Cisco switch comparison

C9200L-48P-4G-E vs WS-C2960X-48FPS-L

A key difference between Cisco C9200L-48P-4G-E and WS-C2960X-48FPS-L is Switch Role: C9200L-48P-4G-E — Campus access switch; WS-C2960X-48FPS-L — Fixed campus access switch with limited Layer 3 routing. They also differ in Network License (Network Essentials vs Cisco IOS LAN Base) and Switching Capacity (Standalone) (104 Gbps vs 216 Gbps). Consider how switch role affects the deployment, then review the remaining differences before choosing the exact Product ID. The table below shows 63 specifications available for both models. Confirm licenses, accessories, power supplies and regional suffixes before ordering.

2models compared
63specs shown for every model
54differences found
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At-a-glance comparison

Key performance and configuration differences

Start with the differences that have the greatest effect on capacity, connectivity, software, power and deployment fit.

Switch Role
C9200L-48P-4G-E

Campus access switch

WS-C2960X-48FPS-L

Fixed campus access switch with limited Layer 3 routing

Network License
C9200L-48P-4G-E

Network Essentials

WS-C2960X-48FPS-L

Cisco IOS LAN Base

Switching Capacity (Standalone)
C9200L-48P-4G-E

104 Gbps

WS-C2960X-48FPS-L

216 Gbps

Forwarding Rate (Standalone)
C9200L-48P-4G-E

77.38 Mpps

WS-C2960X-48FPS-L

107.1 Mpps

PoE Support
C9200L-48P-4G-E

PoE/PoE+

WS-C2960X-48FPS-L

PoE+ on all downlink ports

PoE Standard
C9200L-48P-4G-E

IEEE 802.3af / 802.3at

WS-C2960X-48FPS-L

IEEE 802.3af PoE and 802.3at PoE+

Buying decision

How to choose between C9200L-48P-4G-E and WS-C2960X-48FPS-L

Review the differences in this order to identify the model that best fits the intended deployment.

  1. 01

    Ports and uplinks

    Match access media, port count and speed first, then confirm that the uplink design fits the distribution layer.

  2. 02

    PoE and power

    Total the power required by connected devices and verify the PoE standard, budget, power supplies and redundancy.

  3. 03

    Performance and software

    Compare forwarding, stacking and scale in the intended topology, then confirm the license tier and software release.

Before ordering Confirm the exact Product ID, license tier, power supplies, accessories and regional requirements.
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Detailed comparison

Full specification comparison

Comparison parameter
Catalyst 2960-X Series Switches
Product ID C9200L-48P-4G-EWS-C2960X-48FPS-L
Product and ordering
Product Type Cisco Catalyst 9200L Series fixed-uplink stackable access switch Cisco Catalyst 2960-X Series LAN Base access switch
Form Factor 1RU 1RU
Switch Role Campus access switch Fixed campus access switch with limited Layer 3 routing
Network License Network Essentials Cisco IOS LAN Base
Configuration, licensing and management
Management Model Cisco Catalyst Center, WebUI, CLI, NETCONF, RESTCONF and SNMP Cisco IOS CLI, SNMP v1/v2c/v3, Cisco Prime Infrastructure and Cisco Network Assistant
Ports and interfaces
Downlink Port Count 48 48
Access / Downlink Ports 48 x 1G PoE+ RJ-45 48 x 10/100/1000 RJ-45
Downlink Type 1G PoE+ RJ-45 10/100/1000BASE-T RJ-45
Uplink Interfaces 4 x 1G SFP 4 x 1G SFP
Maximum Uplink Speed 1 Gbps 1 Gbps
Supported Network Modules Not applicable Not applicable
Management Ports 1 x 10/100/1000BASE-T dedicated management port 1 x 10/100 Mbps Ethernet (RJ-45) out-of-band management
Console Ports 1 x RJ-45; 1 x USB Mini-B console 1 x RJ-45 console plus 1 x USB Type-B console
USB Ports 1 x USB 2.0 Type-A host port 1 x USB Type-A for external flash storage
PoE-capable Ports 48 48
Connector Types RJ-45; SFP/SFP+; USB RJ-45 for 10/100/1000 ports; SFP/SFP+ for uplinks
Total System Ports 52 52
Performance and scale
Switching Capacity (Standalone) 104 Gbps 216 Gbps
Switching Capacity (Stacked) 184 Gbps Not listed
Forwarding Rate (Standalone) 77.38 Mpps 107.1 Mpps
Forwarding Rate (Stacked) 137 Mpps Not listed
MAC Address Scale 32,000 16,000
IPv4 Route Scale 14,000 3,000
IPv6 Route Scale 2,000 3,000
Multicast Route Scale 1,000 1,000
VLAN Scale 4,094 4,096
ACL Scale 1,600 Not published by Cisco
QoS Scale 1,000 Not published by Cisco
Packet Buffer 6 MB Not published by Cisco
Jumbo Frame Size 9,198 bytes 9,216 bytes
Flexible NetFlow Entries 16,000 Not listed
Switched Virtual Interfaces 512 Not listed
PoE and power
PoE Support PoE/PoE+ PoE+ on all downlink ports
PoE Standard IEEE 802.3af / 802.3at IEEE 802.3af PoE and 802.3at PoE+
Default PoE Budget 740 W 740 W
Maximum PoE Budget 1,440 W Not applicable
Default Power Supply PWR-C5-1KWAC Internal fixed auto-ranging AC power supply
Power Supply Slots 2 Not applicable
Power Supply Options Compatible C5/C6 AC supplies; supported DC supply on PoE models Not applicable
Maximum System Power 59.1 W 66.6 W
AC Input Voltage 100 to 240 V 100 to 240 V
AC Input Frequency 50 to 60 Hz 50 to 60 Hz
Power Input Type AC input; optional DC power supplies on supported modular and fixed-uplink PoE models AC
Heat Dissipation 202 BTU/h Not listed
Power Redundancy Redundant power with an optional second compatible supply Optional external Cisco RPS 2300 redundant power system
Stacking and resiliency
Stacking Technology StackWise-80 Cisco FlexStack-Plus (optional), up to 8 switches
Stack Bandwidth 80 Gbps 80 Gbps
Maximum Stack Members 8 8
StackPower Not applicable Not applicable
Fan Modules Fixed redundant fans Fixed internal fans (not field-replaceable)
Memory and software
Operating System Cisco IOS XE Cisco IOS
Minimum Software Release Cisco IOS XE 16.9.2 Cisco IOS 15.0(2)EX
DRAM 2 GB 0.5 GB
Flash Memory 4 GB 0.125 GB
CPU Not listed APM86392 600 MHz dual-core
Physical and environmental
Dimensions (H × W × D) 44 × 445 × 329 mm 44.5 × 444.5 × 368.3 mm
Weight 4.8 kg 5.8 kg
Operating Temperature -5 to 45 °C; -5 to 40 °C -5 to 45 °C
Storage Temperature -40 to 70 °C -25 to 70 °C
Storage Humidity Not listed 10% to 95%
Operating Humidity 5% to 90% 10% to 95%
Operating Altitude Up to 3,048 m Up to 3,000 m
MTBF 347,760 hours 232,610 hours
Warranty Cisco Enhanced Limited Lifetime hardware warranty (E-LLW) Cisco Enhanced Limited Lifetime Warranty (E-LLW)
Acoustic Rating 42 dBA typical; 45 dBA maximum 39 dBA typical; 43 dBA maximum
Environmental Compliance RoHS compliant Reduction of Hazardous Substances (RoHS) including EU Directive 2011/65/EU
Safety Certifications UL/CSA 60950-1; EN/IEC 60950-1 UL 60950-1, CAN/CSA-C22.2 No. 60950-1, EN 60950-1, IEC 60950-1, AS/NZS 60950-1 (Second Edition)
EMC Certifications FCC Part 15 Class A; EN 55032 Class A; CISPR 32 Class A; ICES-003 Class A FCC Part 15 Class A, EN 55022 Class A, CISPR 22 Class A, EN 61000-3-2, EN 61000-3-3, VCCI Class A, ICES-003 Class A
Mounting 19-inch rack mount 19-inch rack mount
Airflow Front-to-back airflow Not published by Cisco

“Not listed” means that no confirmed value is currently available for that model and parameter.

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