C1000FE-48P-4G-L Cisco Catalyst Managed Switch, 48-Port Rack-mountable

Product Outline of Cisco C1000FE-48P-4G-L Switch

The Cisco C1000FE-48P-4G-L is a robust rack-mountable managed network switch designed for businesses seeking high-performance connectivity. Featuring 48 Fast Ethernet ports with PoE+ support, it ensures reliable power delivery and data transmission for various network devices.

Manufacturer and Model Details

• Manufacturer: Cisco
• Model Number: C1000FE-48P-4G-L
• Device Type: Managed Switch - 48 Ports
• Enclosure Type: Rack-mountable
• Subtype: Fast Ethernet

Primary Specifications

Port Configuration and Connectivity

• 48 x 10/100 Fast Ethernet ports with PoE+
• 2 x Combo Gigabit SFP/RJ-45 uplink ports
• 2 x SFP (mini-GBIC) uplink ports
• PoE Budget: 370 W

Performance Metrics

• Forwarding Bandwidth: 8.8 Gbps
• Switching Bandwidth: 17.6 Gbps
• Forwarding Rate (64-byte L3 Packets): 13.09 Mpps

Routing and Capacity Features

• IPv4 Unicast Direct Routes: 542
• IPv4 Unicast Indirect Routes: 256
• IPv6 Unicast Direct Routes: 414
• IPv6 Unicast Indirect Routes: 128
• IPv4 Multicast Routes: 1024
• IPv6 Multicast Groups: 1024
• Active VLANs: 256
• VLAN IDs: 4094
• MAC Address Table: 16,000 entries
• Jumbo Frame Support: 10,240 Bytes

Supported Protocols

• IGMP, MLDv2, MLD, MSTP, RSTP, STP
• Remote Management: SNMP v1/v2c/v3, Telnet, HTTP, HTTPS, TFTP, SSH, CLI, NTP, ICMP, DHCP, TACACS+, RADIUS
• Authentication Methods: Kerberos, SSH, RADIUS, TACACS+

Advanced Features

• BootP and ARP support
• Auto-uplink (MDI/MDI-X)
• Intrusion Detection System (IDS)
• Storm Control: Broadcast, Multicast, Unicast
• SFlow and DHCP Snooping
• Dynamic Trunking Protocol (DTP) and Port Aggregation Protocol (PAgP)
• Access Control List (ACL) and Quality of Service (QoS)
• Uni-directional Link Detection (UDLD) and Rapid Per-VLAN Spanning Tree Plus (PVRST+)
• LACP, LLDP, MAC Address Notification
• Energy Efficient Ethernet and Management Information Base (MIB)
• 802.1x Authentication, DiffServ Code Point (DSCP), IGMP Filtering, IP Source Guard
• Weighted Tail Drop (WTD), Smartport Technology, VLAN Trunking Protocol (VTP)
• Spanning-Tree Root Guard (STRG), AAA Authentication, Proxy ARP, Loopback Detection
• Switched Port Analyzer (SPAN), BPDU Guard, Network Edge Access Topology (NEAT)

Compliance and Standards

• IEEE 802.3, 802.3u, 802.3z, 802.1d, 802.1q, 802.3ab, 802.1p, 802.3af
• IEEE 802.3x, 802.3ad (LACP), 802.1w, 802.1x, 802.1s, 802.3ah, 802.1ab (LLDP)
• IEEE 802.3at, 802.3az, 802.1ax, Bluetooth 4.0

Hardware Specifications

• Processor: ARM 800 MHz
• RAM: 512 MB
• Flash Memory: 256 MB
• Status Indicators: Status, Link/Activity

Architectural Overview and Core Positioning

As part of the Cisco Catalyst family, the C1000FE-48P-4G-L inherits a legacy of reliability and innovation. It is classified as a fully managed Layer 3 Lite switch, providing advanced routing capabilities like static routing and RIP for efficient inter-VLAN routing without the cost and complexity of full Layer 3 switches. The "48P" denotes its forty-eight 10/100/1000BASE-T Ethernet ports, each capable of delivering up to 30 watts of PoE+ power per port. The "4G" signifies the four dedicated 1 Gigabit SFP uplink ports, offering flexible fiber or copper connectivity for aggregating traffic to core switches or routers. The "L" indicates a long-reach power supply, designed to handle broader voltage input ranges for varied deployment scenarios.

Target Deployment Scenarios

This switch is ideally suited for environments where device density, power requirements, and network segmentation are critical. Common deployment footprints include:

Collaboration-Rich Offices: Powering and connecting a multitude of IP phones, wireless access points, and video conferencing systems.
Smart Buildings & IoT Deployments: Providing connectivity and power to security cameras, access control systems, digital signage, and sensors.
Educational Campus Networks: Serving classrooms and administrative offices, supporting digital learning tools, access points, and secure staff VLANs.
Retail Backbones: Connecting point-of-sale systems, inventory management devices, surveillance, and customer Wi-Fi.

Detailed Technical Specifications and Hardware Capabilities

A deep dive into the hardware specifications reveals the engineering behind its reliability and performance.

Port Configuration and Power over Ethernet (PoE+)

The switch's 48 RJ-45 copper ports support auto-negotiation and auto-MDI/MDIX, simplifying cable connections. The integrated PoE+ is a cornerstone feature.

PoE Budget and Allocation

The switch provides a substantial power budget, typically 740W or more, allowing all 48 ports to deliver PoE+ simultaneously (subject to total budget constraints). It supports Cisco pre-standard PoE and the IEEE 802.3af/at standards. Intelligent power management features include:

Per-port power policing and prioritization: Ensure critical devices like phones or security cameras maintain power during budget shortfalls.
Cisco Universal PoE (UPOE) support on select models: While this model is PoE+, the platform awareness for higher-power devices is part of its design ethos.
Power consumption monitoring: Provides detailed insights for energy management and capacity planning.

Uplink Strategy and Stacking Capabilities

The four fixed SFP (Small Form-factor Pluggable) uplink ports are critical for network design. They allow for the use of fiber optic transceivers to connect over long distances (multimode or single-mode) or copper SFP modules for additional twisted-pair connections. For scalability beyond a single switch, the Catalyst 1000 series supports Flexible Stacking using standard Ethernet cables, creating a virtual stack of up to 8 switches managed as a single entity. This simplifies configuration, improves redundancy, and creates a resilient inter-switch topology without proprietary stacking cables or modules.

Advanced Software Features and Management Suite

The true value of a managed switch lies in its software intelligence. The C1000FE-48P-4G-L runs Cisco IOS XE, a mature and robust operating system.

Layer 2 and Layer 3 Lite Switching Features

Beyond basic switching, it offers comprehensive protocol support for stable and loop-free networks.

Spanning Tree and Resiliency Protocols

Supports Multiple Spanning Tree Protocol (MSTP), Rapid Per-VLAN Spanning Tree (RPVST+), and Spanning Tree Protocol (STP) for robust loop prevention and network convergence. EtherChannel (LACP and PAgP) allows the bundling of multiple physical links for increased bandwidth and redundancy.

VLAN and Routing Capabilities

Full IEEE 802.1Q VLAN support enables network segmentation for security and performance. As a Layer 3 Lite switch, it supports static routing and Routing Information Protocol (RIP), allowing it to perform inter-VLAN routing internally, reducing the load on the core router and improving local traffic efficiency.

Comprehensive Security Framework

Network security is built-in, not bolted-on, with features operating at the port, user, and protocol levels.

Access Control and Authentication

Integrates seamlessly with IEEE 802.1X for port-based network access control (PNAC), allowing for user and device authentication against a RADIUS server (like Cisco Identity Services Engine). It also supports MAC Authentication Bypass (MAB) and web authentication for devices that don't support 802.1X.

Threat Mitigation and Visibility

Features like DHCP snooping, IP Source Guard, and Dynamic ARP Inspection (DAI) work in concert to prevent man-in-the-middle attacks and IP address spoofing. Storm control protects against broadcast, multicast, or unicast traffic storms.

Network Management and Automation

Multiple management pathways cater to different IT skill sets and operational philosophies.

Cisco DNA Center and Smart Management

For organizations adopting an intent-based network model, this switch is fully compatible with Cisco DNA Center, enabling zero-touch provisioning, automated configuration, and assurance analytics. Alternatively, the built-in web-based interface (Cisco Embedded Event Manager) and a classic CLI (Command-Line Interface) provide flexible day-to-day management options.

Quality of Service (QoS) for Performance-Critical Applications

In a converged network carrying voice, video, and data, QoS is essential. The switch provides sophisticated traffic classification and prioritization.

It supports classification based on Layer 2 (CoS), Layer 3 (DSCP), and Layer 4 (TCP/UDP ports) information. Weighted Tail Drop (WTD) and Strict Priority Queuing (SPQ) scheduling algorithms ensure that latency-sensitive traffic, such as VoIP or video streams, is given priority through the switch, minimizing jitter and packet loss even during periods of high congestion.