C1000-48P-4G-L Cisco Catalyst 48 Ports Managed Switch

Product Overview

The Cisco Catalyst C1000-48P-4G-L is a reliable, enterprise-grade managed network switch designed to deliver stable Gigabit Ethernet connectivity for small to medium-sized business networks. Built with Cisco’s trusted hardware architecture, this rack-mountable switch ensures high performance, secure management, and efficient Power over Ethernet (PoE+) distribution.

General Specifications

• Brand: Cisco
• Model Number: C1000-48P-4G-L
• Device Category: Managed Ethernet Switch
• Form Factor: Rack-mountable design
• Switch Type: Gigabit Ethernet

Port Configuration Details

This Cisco Catalyst switch is equipped with a flexible and scalable port layout, making it ideal for modern network infrastructures that require both data and power delivery.

• 24 x 10/100/1000 Mbps PoE+ ports
• 24 x 10/100/1000 Mbps standard Ethernet ports
• 4 x Gigabit SFP uplink ports

Interface Connectivity

Wired Interfaces

• 24 x 1000Base-T RJ-45 PoE+ ports (up to 15W per port)
• 24 x 1000Base-T RJ-45 Ethernet ports
• 4 x 1000Base-X SFP uplink interfaces

Management and Expansion Interfaces

• 1 x RJ-45 management port
• 1 x Mini-USB Type-B console port
• 1 x USB Type-A port

Hardware Performance

Processing Power

The switch operates on an ARM-based processor clocked at 800 MHz, ensuring efficient packet handling, stable switching performance, and reliable network operations.

Supported Routing and Switching Protocols

Layer 2 & Multicast Protocols

• IGMP
• MLD
• MLDv2
• STP, RSTP, and MSTP

Remote Management & Network Control

Administration and Monitoring Protocols

For advanced network monitoring, security, and remote configuration, this Cisco Catalyst switch supports a wide range of management protocols.

• SNMP v1, v2c, and v3
• RMON 1 and RMON 2
• HTTP and TFTP
• SSH and SSH-2
• Telnet and CLI access
• NTP and ICMP
• DHCP
• TACACS+ and RADIUS authentication

Understanding the C1000-48P-4G-L Model Designation

Decoding the product name reveals its core capabilities. C1000 identifies the series. 48P denotes 48 Ethernet ports. The P is crucial, indicating that these ports support IEEE 802.3af/at PoE/PoE+. 4G specifies four dedicated 1 Gigabit Ethernet SFP (Small Form-factor Pluggable) uplink ports for fiber or copper connectivity, offering greater bandwidth and distance options. Finally, the L suffix signifies the LAN Base feature set, which includes advanced Layer 3 Lite functionality, providing essential routing protocols and security features for segmented networks.

Core Hardware Specifications & Performance

The Catalyst C1000-48P-4G-L is built on a performance-optimized architecture designed to handle high-density traffic without bottlenecks.

Port Configuration and Uplinks

RJ-45 Ethernet Ports

The switch provides 48 10/100/1000BASE-T ports. Each port supports auto-negotiation and auto-MDI/MDIX, simplifying cable connections. All 48 ports are capable of delivering up to 30W of PoE+ power per port, following the IEEE 802.3at standard, with backward compatibility to 802.3af (15.4W).

SFP Uplink Ports

The four fixed 1 Gigabit SFP uplink ports offer flexible connectivity for aggregating traffic to core switches or routers. These ports support a wide range of Cisco SFP modules, enabling connections over multimode or single-mode fiber for long-distance runs, or copper SFP modules for twisted-pair connections.

Power over Ethernet (PoE) Capabilities

This switch is a PoE workhorse, designed to simplify deployment and power a vast array of devices.

Total PoE Budget

The switch boasts a substantial total PoE power budget, typically 370W or higher depending on the specific power supply. This allows administrators to power dozens of devices simultaneously, such as IP phones, wireless access points, IP security cameras, and even some thin clients, directly from the switch, eliminating the need for separate power outlets and adapters at the endpoint location.

PoE Management and Classification

Leveraging Cisco IOS, the switch provides sophisticated PoE management. Administrators can monitor power consumption per port, set priority levels to ensure critical devices (like phones or access points) maintain power during a budget shortfall, and even schedule power on/off cycles for connected devices for energy savings.

Switching Capacity and Forwarding Rate

With a high switching fabric capacity and packet forwarding rate measured in millions of packets per second (Mpps), the C1000-48P-4G-L ensures wire-speed performance across all ports, even under full load. This non-blocking architecture is essential for latency-sensitive applications like voice and video.

Advanced Software Features: LAN Base (L) Feature Set

The LAN Base software image unlocks a powerful set of features that go beyond basic Layer 2 switching, providing enhanced control, security, and resiliency.

Layer 3 "Lite" Routing

This feature set includes static routing and RIP (Routing Information Protocol) for IPv4 and IPv6. It also supports Inter-VLAN Routing, allowing the switch to route traffic between different VLANs internally, improving performance and reducing load on the core router for internal traffic.

Advanced Security and Access Control

Network security is integrated at multiple levels.

Port Security and IEEE 802.1X

The switch supports IEEE 802.1X for port-based network access control (NAC), authenticating users or devices before granting network access. It can be integrated with RADIUS servers like Cisco Identity Services Engine (ISE) for dynamic policy enforcement.

Access Control Lists (ACLs)

Support for standard and extended ACLs allows for granular control of traffic flow. Administrators can permit or deny traffic based on source/destination IP address, protocol, and port number, enhancing security and policy enforcement.

Device Hardening Features

Features like DHCP snooping, IP Source Guard, and Dynamic ARP Inspection work in concert to protect the network from man-in-the-middle attacks, IP address spoofing, and other threats common at the access layer.

Network Management and Automation

Cisco provides multiple avenues for efficient switch management.

Cisco IOS Command-Line Interface

The switch runs on a familiar, full-featured Cisco IOS, accessible via console, Telnet, or SSH. This provides the ultimate level of control for network administrators.

Web-Based Management (GUI)

An intuitive embedded web GUI offers an alternative for day-to-day configuration and monitoring without requiring deep CLI knowledge.

Cisco DNA Center and Cloud Management

While the C1000 series can be managed as a standalone device, it is also compatible with Cisco DNA Center for intent-based networking, offering centralized management, automation, and assurance across the network fabric. Support for Cisco Meraki cloud management is available through specific SKUs, providing a different operational model.

High Availability and Resiliency

Features like FlexStack and FlexStack-Plus stacking (on specific models), along with support for Spanning Tree Protocol (STP), Rapid STP (RSTP), and Multiple STP (MSTP), ensure network uptime and provide loop-free redundant paths.

Quality of Service (QoS) for Optimized Application Performance

In a converged network carrying voice, video, and data, QoS is critical. The C1000-48P-4G-L provides rich QoS features.

Classification and Marking

The switch can classify traffic based on Layer 2 (802.1p CoS), Layer 3 (DSCP), or Layer 4 (TCP/UDP ports) information. It can then mark or trust these markings to ensure priority traffic is identified throughout the network.

Congestion Management

With multiple egress queues per port, the switch can use weighted round robin (WRR) or strict priority scheduling to ensure that time-sensitive voice and video packets are forwarded with minimal delay and jitter, even during periods of congestion.

Ideal Deployment Scenarios

The versatility of the Catalyst C1000-48P-4G-L makes it suitable for a wide range of environments.

Enterprise Branch Office or Mid-Size Business Core

With its Layer 3 Lite routing and high port density, this switch can serve as the central networking device for a branch office or a mid-size business, connecting all end-users, IP phones, and wireless access points while providing inter-VLAN routing.

High-Density PoE Deployments

Its robust PoE budget makes it perfect for classrooms, retail spaces, or offices deploying unified communications (IP phones + softclients) and dense wireless networks (multiple 802.11ac/ax access points).

Video Surveillance and Physical Security

The ability to power numerous IP cameras directly, combined with features like IGMP snooping for optimized multicast video traffic, makes this switch an excellent choice for security and surveillance network backbones.

Comparison and Considerations

C1000-48P-4G-L vs. Non-PoE Models

Compared to the non-PoE C1000-48-4G-L, this model incurs a higher cost but delivers significant value by eliminating the need for power injectors and outlet sprawl for powered devices, simplifying installation and management.

Choosing the Right Feature Set: LAN Base vs. Network Essentials

The LAN Base (L) feature set, as described, includes advanced Layer 3 features. The Network Essentials (N) set offers robust Layer 2+ features but lacks the dynamic routing and enhanced security controls. The choice depends on the need for inter-VLAN routing and specific security policies.

Stacking Considerations

While some C1000 models support physical stacking for a single management domain, the 48P-4G-L typically operates as a standalone switch. For stackable units with similar PoE power, one might consider the Catalyst 1000 stackable models.