C1300-48P-4X Cisco Catalyst 1300-48P-4X 10 Gigabit SFP+ 48 Ports Managed Switch

Product Overview

The Cisco Catalyst C1300-48P-4X is a high-performance, fully managed Layer 3 Ethernet switch designed for enterprise networks, data centers, and growing businesses. Built for reliability and scalability, this rack-mountable switch delivers advanced routing, security, and Power over Ethernet capabilities to support modern network infrastructures.

General Specifications

• Brand: Cisco
• Model Number: C1300-48P-4X
• Device Category: Managed Layer 3 Switch
• Form Factor: Rack-mountable
• Network Technology: Gigabit Ethernet

Port Configuration & Connectivity

Ethernet & Uplink Interfaces

• 48 x 10/100/1000Base-T RJ-45 ports with PoE+
• 4 x 1000Base-X SFP uplink ports
• 1 x RJ-45 console port
• 1 x USB-C console interface

Power over Ethernet (PoE)

• PoE Standard: PoE+
• Total PoE Power Budget: 375W
• Supports PoE scheduling and persistent PoE

Performance & Switching Capacity

• Forwarding Rate (64-byte packets): 77.38 Mpps
• Switching Bandwidth: 104 Gbps
• Jumbo Frame Support: Up to 9000 bytes
• MAC Address Table: 16,000 entries

Network Capacity & Scalability

Layer 2 & Layer 3 Limits

• VLAN IDs: Up to 4093
• Link Aggregation Groups: 8
• Link Aggregation Ports: 8
• MSTP Instances: 8
• RPVST+ Instances: 126

Routing & Multicast Capacity

• IPv4 Static Routes: Up to 990
• IPv4 Interfaces: 128
• IGMP Multicast Groups: 2000
• ACL Rules: 1024
• Priority Queues: 8

Routing & Switching Protocols

Supported Protocols

• RIP v2, Static IP Routing, Policy-Based Routing (PBR)
• STP, RSTP, MSTP, PVST+, RPVST+
• IGMP v2/v3, MLD, MLDv2, CIDR
• Bonjour, GARP, GVRP

Security & Authentication

Encryption & Access Control

• Encryption Algorithms: MD5, SSL
• Authentication Methods: RADIUS, TACACS+
• Advanced security with ACLs, ARP Inspection, IP Source Guard

Threat Protection Features

• DoS attack prevention
• BPDU Guard and Root Guard
• DHCP Snooping, DHCPv6 Guard
• RA Guard and Router Advertisement protection

Advanced Network Features

Traffic Optimization & QoS

• Quality of Service (QoS) with DSCP-based CoS
• WRR scheduling and HOL blocking prevention
• iSCSI traffic optimization
• Storm control for broadcast, multicast, and unknown traffic

VLAN & Multicast Enhancements

• Private VLAN and Guest VLAN
• Protocol-based, MAC-based, and Q-in-Q VLANs
• Auto Surveillance VLAN and Voice VLAN
• IGMP/MLD Snooping and Querier support

Hardware & System Resources

• Processor: ARM-based CPU at 1.4 GHz
• Memory: 1 GB DDR4 SDRAM
• Flash Storage: 512 MB
• Cooling: 1 integrated fan

Status Indicators & Diagnostics

• System status LED
• PoE activity indicator
• Link, activity, and speed LEDs

Standards & Compliance

IEEE Certifications

• IEEE 802.3, 802.3u, 802.3ab, 802.3z
• IEEE 802.1D, 802.1Q, 802.1P, 802.1X
• IEEE 802.3af, 802.3at, 802.3az
• IEEE 802.1W, 802.1S, 802.3ad (LACP)

Core Architecture & Hardware Specifications

At its heart, the C1300-48P-4X is built for performance, density, and future-ready connectivity, ensuring your network infrastructure can grow and adapt alongside your business.

Port Configuration & Connectivity

The switch's port layout is meticulously designed to cater to diverse network requirements, balancing high-density copper connectivity with high-speed uplink capabilities.

48 Copper Ethernet Ports

The foundation of the switch is its 48 10/100/1000BASE-T Gigabit Ethernet ports. These auto-sensing, auto-negotiating ports provide seamless connectivity for end-user devices, servers, and other network infrastructure. The "P" in the model name signifies that all 48 ports are capable of delivering PoE/PoE+ power.

Power over Ethernet (PoE/PoE+) Capabilities

This is a defining feature. With a total PoE budget of 740W, the switch can deliver up to 30W per port (802.3at PoE+), powering a vast ecosystem of devices. This eliminates the need for separate power supplies and outlets at the device location, simplifying deployment, reducing cable clutter, and enabling centralized power management. Common applications include:

IEEE 802.11ac Wave 2 and Wi-Fi 6/6E Access PointsIP phones with color displays and video capabilities
Pan-Tilt-Zoom (PTZ) and 4K security cameras
Point-of-Sale (POS) systems and digital signage
Building management and IoT sensors

4 x 10 Gigabit SFP+ Uplink Ports

The "4X" denotes four dedicated 1/10 Gigabit SFP+ uplink ports. These fiber-optic capable ports are critical for aggregating the substantial traffic from the 48 downstream ports and connecting to the network core or data center. They prevent uplink bottlenecks, ensure smooth inter-VLAN routing, and provide flexibility in medium and long-distance connectivity using appropriate SFP/SFP+ modules.

Performance & Hardware Design

The switch is engineered with a non-blocking switching architecture, providing full wire-speed performance across all ports simultaneously. It features a robust rack-mountable (1RU) form factor with a quiet, fan-forwards design suitable for office environments. Dual redundant, hot-swappable power supplies (available as an option) can be added for critical deployments requiring maximum uptime.

Advanced Software & Management Capabilities

Beyond its hardware prowess, the C1300-48P-4X shines through its comprehensive software suite, offering enterprise-level features with intuitive management.

Cisco IOS XE: A Robust Network Operating System

The switch runs on Cisco's ubiquitous IOS XE operating system, providing a consistent, reliable, and feature-rich experience. This ensures stability, deep programmability, and compatibility with a wider Cisco ecosystem.

Unified Management with Cisco Catalyst Center

The C1300 series is fully manageable via Cisco Catalyst Center (formerly DNA Center). This cloud-ready platform allows for:

Zero-Touch Provisioning (ZTP): Ship a switch to any remote site, plug it in, and it automatically configures itself based on centralized policies.
Automated Fabric Deployment: Quickly build a Software-Defined Access (SDA) fabric for policy-based segmentation.
Assurance & Analytics: Gain deep visibility into network health, client experience, and application performance using AI/ML-driven insights.

Standalone Web UI & CLI Management

For organizations that prefer traditional management, the switch offers a responsive, intuitive web interface (Cisco FindIT Network Advisor or built-in GUI) for day-to-day configuration. For network experts, the full-featured Command-Line Interface (CLI) provides granular control and supports automation through APIs and scripting tools like Python.

Comprehensive Security Features

In an era of increasing threats, the C1300-48P-4X provides layered security to protect the network edge.

Network Access Control

The switch supports 802.1X authentication, MAC Authentication Bypass (MAB), and Web Authentication. This ensures only authorized users and devices can access the network, keeping rogue devices at bay.

Threat Defense & Segmentation

Features like Dynamic ARP Inspection (DAI), IP Source Guard, and DHCP Snooping prevent common layer-2 attacks. Advanced Access Control Lists (ACLs) and support for up to 1000 VLANs allow for precise network segmentation, isolating traffic for departments, guests, or IoT devices to limit the blast radius of any breach.

Encryption & Secure Management

All management access can be secured via SSHv2, SNMPv3, and HTTPS. Role-Based Access Control (RBAC) ensures administrators have only the privileges they need.

Quality of Service (QoS) for Critical Applications

The switch provides sophisticated QoS mechanisms to prioritize latency-sensitive traffic like voice and video, ensuring a high-quality user experience even under heavy load.

Classification & Marking

Traffic can be classified based on Layer 2 (CoS), Layer 3 (DSCP), or Layer 4 (TCP/UDP ports) information, and then marked for consistent treatment across the network.

Queueing & Scheduling

With support for multiple egress queues per port, the switch can use weighted round-robin (WRR) or strict-priority scheduling to ensure voice traffic is never delayed by large data transfers.

Resiliency & High Availability

Network downtime is not an option. The C1300-48P-4X includes several features to maximize uptime.

Layer 2 & Layer 3 Resiliency

It supports Spanning Tree Protocol (STP), Rapid STP (RSTP), and Multiple STP (MSTP) to create loop-free topologies and provide path redundancy. For IP networks, it offers static routing and RIP for basic layer-3 failover.

Stacking with Cisco FlexStack

While the C1300-48P-4X itself does not support traditional stacking, other models in the Catalyst 1000 series offer FlexStack capability. It's important to note this switch operates as a high-performance, standalone access switch.

Energy Efficiency

The switch incorporates Cisco EnergyWise technology, dynamically adjusting power consumption based on PoE demand and operational status of ports, contributing to lower operational costs and a reduced carbon footprint.

Ideal Deployment Scenarios

The Cisco Catalyst C1300-48P-4X is uniquely suited for several key environments where density, power, and managed intelligence converge.

Medium-Sized Business Core/Access Layer

It acts as the perfect wiring closet switch for offices requiring a large number of connected, powered devices, providing the throughput and management needed for a productive workforce.

Branch Office & Retail Deployments

In remote locations, its robust feature set allows it to operate reliably with limited IT staff on-site, especially when managed centrally via Catalyst Center. The high PoE budget is ideal for retail environments with POS systems, cameras, and wireless.

Educational Institutions & Classroom Wings

Schools and universities benefit from the ability to power access points in every classroom, VoIP phones for teachers, and cameras for security, all while segmenting student and administrative traffic for security and compliance.

Healthcare Clinic or Hospital Department

The switch can support medical IoT devices, nurse call systems, IP phones, and wireless infrastructure, with the QoS and security features necessary for sensitive environments.