C1000-48T-4X-L Cisco Catalyst 48 Ports Managed Switch

Enterprise Network Switch Overview

The Cisco Catalyst C1000-48T-4X-L is a reliable managed Ethernet switch designed for growing business networks. Built for performance, scalability, and secure connectivity, this rack-mountable device delivers stable Gigabit Ethernet switching with advanced management and routing support.

General Product Information

• Brand: Cisco
• Model: Catalyst C1000-48T-4X-L
• Manufacturer Part Number: C1000-48T-4X-L
• Device Category: Managed Network Switch
• Form Factor: Rack-mountable chassis
• Switch Type: Gigabit Ethernet

High-Performance Port Configuration

This Cisco managed switch is engineered to handle intensive data traffic with multiple high-speed interfaces, making it ideal for enterprise LAN environments, branch offices, and campus networks.

Ethernet and Uplink Ports

• 48 × 10/100/1000 Mbps Gigabit Ethernet RJ-45 ports
• 4 × 10 Gigabit SFP+ uplink ports for high-speed backbone connectivity

Interface Connectivity Options

• 48 × 1000Base-T RJ-45 interfaces
• 4 × 1000Base-X SFP uplink interfaces
• 1 × RJ-45 management port
• 1 × Mini-USB Type-B console port
• 1 × USB Type-A port

Processing Power and System Performance

Powered by an efficient ARM-based processor, this switch ensures smooth packet handling and consistent network performance across all connected devices.

Hardware Specifications

• Processor Architecture: ARM
• CPU Speed: 800 MHz

Advanced Routing and Switching Protocols

The Catalyst C1000 series supports essential routing and spanning tree protocols, enhancing traffic control, network redundancy, and multicast efficiency.

Supported Routing Protocols

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

Comprehensive Remote Management Capabilities

Administrators can easily monitor, configure, and secure the network using multiple remote management and monitoring protocols.

Management and Security Protocols

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

The Cisco Catalyst C1000-48T-4X-L Switch

In the realm of access layer switching, the Cisco Catalyst C1000 Series stands as a robust and versatile platform designed to deliver reliable, secure, and manageable connectivity for business-critical applications. The Cisco Catalyst C1000-48T-4X-L model is a flagship configuration within this series, engineered to meet the demanding needs of small to medium-sized businesses, branch offices, and enterprise edge deployments. This 48-port Gigabit Ethernet switch combines high-density desktop connectivity with enhanced uplink flexibility, advanced security features, and simplified management tools, all within a fanless, quiet design ideal for office environments. As a next-generation access switch, it serves as the foundational network pillar, connecting users, devices, and IoT endpoints while ensuring seamless traffic flow and robust policy enforcement.

Core Architecture and Hardware Specifications

The physical and architectural design of the C1000-48T-4X-L is tailored for performance and durability in diverse deployment scenarios. Understanding its hardware composition is key to evaluating its fit for your network infrastructure.

Port Configuration and Uplink Capabilities

The "48T-4X-L" nomenclature precisely defines its connectivity matrix. The switch provides 48 downlink ports and 4 uplink ports in a fixed configuration.

48 x Gigabit Ethernet RJ-45 Ports

These are 10/100/1000BASE-T ports, offering auto-negotiation and auto-MDI/MDIX functionality. They are designed to connect end-user devices such as desktop computers, IP phones, wireless access points, and network printers. Each port supports standard PoE (Power over Ethernet) capabilities, allowing for the delivery of up to 15.4W per port (802.3af) or 30W per port (802.3at, also known as PoE+). This feature is invaluable for powering VoIP phones, most wireless APs, and surveillance cameras directly from the switch, eliminating the need for separate power supplies and reducing cabling complexity.

4 x 10 Gigabit SFP+ Uplink Ports

The four embedded SFP+ (Small Form-Factor Pluggable Plus) ports are a critical differentiator. They support 1G/10G speeds, providing high-bandwidth uplinks to network aggregation or core switches. This flexibility allows network architects to use cost-effective 1G transceivers for current needs or high-performance 10G optics for bandwidth-intensive applications and future growth. The presence of four uplinks also enables robust link aggregation and redundancy strategies, ensuring no single point of failure for upstream connectivity.

Performance and Reliability Design

Beyond raw port count, the internal engineering ensures consistent, low-latency switching performance.

Switching Capacity and Forwarding Rate

The switch is built with a non-blocking architecture, offering a substantial switching capacity of 176 Gbps and a forwarding rate of up to 131 Mpps (million packets per second). This ensures that even under full load across all ports, the switch can handle traffic without internal congestion, supporting high-throughput applications and large file transfers.

Fanless Operation and Power Efficiency

The "L" in the model name indicates a fanless, Limited Lifetime Hardware Warranty variant. The absence of moving parts makes the switch completely silent, a significant advantage for deployments in open offices, classrooms, or retail spaces. It also enhances long-term reliability by eliminating fan failure as a potential issue. The switch incorporates advanced power-saving features, such as Energy Efficient Ethernet (EEE), which reduces power consumption during periods of low data activity.

Advanced Software Features and Capabilities

The true power of the Catalyst C1000 series is unlocked through its robust software, which brings enterprise-class intelligence to the access layer. It runs Cisco's mature and proven IOS XE operating system, offering a consistent feature set and management experience across the broader Catalyst portfolio.

Comprehensive Layer 2 and Layer 3 Functionality

This switch operates as a full Layer 3 switch, providing routing capabilities essential for segmenting networks and controlling traffic flows.

VLAN and Spanning Tree Protocols

It supports up to 4094 VLANs (802.1Q) for logical network segmentation, enhancing security and broadcast domain control. For network resiliency, it offers a full suite of Spanning Tree Protocol (STP) variants, including Rapid PVST+ and MSTP, to prevent loops and ensure fast convergence in redundant topologies.

Static and Dynamic Routing

As a Layer 3 switch, it supports static routing and dynamic routing protocols like OSPF (Open Shortest Path First) and EIGRP (Enhanced Interior Gateway Routing Protocol). This allows it to perform inter-VLAN routing locally, offloading this task from core routers and improving network performance and efficiency.

Enhanced Security and Policy Enforcement

Network security begins at the access edge. The C1000-48T-4X-L is equipped with a multi-layered security framework.

Port Security and 802.1X Authentication

It enforces strict access control through features like port security, which limits MAC addresses per port, and IEEE 802.1X authentication, which integrates with RADIUS servers to grant network access based on user or device credentials. This is crucial for BYOD (Bring Your Own Device) environments and preventing unauthorized access.

ACLs and Secure Management

Advanced Access Control Lists (ACLs) allow for granular filtering of traffic based on IP addresses, protocols, and ports. Management interfaces are secured via SSHv2, SNMPv3, HTTPS, and role-based access control (RBAC), ensuring that configuration access is tightly controlled and audit trails are maintained.

Quality of Service (QoS) for Optimized Performance

To ensure that critical applications like voice and video receive the necessary bandwidth and low latency, the switch employs sophisticated QoS mechanisms.

Classification, Policing, and Scheduling

It can classify traffic based on Layer 2 (CoS), Layer 3 (DSCP), or deep packet inspection. Once classified, traffic can be marked, policed (rate-limited), and queued using weighted tail-drop (WTD) and strict priority queuing (SPQ) schedulers. This guarantees that real-time traffic is prioritized across the network, providing a superior user experience for unified communications.

Management and Operational Simplicity

Cisco provides multiple intuitive management pathways, catering to both networking professionals and IT generalists, reducing operational overhead and simplifying day-to-day tasks.

Cisco DNA Center and Smart Licensing

The switch is fully compatible with Cisco's software-defined access vision through integration with Cisco DNA Center. While optional, DNA Center enables centralized, intent-based management, automation, and assurance for the entire network fabric. The switch utilizes Cisco Smart Licensing, which simplifies software activation and license management through an online portal, providing flexibility and ease of compliance.

Web GUI and CLI Management

For traditional management, the device offers two primary interfaces.

Web-based Graphical User Interface (GUI)

A modern, intuitive web interface allows for easy setup, configuration, and monitoring without requiring deep command-line knowledge. It provides wizards for common tasks, real-time port statistics, and a dashboard view of system health.

Command-Line Interface (CLI)

The industry-standard Cisco IOS CLI offers full, granular control over every switch function for experienced network administrators. It is essential for complex configurations, scripting, and troubleshooting, maintaining consistency with other Cisco platforms.

Ideal Deployment Scenarios and Use Cases

The versatile design of the Catalyst C1000-48T-4X-L makes it suitable for a wide array of networking environments.

Small to Medium Business (SMB) Core/Edge

For SMBs, this switch can serve as the core networking device, connecting all users and servers within an office. Its Layer 3 routing capabilities allow it to handle internal routing between departments or VLANs, while the 10G SFP+ uplinks can connect to an Internet router or firewall for WAN access.

Enterprise Branch Office and Campus Access

In larger distributed organizations, this model is perfect for wiring closets in branch offices or campus buildings. It provides high-density access for employees, with secure, policy-enforced connectivity backhauled over 10G uplinks to the central site or data center.

IoT and Converged Networks

With its PoE/PoE+ support and ability to segment traffic via VLANs and QoS, the switch is an excellent platform for converged networks that carry data, voice, and video. It can reliably power and connect a wide range of IoT devices, from security cameras and digital signage to building management systems, while ensuring their traffic is properly isolated and managed.