Cisco switch comparison
C9200L-48P-4G-E vs WS-C2960X-48FPS-L
C9200L-48P-4G-E and WS-C2960X-48FPS-L share 48 Gigabit PoE+ ports, four 1G uplinks and a 740 W default budget. The newer switch adds a higher configurable PoE maximum and internal backup-power capability, while changing software and stack hardware.
2models compared
55specs published for every model
43confirmed differences
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Key differences
Compare the specifications that shape your deployment.
| Specification | C9200L-48P-4G-E | WS-C2960X-48FPS-L |
|---|---|---|
Switch Role |
Campus access switch | Fixed campus access switch with limited Layer 3 routing |
Network License |
Network Essentials | Cisco IOS LAN Base |
Access / Downlink Ports |
48 x 10/100/1000 PoE+ RJ-45 | 48 x 10/100/1000 RJ-45 |
Switching Capacity (Standalone) |
104 Gbps | 216 Gbps |
Forwarding Rate (Standalone) |
77.38 Mpps | 107.1 Mpps |
PoE Support |
PoE/PoE+ | PoE+ on all downlink ports |
Detailed comparison
Full specification comparison
| Comparison parameter | ||
|---|---|---|
| Product ID | C9200L-48P-4G-E | WS-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 10/100/1000 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 GbpsSeries-wide LAN Base switching bandwidth (full duplex), not specific to this model |
| 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 | 16,000 | 16,000 |
| IPv4 Route Scale | 3,000 | 3,000 |
| IPv6 Route Scale | 1,500 | 3,000 |
| Multicast Route Scale | 1,000 | 1,000 |
| VLAN Scale | 4,094 | 4,096 |
| ACL Scale | 1,500 | 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-80Does not stack with Catalyst 2960-X switches | 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 16.9.1 or later | 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 | Fixed, nonreversible front-and-sides-to-back airflow; WS-C2960X-24PSQ-L is fanless |
Specifications from Cisco Catalyst 9200 Series Switches Data Sheet and Cisco Catalyst 2960-X and 2960-XR Series Switches Data Sheet (checked 2026-10-11).
“Not published by Cisco” and “Not listed” indicate that a confirmed direct comparison is unavailable. These rows are not counted as confirmed differences.
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