-48PF-4X-E?

Yes — from a PoE capacity perspective. C9300L-48P-4X-E can be configured with a secondary PWR-C1-1100WAC-P to deliver 1220W of available PoE, which exceeds the PF default of 890W. Combined with a primary 1100W upgrade, it can reach the hardware port-rated ceiling of 1440W.

No — from a procurement perspective. C9300L-48P-4X-E with an upgraded PSU is still C9300L-48P-4X-E on the shipping invoice, the warranty record, the Cisco Smart License entitlement, and any tender BOM line item. It is an equivalent-capacity configuration, not the PF SKU.

This distinction matters when buyers must satisfy:

• government and public-sector tenders
• OEM-approved BOMs and reference designs
• consultant-locked architecture documents
• insurance, audit, or compliance specifications
• end-of-life replacement of an existing PF unit

If a tender explicitly names C9300L-48PF-4X-E as a mandatory line item and does not permit equivalent configurations, do not substitute the P model — even if the resulting PoE budget would be higher. When the underlying requirement is “≥ 890W of available PoE on a 48-port 9300L PoE+ access switch with 4× 10G SFP+ uplinks,” then C9300L-48P-4X-E + secondary 1100W PSU is a legitimate alternative — subject to written buyer approval.

PSU Configurations and Available PoE — Cisco Official Numbers

The table below is taken directly from Table 4 of the Cisco Catalyst 9300 Series Data Sheet, which lists the validated PoE power available for every PSU combination. Use this as your authoritative reference — not vendor product pages, which sometimes show inconsistent or simplified numbers.

Configuration	Primary PSU	Secondary PSU	Available PoE	Procurement Notes
C9300L-48P-4X-E (default)	PWR-C1-715WAC-P	—	505W	Light PoE only; ~10W/port average
C9300L-48P-4X-E + 350W	PWR-C1-715WAC-P	PWR-C1-350WAC-P	855W	Modest gain; below PF default
C9300L-48P-4X-E + 715W	PWR-C1-715WAC-P	PWR-C1-715WAC-P	855W	Same total as 350W secondary; insufficient as PF substitute
C9300L-48P-4X-E + 1100W	PWR-C1-715WAC-P	PWR-C1-1100WAC-P	1220W	Exceeds PF default; recommended PF substitute
C9300L-48P-4X-E + dual 1100W*	PWR-C1-1100WAC-P (upgrade)	PWR-C1-1100WAC-P	1440W (port-rated cap)	Maximum possible PoE on this hardware
C9300L-48PF-4X-E (default)	PWR-C1-1100WAC-P	—	890W	Native PF configuration
C9300L-48PF-4X-E + 350W	PWR-C1-1100WAC-P	PWR-C1-350WAC-P	1240W	Cheapest upgrade path; +350W PoE
C9300L-48PF-4X-E + 715W	PWR-C1-1100WAC-P	PWR-C1-715WAC-P	1440W (port-rated cap)	Reaches port-rated PoE ceiling
C9300L-48PF-4X-E + 1100W	PWR-C1-1100WAC-P	PWR-C1-1100WAC-P	1440W (port-rated cap)	Full PoE + best 1+1 redundancy

*Upgrading the default 715W to a 1100W on the P SKU requires ordering PWR-C1-1100WAC-P separately and physically swapping the primary PSU. The 715W unit can be redeployed as spare stock.

Key insight that most competitor pages miss: the 1440W figure in Cisco’s data sheet is annotated “Limited by port number and port rating (48 PoE+ × 30W = 1440W).” This means once total available wattage reaches 1440W, adding a larger secondary PSU produces no further PoE benefit on this hardware — only redundancy improvements.

PoE Load Planning — Real-World Calculation Method

Rather than rely on rule-of-thumb estimates, calculate worst-case continuous PoE draw for the actual endpoint mix. Apply a 15–20% headroom factor for surge, cable loss, and future growth.

Formula:
Required PoE budget = Σ (per-endpoint max watts × quantity) × 1.20

The table below uses official Cisco maximum-power-draw figures from the Cisco AP Power Requirements Reference (Document ID 215467, updated Aug 29, 2025).

Endpoint type	Max PoE draw	Class / Standard
Cisco IP Phone 7800/8800 (audio only)	3–7W	Class 2 (PoE)
Cisco IP Phone 8865 (video)	~13W	Class 4 (PoE+)
Cisco Catalyst 9115 AP (Wi-Fi 6)	21.4W	PoE+ full functionality
Cisco Catalyst 9117 AP (Wi-Fi 6)	28.9W	PoE+ (USB reduced)
Cisco Catalyst 9120 AP (Wi-Fi 6)	25.5W	PoE+ full functionality
Cisco Catalyst 9130 AP (Wi-Fi 6)	30.5W	UPOE recommended; PoE+ limits USB only
Cisco Catalyst 9136 AP (Wi-Fi 6E)	47.3W	Requires UPOE+ (90W)
Cisco Catalyst 9166 AP (Wi-Fi 6E)	30.5W	UPOE recommended
Cisco Catalyst 9172/9176/9178 AP (Wi-Fi 7)	32–47W	Requires UPOE+ for full features
Fixed indoor IP camera	5–10W	Class 2/3 (PoE)
PTZ outdoor camera w/ heater	25–30W	Class 4 (PoE+)
Door access controller	5–10W	Class 2/3 (PoE)
Digital signage display	15–25W	Class 4 (PoE+)

Worked example A — IP telephony deployment:
48 × Cisco IP Phone 8841 (~6W avg) = 288W × 1.20 = 346W required → C9300L-48P-4X-E default (505W) is sufficient.

Worked example B — Wi-Fi 6 dense AP deployment:
32 × Catalyst 9120 AP (25.5W max) + 16 unused PoE ports = 816W × 1.20 = 979W required → C9300L-48P-4X-E default (505W) fails; C9300L-48PF-4X-E default (890W) marginal; PF + 350W secondary (1240W) or P + 1100W secondary (1220W) recommended.

Worked example C — Mixed surveillance/access:
24 cameras (12W avg) + 12 access controllers (8W) + 8 fixed IP phones (6W) = 384W + 96W + 48W = 528W × 1.20 = 634W required → C9300L-48P-4X-E default fails by ~130W; C9300L-48PF-4X-E default (890W) handles comfortably.

Worked example D — Wi-Fi 7 AP deployment:
24 × Catalyst 9176 AP (39W max) = 936W × 1.20 = 1123W required AT PoE+ levels. Critically, 9176 requires UPOE+ (90W per port) for full features — PoE+ mode forces the AP into reduced functionality. Do not specify a 9300L PoE+ switch for Wi-Fi 7 or Catalyst 9136 deployments; use C9300-48H (UPOE+, 822W default PoE) or higher.

When to Choose C9300L-48PF-4X-E

• The tender, BOM, or design document explicitly requires the PF SKU.
• The customer wants ≥ 890W of usable PoE on day one without additional PSU purchases.
• Wi-Fi 6 AP density is medium-to-high (≥ 24 APs per switch at ~25W each).
• Mixed PoE loads (phones + APs + cameras) exceed 700W total worst case.
• The procurement team wants a single-line-item order without PSU add-ons.
• Stock and pricing for the PF SKU are acceptable in the deployment region.

When to Choose C9300L-48P-4X-E

• The deployment is dominated by low-power endpoints (IP phones, simple cameras).
• Total worst-case PoE load (with 20% headroom) is under 500W.
• PF SKU is out of stock, on long lead time, or significantly more expensive.
• The buyer is prepared to add a secondary PWR-C1-1100WAC-P later as deployment scales.
• Tender language allows “C9300L-48P-4X-E or equivalent” configurations.
• Future-proofing matters: starting with P + adding a 1100W later costs roughly the same as PF, with more PoE headroom upon expansion.

Note: For full 48-port PoE+ saturation with redundancy, the P + dual-1100W configuration provides the maximum practical PoE ceiling (1440W; full redundancy in 1+1 shared mode).

Power Redundancy Modes — Shared vs Redundant

Both switches support dual PSUs in two modes (configured via IOS XE):

• Shared mode (default): Both PSU outputs sum into the available power budget. If one fails, the remaining PSU continues to power whatever its capacity allows; lower-priority PoE ports may shed.
• Redundant mode: The system reserves capacity equal to the larger PSU. Available PoE drops, but a single PSU failure causes zero PoE interruption.

For mission-critical access closets (hospitals, manufacturing, financial trading floors), specify dual 1100W PSUs and configure redundant mode. For standard office deployments, shared mode maximizes usable PoE.

Important: Catalyst 9300L (fixed uplink) models do not support Cisco StackPower — power cannot be shared across stack members the way it can on modular C9300/C9300X SKUs. Each 9300L unit must satisfy its own PoE budget independently.

Stacking Compatibility

C9300L-48P-4X-E and C9300L-48PF-4X-E can stack together at StackWise-320 (320 Gbps) provided they share the same license level (in this case, Network Essentials / E suffix). Stack rules per the Cisco data sheet:

• Up to 8 members in a single C9300L stack.
• C9300L SKUs can mix-stack with C9300LM SKUs at the same license level.
• C9300L SKUs cannot stack with modular-uplink C9300 / C9300X SKUs, Catalyst 3850, or 3650.
• Stack adapters and cable are not included by default. Order C9300L-STACK-KIT (or C9300L-STACK-KIT2 if mixing with C9300LM).

Regional and Voltage Considerations

• Japan (100V deployments): Per Cisco’s Catalyst 9300L hardware installation guide, PWR-C1-1100WAC-P will not operate on 100V; it requires 115V–240V AC, 50/60 Hz. For Japan, deploy on 200V+ outlets with a 250VAC power cord. If only 100V is available, the C9300L-48P-4X-E with its default 715W PSU is the only compliant choice.
• Power cords: Must be ordered by region (CAB-AC-C15-US, CAB-AC-C15-EU, CAB-AC-C15-UK, CAB-AC-C15-JPN, CAB-AC-C15-CHN, etc.). The default switch order includes one regional power cord matched to the ship-to country.
• Platinum efficiency: Both PWR-C1-715WAC-P and PWR-C1-1100WAC-P are 80 PLUS Platinum-rated (>90% efficiency at full load), reducing operating cost over the switch lifetime.

Complete BOM Checklist Before Ordering

BOM Item	Why It Matters	Often Missed?
Base switch SKU (P vs PF)	Determines default PSU and PoE budget	No
Secondary PSU	Required for PoE expansion or 1+1 redundancy	Yes
Primary PSU upgrade (for P → 1100W)	Only needed if upgrading from default 715W	Yes
StackWise-320 kit (C9300L-STACK-KIT)	Switch ships without stack adapters; must order separately	Yes — frequent omission
StackWise cable (STACK-T3-50CM / 1M / 3M)	Included with stack kit at 50cm by default; 1m or 3m must be ordered separately	Yes
SFP+ modules (SFP-10G-SR / LR / SR-S etc.)	Uplinks are unpopulated; transceivers ordered separately	Yes
Power cord (regional)	Must match destination country; default includes one matching ship-to	Sometimes
Cisco DNA / Catalyst term license	Mandatory at time of purchase (3/5/7 yr term)	Yes — frequent omission
SmartNet / Solution Support	Required for TAC access; usually 1 or 3 yr	Sometimes
Console cable	Switch includes USB Type-B port; cable not included	Yes
Rack mount kit	Standard 19″ rails included; review for non-standard cabinets	No

The two most frequent BOM errors on first-time 9300L orders are (1) forgetting the stack kit — the switch literally cannot stack without it — and (2) forgetting to attach a Cisco DNA or Catalyst software subscription, which Cisco requires at time of purchase. Both issues cause order rejection or delay.

Common Buying Mistakes

1. Comparing only “48 PoE+ ports” and ignoring the actual PoE budget delta (505W vs 890W).
2. Assuming all 48 ports can simultaneously deliver 30W PoE+ — they cannot, without dual high-capacity PSUs.
3. Believing two 715W PSUs (855W combined PoE) fully replace the PF default (890W). They fall short by 35W.
4. Treating P + 1100W secondary as the “same” SKU as PF for tender purposes — it is not.
5. Specifying 9300L PoE+ for Wi-Fi 7 or Catalyst 9136 (Wi-Fi 6E) APs that require UPOE+ — these need C9300-48H hardware.
6. Forgetting the StackWise-320 kit — the switch has stack slots but no stack adapters installed by default.
7. Quoting C9300L-48PF-4X-E in Japan on 100V circuits — the 1100W PSU will not power on below 115V.
8. Mixing 9300L stack members with C9300 modular-uplink units — Cisco does not support this combination.
9. Skipping the mandatory Cisco DNA / Catalyst subscription license at order time.

Final Recommendation Matrix

Buying Scenario	Recommended Choice
Tender explicitly requires PF SKU	C9300L-48PF-4X-E (no substitution)
Native 890W default PoE without add-ons	C9300L-48PF-4X-E
Standard office / IP phone deployment under 500W total	C9300L-48P-4X-E (default)
PF unavailable; ≥ 890W usable PoE required; equivalent accepted	C9300L-48P-4X-E + PWR-C1-1100WAC-P secondary
Mission-critical PoE with 1+1 redundancy	C9300L-48PF-4X-E + PWR-C1-1100WAC-P secondary (redundant mode)
Maximum 1440W PoE with full redundancy	C9300L-48P-4X-E or PF with dual PWR-C1-1100WAC-P
Japan 100V deployment	C9300L-48P-4X-E with default 715W (PF only on 200V+ circuits)
Wi-Fi 7 or Catalyst 9136 (UPOE+ required)	Neither — specify C9300-48H instead

The right choice depends on five factors in order of priority: (1) tender / BOM rigidity, (2) worst-case PoE load with headroom, (3) redundancy requirement, (4) regional voltage and stock availability, (5) total project cost including PSUs, stack kit, transceivers, license, and support. Decide in that order and the SKU choice usually becomes obvious.

Layer23-Switch supports global B2B buyers with Cisco product selection, PoE load planning, PSU configuration, stock confirmation, shipping logistics, and pre-sales technical support across the full Catalyst 9300 / 9300L / 9300X portfolio.

FAQ

Need to confirm whether C9300L-48P-4X-E can replace C9300L-48PF-4X-E in your project? Send Layer23-Switch your required PoE load (worst-case watts and endpoint mix), preferred PSU configuration, destination country and voltage, redundancy requirement, project deadline, and BOM constraints. Our team will verify stock, compatible PSUs, stack kits, transceivers, license terms, and shipping options before you place the purchase order.