WS-C3750X-48PF-E Cisco Layer 2 Switch with 48 Ports

Product Outline

The Cisco WS-C3750X-48PF-E Catalyst 3750X is a high-performance, enterprise-grade Layer 3 managed switch designed for scalable and secure network environments. Built with advanced IP Services and full PoE+ capability, this Cisco Catalyst switch is ideal for powering IP phones, wireless access points, and other network devices while ensuring reliable data delivery.

General Information

Manufacturer Details

• Brand: Cisco Systems, Inc.
• Model / SKU: WS-C3750X-48PF-E
• Product Series: Catalyst 3750X

Switch Type & Design

• Managed Layer 3 Ethernet switch
• Stackable architecture with Cisco StackWise technology
• Rack-mountable enclosure with compact 1U form factor

Ports & Connectivity

Network Interfaces

• 48 x Gigabit Ethernet ports (10/100/1000 Mbps)
• Auto-negotiation and auto MDI/MDI-X support

Power over Ethernet

• Full PoE+ (IEEE 802.3at compliant)
• Ideal for VoIP phones, IP cameras, and wireless access points

Performance & Capacity

Switching Performance

• Switching fabric bandwidth up to 160 Gbps
• Forwarding rate of 101.2 million packets per second (Mpps)

Scalability & Capacity

• Supports up to 1005 Virtual LANs (VLANs)
• Up to 1000 Switched Virtual Interfaces (SVIs)
• Jumbo frame support up to 9216 bytes

Routing & Network Protocols

Advanced Routing Capabilities

• OSPF, BGP-4, IS-IS, RIP v1/v2, EIGRP
• IPv6 support including OSPFv3, EIGRP for IPv6, RIPng
• Policy-Based Routing (PBR)
• Static IPv4 and IPv6 routing

Multicast & Redundancy

• HSRP for high availability
• PIM-SM, PIM-DM, and PIM-SSM

Key Features & Technologies

Enterprise-Class Features

• Layer 2 and Layer 3 switching
• Quality of Service (QoS) for traffic prioritization
• Access Control Lists (ACLs) for enhanced security
• DHCP snooping and dynamic ARP inspection
• VRF-Lite for network segmentation

High Availability & Reliability

• Hot-swappable module replacement
• Rapid Spanning Tree Protocol (RSTP)
• Per-VLAN Spanning Tree Plus (PVST+)
• Uni-directional Link Detection (UDLD)

Traffic Optimization

• Broadcast, multicast, and unicast storm control
• Shaped Round Robin (SRR) scheduling
• Link Aggregation with LACP and PAgP

Standards & Compliance

Industry Standards

• IEEE 802.3, 802.3u, 802.3ab, 802.3z
• IEEE 802.1Q, 802.1p, 802.1D, 802.1W, 802.1X
• IEEE 802.3af and 802.3at (PoE and PoE+)
• IEEE 802.3ad (LACP) and 802.1AE

Power Requirements

• AC input voltage: 120V / 230V
• Frequency: 50–60 Hz

Core Architectural Excellence: StackWise Plus and Beyond

The architectural heart of the WS-C3750X-48PF-E Catalyst 3750X series is its innovative stacking technology, which defines its operational superiority and management simplicity.

StackWise Plus Technology

This advanced stacking interconnect creates a unified, logical switching entity from up to nine individual switch units. Utilizing special stack cables, it provides a high-speed, resilient backplane of 64 Gbps per stack ring.

Operational Benefits of a Unified Stack

Single Management Point: Administrators configure and monitor the entire stack as one device via a single IP address, drastically reducing operational overhead.
Cross-Stack EtherChannel: Enables creation of multi-chassis EtherChannel links, providing unparalleled uplink flexibility and loop-free redundancy.
Hitless Failover: With Stateful Switchover (SSO) and Non-Stop Forwarding (NSF), the stack can maintain operation during a master switch failure, ensuring no network disruption.

Modular Power Supply and Fan Tray Flexibility

Unlike fixed-configuration switches, the 3750X features field-replaceable, hot-swappable power supplies and fan trays. The WS-C3750X-48PF-E typically ships with a 715W AC Power Supply, but can be fitted with redundant supplies (including 715W or 1100W AC, or 1100W DC) for critical deployments. The modular fan tray ensures consistent cooling and is also easily serviceable, maximizing uptime and simplifying long-term maintenance.

Comprehensive Power over Ethernet (PoE) Capabilities

The "-48PF-" designation is central to this model's value proposition, indicating its full PoE capacity across all 48 10/100/1000 Ethernet ports.

Universal PoE+ Support

Each port can deliver the IEEE 802.3at PoE+ standard, supplying up to 30 watts of power per port. This is sufficient for a vast array of devices beyond traditional IP phones and basic access points.

Power-Driven Devices and Applications

Advanced Wireless Access Points: Powers next-generation 802.11ac/ax (Wi-Fi 5/6) APs, many of which require more than 15.4W.
IP Video Surveillance: Supports pan-tilt-zoom (PTZ) cameras, 360-degree cameras, and cameras with built-in heaters/blowers.
Collaboration Endpoints: Fuels advanced IP phones with large touchscreens, video phones, and telepresence units.
Building Automation: Can power RFID readers, LED lighting systems, and other IoT sensors.

Intelligent Power Management

The switch features sophisticated power budgeting and management tools. It supports Cisco’s pre-standard PoE, legacy Cisco Inline Power, and standard PoE/PoE+. Administrators can set power allocation priorities on a per-port basis, ensuring critical devices remain powered during a power budget shortfall. The total power budget, dependent on the installed power supply, allows for strategic planning of powered device deployment.

Advanced Software Feature Set: IP Services Image

The "-E" suffix denotes the enhanced IP Services software image, the most feature-rich layer 3 software available for the Catalyst 3750X series. This transforms the switch from a simple access layer device into a powerful, routing-capable network node.

Enterprise Routing Protocols

Full dynamic routing protocol support allows the switch to participate seamlessly in complex network cores and distributions.

OSPF & EIGRP: Support for advanced interior gateway protocols for scalable internal routing.
BGP: Full Border Gateway Protocol v4 support, enabling its use in enterprise WAN edge or data center interconnect roles.
Policy-Based Routing (PBR): Allows traffic forwarding decisions based on policies beyond standard destination-based routing.

Enhanced Security and Multicast Features

The IP Services license unlocks capabilities essential for secure, media-rich networks.

Security Subsystem

Dynamic ARP Inspection (DAI) & IP Source Guard: Protect against ARP spoofing and IP address theft.
Advanced ACLs: Supports extended, time-based, and VLAN ACLs for granular traffic control.
IEEE 802.1X with Flexible Authentication: Provides comprehensive identity-based network access control.

IP Multicast Routing

PIM Sparse Mode (PIM-SM): Protocol Independent Multicast for efficient one-to-many content delivery.
IGMPv3 Snooping: Optimizes multicast traffic flow at Layer 2, preventing flooding.
MSDP & SSM: Support for Multicast Source Discovery Protocol and Source-Specific Multicast for scalable deployments.

Deployment Scenarios and Use Cases

The versatility of the WS-C3750X-48PF-E makes it suitable for a wide range of deployment scenarios, often acting as a converged access switch.

Enterprise Campus Access Layer

The most common deployment, providing wired connectivity and PoE to end-user devices in office floors, classrooms, or hospital wings.

Converged Voice/Data/Video: A single drop to a desk can power a phone, connect a PC, and potentially stream video.
High-Density Wireless Backhaul: Aggregates traffic and powers a dense deployment of wireless access points throughout a building.

Mid-Sized Network Core / Distribution

In smaller campuses or branch offices, a stack of 3750X switches with the IP Services image can perform inter-VLAN routing and serve as the network core, collapsing the traditional access-distribution-core model.

Video Surveillance Backbone

In security deployments, the switch provides a robust, powered backbone for IP cameras. Its high PoE budget, Gigabit uplinks, and advanced QoS ensure reliable, high-quality video feed transmission to network video recorders (NVRs).

Resilience, Quality of Service (QoS), and Management

Enterprise-grade operations demand features that ensure predictable performance and high availability.

Comprehensive QoS for Critical Applications

The switch provides granular classification, policing, marking, and queuing based on Layer 2, 3, and 4 parameters. This allows network administrators to prioritize latency-sensitive traffic like voice and video, guaranteeing a consistent user experience even during network congestion.

High Availability Mechanisms

Beyond StackWise redundancy, features like Rapid Per-VLAN Spanning Tree Plus (RPVST+), UniDirectional Link Detection (UDLD), and dual hot-swappable power supplies create a fault-tolerant network edge.

Management and Programmability

While featuring a traditional CLI (beloved by network engineers), the 3750X also supports SNMPv3, Syslog, and can be managed by Cisco Prime Infrastructure. Its support for emerging programmability standards, though limited compared to newer models, allows for basic automation scripts.