C9600X-LC-56YL4C – 56x SFP56 + 4x 100G QSFP28 Uplinks – Supervisor 2 Only – Cat 9600 Combo Card
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C9600X-LC-56YL4C Description
The C9600X-LC-56YL4C is the Cisco Catalyst 9600 Series combo line card carrying 56 ports of 50/25/10GE SFP56 plus 4 ports of 100/40GE QSFP28 uplinks in a single C9606R slot. Cisco built it specifically for high port-density Campus Core or Distribution designs with majority SFP optics, using what it describes as a unique 3-row 1RU design: the 56 multi-rate SFP56 ports face downstream devices such as access switches while the multi-rate QSFP28 ports face upstream devices such as service provider or data center switches, with no additional module required to reach both directions from one card. It runs only on C9600X-SUP-2 at 3.2 Tbps full-duplex slot bandwidth, delivering 56 non-blocking ports of 50/25/10GE and 4 non-blocking ports of 40/100GE, and it is the one Catalyst 9600 SFP card that keeps encryption on that engine: Advanced Encryption Standard 256 covers both MACsec and WAN MACsec, with WAN MACsec supported only on C9600X-SUP-2 and requiring an HSEC license. Minimum software is Cisco IOS XE 17.13.1, the latest floor of any line card in the range, maximum rated power is 420 W, rated MTBF is 580,420 hours and weight is 3.75 kg (8.27 lbs).
Quick Specs
|
Parameter |
Specification |
|---|---|
|
Product ID |
C9600X-LC-56YL4C |
|
Ports |
56 multi-rate SFP56 ports at 50/25/10/1GE plus 4 ports of 100GE QSFP28 |
|
Non-blocking capability |
56 ports of 50/25/10GE and 4 ports of 40/100GE with C9600X-SUP-2 at 3.2 Tbps full-duplex |
|
Supervisor requirement |
C9600X-SUP-2 only; not supported on C9600-SUP-1 |
|
Encryption |
AES-256 with MACsec and WAN MACsec, where WAN MACsec needs C9600X-SUP-2 and an HSEC license |
|
Compatible chassis |
C9606R 6 slot chassis, 4 line card slots behind 2 dedicated supervisor slots |
|
Maximum rated power |
420 W |
|
Physical form |
1.7 x 15.0 x 13.41 inches (4.32 x 38.1 x 34.06 cm) to the faceplate, 3.75 kg (8.27 lbs) |
|
Minimum software release |
Cisco IOS XE 17.13.1 |
|
Rated MTBF |
580,420 hours |
Application Scenarios
Installed where a single slot must face both directions at once, terminating access-switch handoffs on SFP56 while presenting QSFP28 uplinks toward a service provider or data center boundary.
Deployed where campus distribution links carry MACsec and, across a provider WAN, WAN MACsec under an HSEC license on the same card.
Racked at aggregation points where downstream switches have moved past 25 GE and terminate at 50 GE over SFP56 fiber.
Product Comparison
|
Parameter |
C9600X-LC-56YL4C | ||
|---|---|---|---|
|
Port layout |
56x SFP56 at 50/25/10GE plus 4x QSFP28 at 100/40GE |
30x QSFP28 at 100/40G plus 2x QSFP-DD at 400/200/100G |
48x SFP56 at 50/25/10/1GE |
|
Optic family |
SFP56 plus QSFP28 |
QSFP28 and QSFP-DD |
SFP56, SFP28 and SFP+ |
|
Maximum single-port speed |
100 GE |
400 GE |
50 GE |
|
Supervisor engine support |
C9600X-SUP-2 only |
C9600X-SUP-2 only |
C9600-SUP-1 and C9600X-SUP-2 |
|
MACsec with C9600X-SUP-2 |
Supported, with WAN MACsec under an HSEC license |
Supported |
Not supported |
|
Maximum ports in a C9606R |
256 at 50 GE and 16 at 100 GE |
128 at 100 GE, 8 at 200 GE and 8 at 400 GE |
192 at 50 GE with C9600X-SUP-2 |
|
Minimum software release |
Cisco IOS XE 17.13.1 |
Cisco IOS XE 17.9.1 |
Cisco IOS XE 16.11.1 or 17.7.1 by engine |
|
Maximum rated power |
420 W |
420 W |
230 W or 300 W by engine |
|
Rated MTBF |
580,420 hours |
580,420 hours |
640,750 hours |
- Encryption is the reason to choose C9600X-LC-56YL4C over C9600-LC-48YL rather than port count. Both carry SFP56 downlinks, but C9600-LC-48YL loses MACsec entirely on C9600X-SUP-2 while this card keeps MACsec and adds WAN MACsec, so an encrypted distribution layer on the newer engine has one SFP option.
- Against C9600X-LC-32CD the two cards share identical 420 W draw and 580,420-hour MTBF and both need C9600X-SUP-2, so the decision is purely direction of traffic: 56 SFP56 downlinks with 4 QSFP28 uplinks here, against 30 QSFP28 and 2 QSFP-DD ports built for 400 GE upstream work there.
- Staying on C9600-LC-48YL saves 120 W to 190 W per card and adds 60,000 hours of rated MTBF while dropping 8 SFP56 ports and all 4 QSFP28 uplinks; where uplinks already terminate elsewhere in the chassis, that trade favours the older card.
- For deciding which SKU to order, confirm the chassis will run C9600X-SUP-2 since two of the three cards require it, then check whether MACsec is mandatory, and settle the port mix last because that is the only remaining difference between this card and C9600X-LC-32CD.
Selection Guide
1. One Slot Facing Both Directions
The 3-row 1RU layout puts 56 SFP56 downlink ports and 4 QSFP28 uplink ports on the same card, so a distribution slot reaches access switches and the upstream boundary without a second module; splitting the same job across C9600-LC-48YL and a QSFP card would consume two of the chassis four line card slots.
2. The SFP Card That Keeps MACsec On Supervisor 2
C9600-LC-48YL does not support MACsec with C9600X-SUP-2 while this card supports MACsec and WAN MACsec on that engine, so a design that has already committed to the newer supervisor and needs encrypted SFP links has no cheaper alternative in the range.
3. WAN MACsec Carries A License Line
WAN MACsec on this card is supported only on C9600X-SUP-2 and requires an HSEC license, so a provider-WAN encryption design has a software entitlement on the order alongside the card and the engine.
4. The Latest Software Floor In The Range
At Cisco IOS XE 17.13.1 this card sits above every other Catalyst 9600 line card, including 17.9.1 for C9600X-LC-32CD and 16.11.1 for C9600-LC-48YL on the older engine; an estate qualified on an earlier train reaches high-density SFP56 through C9600-LC-48YL and waits for the qualification cycle to catch up.
5. Breakout Is Not Available Yet
The 256-port figures at 25/10 GE and 50 GE in a C9606R chassis depend on breakout support that Cisco lists as on the roadmap and not available at first customer shipment, so a port count built on breakout should be sized against the native 56 ports per card until that changes.
Ordering Checklist
|
Check Item |
What to Confirm |
Why It Matters |
|---|---|---|
|
Supervisor engine class |
Confirm the C9606R chassis holds C9600X-SUP-2. |
The card is not supported on C9600-SUP-1 and will not come into service on that engine. |
|
Software image floor |
Confirm the chassis runs Cisco IOS XE 17.13.1 or later. |
This is the latest floor of any Catalyst 9600 line card and staging below it leaves the card out of service. |
|
HSEC license for WAN MACsec |
Confirm the HSEC license is on the order if WAN MACsec is required. |
WAN MACsec is supported only on C9600X-SUP-2 and only with that license, which is a separate entitlement line. |
|
Free line card slot |
Confirm one of the four line card slots in the C9606R chassis is unused. |
Slots 3 and 4 are dedicated to supervisor engines and cannot take a line card. |
|
Breakout dependency |
Confirm the design does not rely on breakout cabling to reach its port target. |
Cisco lists breakout support as on the roadmap rather than released, so a port count built on it cannot be relied upon today. |
|
One gigabit optic choice |
Confirm any 1 Gbps links use SFP-1G-SX or SFP-1G-LH. |
C9600X-SUP-2 supports only those two optics at 1 Gbps, which caps 1 GE ports at 8 in the chassis. |
|
Optics against the TMG matrix |
Confirm the planned SFP56 and QSFP28 modules appear in the Cisco TMG compatibility matrix. |
The card ships without optics and an unlisted transceiver may be rejected by the host port. |
|
Facility power headroom |
Confirm the chassis power budget absorbs 420 W per card across the planned card count. |
Four of these cards present a materially larger facility figure than four C9600-LC-48YL cards at 300 W. |
Front Panel Components
|
1 |
Status LED |
5 |
4 x 100G/40G QSFP28 portsPorts 57 to 60: 100G/40G |
|
2 |
Locate (Blue beacon) LED |
6 |
Port Link LEDs |
|
3 |
56 x 50G/25G/10G SFP56 portsPorts 1 to 56: 50G/25G/10G |
7 |
Ejector levers |
|
4 |
Sharp-edge hazard icon |
8 |
RFID embedded on the left ejector lever |
Specifications
| Parameter | Specification | Parameter | Specification |
|---|---|---|---|
| Product ID | C9600X-LC-56YL4C | Cisco ordering description | Cisco Catalyst 9600 Series combo line card, 56 ports 50/25/10GE SFP56 and 4 ports 100/40GE QSFP28 uplinks, spare part number C9600X-LC-56YL4C= |
| Downstream ports | 56 multi-rate SFP56 ports at 50/25/10/1GE for downstream devices such as access switches | Upstream ports | 4 multi-rate QSFP28 ports at 100/40GE for upstream devices such as service provider or data center switches, with no additional module required |
| Non-blocking capability | 56 ports of 50/25/10GE and 4 ports of 40/100GE when paired with C9600X-SUP-2 at 3.2 Tbps full-duplex slot bandwidth | Card design | Unique 3-row 1RU design for high port-density Campus Core or Distribution designs with majority SFP optics |
| Supervisor requirement | C9600X-SUP-2 only; not supported on C9600-SUP-1 | Encryption | Advanced Encryption Standard 256 with MACsec and WAN MACsec, where WAN MACsec is supported only on C9600X-SUP-2 and requires an HSEC license |
| Maximum ports in a C9606R at 1 GE | 8 | Maximum ports in a C9606R at 25 and 10 GE | 256, with breakout support on the roadmap and not available at first customer shipment |
| Maximum ports in a C9606R at 50 GE | 256, with breakout support on the roadmap and not available at first customer shipment | Maximum ports in a C9606R at 100 GE | 16 |
| Compatible chassis | C9606R 6 slot chassis, providing 4 line card slots behind 2 dedicated supervisor engine slots at positions 3 and 4 | Minimum software release | Cisco IOS XE 17.13.1 |
| Maximum rated power | 420 W with C9600X-SUP-2 | Power scaling note | Cisco states the Catalyst 9600X Supervisor Engine 2 provides higher power to support higher port speeds and density |
| Rated MTBF | 580,420 hours | Weight | 3.75 kg (8.27 lbs) |
| Dimensions (H x W x D) | 1.7 x 15.0 x 13.41 inches (4.32 x 38.1 x 34.06 cm) to the faceplate and 1.7 x 15.0 x 15.7 inches (4.32 x 38.1 x 39.88 cm) to the ejector | Standards | Gigabit Ethernet IEEE 802.3z, IEEE 802.3x and IEEE 802.3ab |
| Operating temperature | -5 to 45 degrees C (23 to 113 degrees F) up to 6,000 feet and -5 to 40 degrees C (23 to 104 degrees F) up to 10,000 feet | Storage temperature | -40 to 75 degrees C (40 to 167 degrees F) |
| Relative humidity | 10 to 95 percent, noncondensing, operating and non-operating | Altitude | -60 to 3000 m (-197 to 9843 feet) |
| 1 Gbps optic restriction | C9600X-SUP-2 supports only SFP-1G-SX and SFP-1G-LH optics for 1 Gbps operation with compatible line cards | Optics support reference | Optical transceivers are required to operate the card and the supported modules are published in the Cisco TMG compatibility matrix |
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Customer Reviews
Questions & Answers
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What is C9600X-LC-56YL4C used for?
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What ports are on C9600X-LC-56YL4C?
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Which supervisor supports C9600X-LC-56YL4C?
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How is C9600X-LC-56YL4C different from C9600-LC-48YL?
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Does C9600X-LC-56YL4C support 1G optics?
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What power rating applies to C9600X-LC-56YL4C?
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When does C9600X-LC-56YL4C make sense instead of C9600X-LC-32CD?
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What chassis planning matters for C9600X-LC-56YL4C?
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