Cisco switch comparison
C9300-24P-E vs WS-C3850-24P-L
C9300-24P-E and WS-C3850-24P-L retain 24 Gigabit PoE+ ports and modular uplinks. The newer chassis expands the module choices and increases published switching capacity, memory and storage, while the default PoE budgets remain close.
2models compared
59specs published for every model
46confirmed differences
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Key differences
Compare the specifications that shape your deployment.
| Specification | C9300-24P-E | WS-C3850-24P-L |
|---|---|---|
Switch Role |
Campus access switch | Stackable campus access switch with limited Layer 3 routing |
Network License |
Network Essentials | Cisco IOS LAN Base |
Access / Downlink Ports |
24 x 10/100/1000 PoE+ copper ports | 24 x 10/100/1000 RJ-45 |
Uplink Interfaces |
Modular uplink bay; network module ordered separately | Optional modular uplinks: up to 4 x 1G SFP or 2 x 10G SFP+ |
Maximum Uplink Speed |
40 Gbps | Up to 10 Gbps |
Switching Capacity (Standalone) |
208 Gbps | 92 Gbps |
Detailed comparison
Full specification comparison
| Comparison parameter | ||
|---|---|---|
| Product ID | C9300-24P-E | WS-C3850-24P-L |
| Product and ordering | ||
| Product Type | Cisco Catalyst 9300 Series modular-uplink stackable access switch | Cisco Catalyst 3850 Series stackable enterprise-class access switch |
| Form Factor | 1RU | 1RU |
| Switch Role | Campus access switch | Stackable 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 XE CLI, SNMP v1/v2c/v3, Cisco Prime Infrastructure |
| Ports and interfaces | ||
| Downlink Port Count | 24 | 24 |
| Access / Downlink Ports | 24 x 10/100/1000 PoE+ copper ports | 24 x 10/100/1000 RJ-45 |
| Downlink Type | 1G PoE+ RJ-45 | 10/100/1000BASE-T RJ-45 |
| Uplink Interfaces | Modular uplink bay; network module ordered separately | Optional modular uplinks: up to 4 x 1G SFP or 2 x 10G SFP+ |
| Maximum Uplink Speed | 40 Gbps | Up to 10 Gbps |
| Supported Network Modules | C9300-NM-4G, C9300-NM-4M, C9300-NM-8X, C9300-NM-2Q, or C9300-NM-2YCatalyst 3850 network modules may also be used | C3850-NM-4-1G, C3850-NM-2-10G |
| Management Ports | 10/100/1000 Ethernet management, RJ-45 console, and USB mini-Type B console | 1 x RJ-45 out-of-band management Ethernet port |
| Console Ports | 1 x RJ-45; 1 x USB Mini-B console | 1 x RJ-45 console plus 1 x USB Mini-B console |
| USB Ports | 1 x USB 2.0 Type-A host port | 1 x USB Type-A external-storage port |
| PoE-capable Ports | 24 | 24 |
| Connector Types | RJ-45 10/100/1000BASE-T copper access ports | RJ-45 for 10/100/1000 and Multigigabit ports; SFP/SFP+ for uplinks and fiber; copper Cisco StackWise-480 stacking; Cisco StackPower cabling; RJ-45 management and console |
| Total System Ports | 32 | Not applicable |
| Performance and scale | ||
| Switching Capacity (Standalone) | 208 Gbps | 92 Gbps |
| Switching Capacity (Stacked) | 688 Gbps | Not published by Cisco |
| Forwarding Rate (Standalone) | 154.76 Mpps | 68.4 Mpps |
| Forwarding Rate (Stacked) | 511.9 Mpps | Not published by Cisco |
| MAC Address Scale | 32,000 | 32,000 |
| IPv4 Route Scale | 32,000 | 24,000 |
| IPv6 Route Scale | 16,000 | Not published by Cisco |
| Multicast Route Scale | 8,000 | Not published by Cisco |
| VLAN Scale | 4,094 | 4,000 |
| ACL Scale | 5,120 | Not published by Cisco |
| QoS Scale | 5,120 | Not published by Cisco |
| Packet Buffer | 16 MB | Not published by Cisco |
| Jumbo Frame Size | 9,198 bytes | 9,198 bytes |
| Flexible NetFlow Entries | 64,000 | 24,000 |
| Switched Virtual Interfaces | 1,000 | 1,000 |
| PoE and power | ||
| PoE Support | PoE/PoE+ | PoE+ on all downlink ports |
| PoE Standard | IEEE 802.3at PoE+ | IEEE 802.3af PoE and 802.3at PoE+ (up to 30W per port) |
| Default PoE Budget | 445 W | 435 W |
| Maximum PoE Budget | Up to 720 W | 1,535 W |
| Default Power Supply | PWR-C1-715WAC-P (715 W AC) | PWR-C1-715WAC |
| Power Supply Slots | 2 | 2 |
| Power Supply Options | 715W default; 1100W AC upgrade; second power-supply slot supported | PWR-C1-350WAC, PWR-C1-715WAC, PWR-C1-1100WAC, PWR-C1-440WDC |
| Maximum System Power | 109.2 W | 85.39 W |
| AC Input Voltage | 100 to 240 V | 100 to 240 V |
| AC Input Frequency | 47 to 63 Hz | 50 to 60 Hz |
| Power Input Type | AC input; supported AC/HVDC options depend on power-supply model | AC |
| Heat Dissipation | Not listed | Not published by Cisco |
| Power Redundancy | Dual redundant field-replaceable power supplies | Optional second modular power supply (1+1); Cisco StackPower; optional external Cisco XPS-2200 |
| Stacking and resiliency | ||
| Stacking Technology | StackWise-480Stacks with Catalyst 9300 and 9300X models at the same license level; not with Catalyst 3850 or 3650 | Cisco StackWise-480 |
| Stack Bandwidth | 480 Gbps | 480 Gbps |
| Maximum Stack Members | Up to 8 | 9 |
| StackPower | Cisco StackPower | Supported (Cisco StackPower) |
| Fan Modules | 3 field-replaceable fans with N+1 redundancy | 3 field-replaceable fans |
| Memory and software | ||
| Operating System | Cisco IOS XE | Cisco IOS XE |
| Minimum Software Release | Cisco IOS XE 16.5.1a | Cisco IOS XE 3.2.0SE or later |
| DRAM | 8 GB | 4 GB |
| Flash Memory | 16 GB | 2 GB |
| CPU | x86 CPU complex | Not published by Cisco |
| Physical and environmental | ||
| Dimensions (H × W × D) | 43.942 × 444.5 × 449.58 mm | 44.5 × 445 × 450 mm |
| Weight | 7.407 kg | 7.4 kg |
| Operating Temperature | -5 to 45 °C; -5 to 40 °C | -5 to 45 °C; -5 to 40 °C |
| Storage Temperature | -40 to 70 °C | -40 to 70 °C |
| Storage Humidity | Not listed | Not published by Cisco |
| Operating Humidity | 5% to 90% | 10% to 95% |
| Operating Altitude | Up to 3,048 m | Up to 3,000 m |
| MTBF | 299,000 hours | 269,450 hours |
| Warranty | Cisco Enhanced Limited Lifetime hardware warranty (E-LLW) | Cisco Enhanced Limited Lifetime Warranty (E-LLW) |
| Acoustic Rating | 45 dB LpA typical; 48 dB LpA maximum | 43 dB typical, 45 dB maximum (LpA per ISO 7779) |
| Environmental Compliance | RoHS 5 | Reduction of Hazardous Substances (RoHS) 5 |
| Safety Certifications | UL 60950-1, CAN/CSA-C22.2 No. 60950-1, EN 60950-1, IEC 60950-1, AS/NZS 60950.1 | UL 60950-1 Second Edition, CAN/CSA-C22.2 No. 60950-1 Second Edition, EN 60950-1 Second Edition, IEC 60950-1 Second Edition, NOM |
| EMC Certifications | FCC Part 15, EN 55032 Class A, CISPR 32 Class A, ICES-003 Class A | FCC Part 15 Class A, AS/NZS CISPR22 Class A, CISPR22 Class A, EN55022 Class A, ICES-003 Class A, VCCI Class A, EN61000-3-2, EN61000-3-3, KN22 Class A, KCC, CNS13438 Class A, EN55024, CISPR24, KN24 |
| Mounting | 19-inch rack mount | 19-inch rack mount |
| Airflow | Front-to-back airflow | Front/side chassis intake toward rear fan and power-supply modules; exact path depends on installed supplies |
Specifications from Cisco Catalyst 9300 Series Switches Data Sheet and Cisco Catalyst 3850 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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