C1-C4500X-24X-IPB Cisco ONE Catalyst 4500-X 24 Port 10G IP Base

Deep Dive into the C1-C4500X-24X-IPB Model

The Cisco ONE Catalyst 4500-X 24 Port 10G IP Base is a fixed-form-factor switch featuring 24 fixed 10 Gigabit Ethernet SFP+ ports. The "IP Base" designation refers to its bundled software license, which provides a comprehensive set of Layer 3 routing protocols and enterprise features. This model is renowned for its high-density 10G aggregation capabilities in a compact, energy-efficient 1RU form factor. It is powered by a versatile network module slot that supports a range of uplink modules, including 40 Gigabit Ethernet QSFP, for flexible connectivity to the network core or data center. Its architecture is built around a powerful switching ASIC and a multi-core CPU, ensuring deterministic performance and advanced feature handling without compromise.

Core Hardware Architecture and Performance

The performance of the Catalyst 4500-X is a direct result of its purpose-built architecture. It is designed to deliver full, non-blocking throughput across all ports simultaneously.

Switching Fabric and Forwarding Capacity

The switch boasts an aggregate switching capacity of up to 800 Gbps in a virtual switch system (VSS) configuration, with a forwarding rate of up to 595 Mpps. This ensures that even under maximum load with all ports active, the switch can handle line-rate traffic, making it immune to oversubscription bottlenecks that plague less capable aggregation switches.

Redundancy and High Availability Features

Enterprise core networks demand exceptional resilience. The C4500X-24X supports front-to-back or back-to-front airflow with reversible fans, modular and hot-swappable power supplies (typically supporting 1+1 or N+1 redundancy), and the flagship high-availability feature: the Virtual Switching System (VSS). VSS allows two physical 4500-X switches to operate as a single logical entity, simplifying management, eliminating Spanning Tree Protocol block ports, and providing stateful switchover (SSO) and non-stop forwarding (NSF) for sub-second failover during planned or unplanned outages.

Understanding the Cisco ONE Software Licensing (IP Base)

The "C1" prefix and "IPB" suffix in the product code are critical. They signify the switch is part of the Cisco ONE software licensing model. This represents a shift from traditional, feature-based IOS images to a simplified, tiered licensing approach.

IP Base License Features

The IP Base license on the C4500X-24X provides a rich foundation of features, including: Advanced Layer 2 protocols (STP, RSTP, MSTP, VLANs, VTP, LACP), Static routing, RIPv1/v2, RIPng, EIGRP stub routing, OSPFv2/v3 (limited scale), Access Control Lists (ACLs), QoS classification and marking, Basic multicast routing (PIM-SM, SSM), and Network Address Translation (NAT). This makes it suitable for the vast majority of enterprise routing and security policies at the aggregation layer.

The Advantage of Cisco ONE Licensing

Cisco ONE licensing decouples software features from the hardware purchase. It provides a three-year or five-year term license that includes Software Support Service (SSS), granting access to new software releases, features, and patches. This model offers predictability in costs, simplifies software management, and provides a clear path for adding higher-tier licenses like Enterprise Services for full dynamic routing (BGP, EIGRP, OSPF at scale), MPLS, and advanced multicast, should future needs evolve.

Primary Use Cases and Deployment Scenarios

The C4500X-24X-IPB is a versatile platform designed for specific, critical roles in the network hierarchy.

Campus Core and Distribution Layer Aggregation

In large campus networks, this switch excels as a distribution layer workhorse, aggregating traffic from multiple access layer switches (Catalyst 3850, 9300, etc.) over 10G uplinks. Its high routing performance and support for VSS make it an ideal, resilient core for small to medium campuses or a distribution block for larger ones, efficiently routing traffic between VLANs and to the wide area network (WAN).

Medium Density Data Center Top-of-Rack (ToR) / End-of-Row (EoR)

While not a dedicated data center switch like the Nexus series, the 4500-X is perfectly suited for enterprise data centers or server farm aggregation where 10G server connectivity is required. Its low latency, high throughput, and support for features like FCoE (with an appropriate license) allow it to consolidate LAN and SAN traffic, simplifying cabling and reducing costs.

High-Performance Computing (HPC) and Storage Networking Backbone

The non-blocking architecture and consistent low latency make this switch a candidate for HPC clusters or as a backbone for IP-based storage networks (iSCSI, NFS), where predictable, high-bandwidth performance is non-negotiable.

Advanced Features and Capabilities

Beyond basic switching and routing, the Catalyst 4500-X platform is imbued with capabilities that address modern security, management, and application performance challenges.

Enhanced Security Posture

Security is integrated at multiple levels. The switch supports IEEE 802.1X for network access control, TrustSec for security group tagging (SGT) and macro-segmentation, and flexible ACLs applied in hardware. It also features control plane policing (CoPP) to protect the switch's CPU from malicious traffic, forming a critical part of a defense-in-depth strategy.

Comprehensive Quality of Service (QoS)

To ensure voice, video, and critical application performance, the switch offers granular QoS. It can classify, mark, queue, and schedule traffic based on Layer 2, 3, and 4 parameters, providing up to eight egress queues per port. This allows network administrators to prioritize real-time traffic effectively, guaranteeing service level agreements (SLAs).

Network Virtualization and Programmability

The platform supports overlay technologies like VXLAN, which is fundamental for building scalable, multi-tenant network fabrics. Furthermore, with Cisco's Digital Network Architecture (DNA) readiness, the switch can be managed as part of a software-defined access (SD-Access) fabric, enabling automated policy enforcement from the edge to the cloud. It also offers programmability via APIs (NETCONF/YANG) and scripting tools like Python, aligning with DevOps and network automation initiatives.

Comparison and Positioning in the Catalyst Portfolio

Understanding where the C4500X-24X-IPB fits relative to other Cisco series is key to making an informed selection.

Catalyst 4500-X vs. Catalyst 3850/9300 Series

The Catalyst 3850 and its successor, the Catalyst 9300, are stackable access layer switches with optional integrated wireless LAN controllers. While they offer 10G uplinks, the 4500-X is purpose-built for aggregation/core roles, offering higher overall switching capacity, VSS for high availability (vs. StackWise), and typically greater routing table scale. The 4500-X aggregates multiple 9300 stacks.

Catalyst 4500-X vs. Catalyst 6500/6800 Series

The Catalyst 6500/6800 series are legendary modular chassis switches with immense flexibility and scale. The 4500-X offers comparable performance in a fixed, 1RU form factor at a typically lower cost of ownership (power, space, management). It is often seen as the modern, fixed-form-factor successor to smaller 6500 chassis deployments for aggregation.

Catalyst 4500-X vs. Nexus 3000/9000 Series

Cisco Nexus switches are born and bred for the data center, with a focus on ultra-low latency, extensive buffer memory for bursty traffic, and features like RDMA over Converged Ethernet (RoCE). The Catalyst 4500-X, while capable in enterprise data centers, is more optimized for the campus core and carries the extensive Catalyst feature set for wired and wireless integration. The Nexus series would be preferred for high-performance, storage-intensive, or cloud-architected data centers.

Planning and Implementation Considerations

Successful deployment of a C4500X-24X-IPB requires careful planning around several technical and operational factors.

Licensing and Software Management

Purchasers must understand the term-based Cisco ONE license. The IP Base license is bundled, but its duration (3 or 5 years) must be confirmed. Planning for license renewal or an upgrade to Enterprise Services should be part of the long-term IT strategy. Software images are now downloaded from Cisco's Software Center using a Smart Account.

Hardware Options and Configurations

The switch requires separate purchases for SFP+ transceivers (like SFP-10G-SR) for fiber connectivity or SFP+ direct-attach copper cables (DAC). The choice of uplink module (e.g., a 4-port 40G QSFP module) for the network module slot must be planned based on core connectivity needs. Redundant, hot-swappable power supplies (e.g., the 1100W AC or DC options) are essential for production environments.

Designing for High Availability with VSS

Implementing VSS is a best practice for core deployments. This requires a second identical 4500-X switch, a dedicated VSS inter-switch link using 10G or 40G ports, and careful configuration. The benefits—a single management point, active-active uplinks, and fast failover—are transformative for network resilience.

Migration and Integration Paths

Many organizations deploy the 4500-X to replace aging chassis-based systems. Cisco provides detailed migration guides. Furthermore, its integration with Cisco DNA Center for SD-Access or with Cisco Identity Services Engine (ISE) for policy enforcement should be considered as part of a broader network transformation project.