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
52differences 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 TypeDifferent C9200L-48P-4G-E Cisco Catalyst 9200L Series fixed-uplink stackable access switch WS-C2960X-48FPS-L Cisco Catalyst 2960-X Series LAN Base access switch
Form Factor C9200L-48P-4G-E 1RU WS-C2960X-48FPS-L 1RU
Switch RoleDifferent C9200L-48P-4G-E Campus access switch WS-C2960X-48FPS-L Fixed campus access switch with limited Layer 3 routing
Network LicenseDifferent C9200L-48P-4G-E Network Essentials WS-C2960X-48FPS-L Cisco IOS LAN Base
Configuration, licensing and management
Management ModelDifferent C9200L-48P-4G-E Cisco Catalyst Center, WebUI, CLI, NETCONF, RESTCONF and SNMP WS-C2960X-48FPS-L Cisco IOS CLI, SNMP v1/v2c/v3, Cisco Prime Infrastructure and Cisco Network Assistant
Ports and interfaces
Downlink Port Count C9200L-48P-4G-E 48 WS-C2960X-48FPS-L 48
Access / Downlink Ports C9200L-48P-4G-E 48 x 1G PoE+ RJ-45 WS-C2960X-48FPS-L 48 x 10/100/1000 RJ-45
Downlink TypeDifferent C9200L-48P-4G-E 1G PoE+ RJ-45 WS-C2960X-48FPS-L 10/100/1000BASE-T RJ-45
Uplink Interfaces C9200L-48P-4G-E 4 x 1G SFP WS-C2960X-48FPS-L 4 x 1G SFP
Maximum Uplink Speed C9200L-48P-4G-E 1 Gbps WS-C2960X-48FPS-L 1 Gbps
Supported Network Modules C9200L-48P-4G-E Not applicable WS-C2960X-48FPS-L Not applicable
Management PortsDifferent C9200L-48P-4G-E 1 x 10/100/1000BASE-T dedicated management port WS-C2960X-48FPS-L 1 x 10/100 Mbps Ethernet (RJ-45) out-of-band management
Console PortsDifferent C9200L-48P-4G-E 1 x RJ-45; 1 x USB Mini-B console WS-C2960X-48FPS-L 1 x RJ-45 console plus 1 x USB Type-B console
USB PortsDifferent C9200L-48P-4G-E 1 x USB 2.0 Type-A host port WS-C2960X-48FPS-L 1 x USB Type-A for external flash storage
PoE-capable Ports C9200L-48P-4G-E 48 WS-C2960X-48FPS-L 48
Connector TypesDifferent C9200L-48P-4G-E RJ-45; SFP/SFP+; USB WS-C2960X-48FPS-L RJ-45 for 10/100/1000 ports; SFP/SFP+ for uplinks
Total System Ports C9200L-48P-4G-E 52 WS-C2960X-48FPS-L 52
Performance and scale
Switching Capacity (Standalone)Different C9200L-48P-4G-E 104 Gbps WS-C2960X-48FPS-L 216 Gbps
Switching Capacity (Stacked)Different C9200L-48P-4G-E 184 Gbps WS-C2960X-48FPS-L Not listed
Forwarding Rate (Standalone)Different C9200L-48P-4G-E 77.38 Mpps WS-C2960X-48FPS-L 107.1 Mpps
Forwarding Rate (Stacked)Different C9200L-48P-4G-E 137 Mpps WS-C2960X-48FPS-L Not listed
MAC Address Scale C9200L-48P-4G-E 16,000 WS-C2960X-48FPS-L 16,000
IPv4 Route Scale C9200L-48P-4G-E 3,000 WS-C2960X-48FPS-L 3,000
IPv6 Route ScaleDifferent C9200L-48P-4G-E 1,500 WS-C2960X-48FPS-L 3,000
Multicast Route Scale C9200L-48P-4G-E 1,000 WS-C2960X-48FPS-L 1,000
VLAN ScaleDifferent C9200L-48P-4G-E 4,094 WS-C2960X-48FPS-L 4,096
ACL ScaleDifferent C9200L-48P-4G-E 1,500 WS-C2960X-48FPS-L Not published by Cisco
QoS ScaleDifferent C9200L-48P-4G-E 1,000 WS-C2960X-48FPS-L Not published by Cisco
Packet BufferDifferent C9200L-48P-4G-E 6 MB WS-C2960X-48FPS-L Not published by Cisco
Jumbo Frame SizeDifferent C9200L-48P-4G-E 9,198 bytes WS-C2960X-48FPS-L 9,216 bytes
Flexible NetFlow EntriesDifferent C9200L-48P-4G-E 16,000 WS-C2960X-48FPS-L Not listed
Switched Virtual InterfacesDifferent C9200L-48P-4G-E 512 WS-C2960X-48FPS-L Not listed
PoE and power
PoE SupportDifferent C9200L-48P-4G-E PoE/PoE+ WS-C2960X-48FPS-L PoE+ on all downlink ports
PoE StandardDifferent C9200L-48P-4G-E IEEE 802.3af / 802.3at WS-C2960X-48FPS-L IEEE 802.3af PoE and 802.3at PoE+
Default PoE Budget C9200L-48P-4G-E 740 W WS-C2960X-48FPS-L 740 W
Maximum PoE BudgetDifferent C9200L-48P-4G-E 1,440 W WS-C2960X-48FPS-L Not applicable
Default Power SupplyDifferent C9200L-48P-4G-E PWR-C5-1KWAC WS-C2960X-48FPS-L Internal fixed auto-ranging AC power supply
Power Supply SlotsDifferent C9200L-48P-4G-E 2 WS-C2960X-48FPS-L Not applicable
Power Supply OptionsDifferent C9200L-48P-4G-E Compatible C5/C6 AC supplies; supported DC supply on PoE models WS-C2960X-48FPS-L Not applicable
Maximum System PowerDifferent C9200L-48P-4G-E 59.1 W WS-C2960X-48FPS-L 66.6 W
AC Input Voltage C9200L-48P-4G-E 100 to 240 V WS-C2960X-48FPS-L 100 to 240 V
AC Input Frequency C9200L-48P-4G-E 50 to 60 Hz WS-C2960X-48FPS-L 50 to 60 Hz
Power Input TypeDifferent C9200L-48P-4G-E AC input; optional DC power supplies on supported modular and fixed-uplink PoE models WS-C2960X-48FPS-L AC
Heat DissipationDifferent C9200L-48P-4G-E 202 BTU/h WS-C2960X-48FPS-L Not listed
Power RedundancyDifferent C9200L-48P-4G-E Redundant power with an optional second compatible supply WS-C2960X-48FPS-L Optional external Cisco RPS 2300 redundant power system
Stacking and resiliency
Stacking TechnologyDifferent C9200L-48P-4G-E StackWise-80 WS-C2960X-48FPS-L Cisco FlexStack-Plus (optional), up to 8 switches
Stack Bandwidth C9200L-48P-4G-E 80 Gbps WS-C2960X-48FPS-L 80 Gbps
Maximum Stack Members C9200L-48P-4G-E 8 WS-C2960X-48FPS-L 8
StackPower C9200L-48P-4G-E Not applicable WS-C2960X-48FPS-L Not applicable
Fan ModulesDifferent C9200L-48P-4G-E Fixed redundant fans WS-C2960X-48FPS-L Fixed internal fans (not field-replaceable)
Memory and software
Operating SystemDifferent C9200L-48P-4G-E Cisco IOS XE WS-C2960X-48FPS-L Cisco IOS
Minimum Software ReleaseDifferent C9200L-48P-4G-E Cisco IOS XE 16.9.1 or later WS-C2960X-48FPS-L Cisco IOS 15.0(2)EX
DRAMDifferent C9200L-48P-4G-E 2 GB WS-C2960X-48FPS-L 0.5 GB
Flash MemoryDifferent C9200L-48P-4G-E 4 GB WS-C2960X-48FPS-L 0.125 GB
CPUDifferent C9200L-48P-4G-E Not listed WS-C2960X-48FPS-L APM86392 600 MHz dual-core
Physical and environmental
Dimensions (H × W × D)Different C9200L-48P-4G-E 44 × 445 × 329 mm WS-C2960X-48FPS-L 44.5 × 444.5 × 368.3 mm
WeightDifferent C9200L-48P-4G-E 4.8 kg WS-C2960X-48FPS-L 5.8 kg
Operating TemperatureDifferent C9200L-48P-4G-E -5 to 45 °C; -5 to 40 °C WS-C2960X-48FPS-L -5 to 45 °C
Storage TemperatureDifferent C9200L-48P-4G-E -40 to 70 °C WS-C2960X-48FPS-L -25 to 70 °C
Storage HumidityDifferent C9200L-48P-4G-E Not listed WS-C2960X-48FPS-L 10% to 95%
Operating HumidityDifferent C9200L-48P-4G-E 5% to 90% WS-C2960X-48FPS-L 10% to 95%
Operating AltitudeDifferent C9200L-48P-4G-E Up to 3,048 m WS-C2960X-48FPS-L Up to 3,000 m
MTBFDifferent C9200L-48P-4G-E 347,760 hours WS-C2960X-48FPS-L 232,610 hours
WarrantyDifferent C9200L-48P-4G-E Cisco Enhanced Limited Lifetime hardware warranty (E-LLW) WS-C2960X-48FPS-L Cisco Enhanced Limited Lifetime Warranty (E-LLW)
Acoustic RatingDifferent C9200L-48P-4G-E 42 dBA typical; 45 dBA maximum WS-C2960X-48FPS-L 39 dBA typical; 43 dBA maximum
Environmental ComplianceDifferent C9200L-48P-4G-E RoHS compliant WS-C2960X-48FPS-L Reduction of Hazardous Substances (RoHS) including EU Directive 2011/65/EU
Safety CertificationsDifferent C9200L-48P-4G-E UL/CSA 60950-1; EN/IEC 60950-1 WS-C2960X-48FPS-L UL 60950-1, CAN/CSA-C22.2 No. 60950-1, EN 60950-1, IEC 60950-1, AS/NZS 60950-1 (Second Edition)
EMC CertificationsDifferent C9200L-48P-4G-E FCC Part 15 Class A; EN 55032 Class A; CISPR 32 Class A; ICES-003 Class A WS-C2960X-48FPS-L 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 C9200L-48P-4G-E 19-inch rack mount WS-C2960X-48FPS-L 19-inch rack mount
AirflowDifferent C9200L-48P-4G-E Front-to-back airflow WS-C2960X-48FPS-L Fixed, nonreversible front-and-sides-to-back airflow; WS-C2960X-24PSQ-L is fanless

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

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