Cisco Switch Buying Guide: Which Catalyst Do You Need?

Cisco’s business switches come in two families. Catalyst switches run offices, campuses, schools and warehouses. Nexus switches run data centers. For almost every business buyer the answer is a Catalyst, and the real question is which series and which part number.

The short version: Catalyst 1000 or 1200 for small offices, Catalyst 9200 for most access closets, Catalyst 9300 for larger networks and stacks, and Catalyst 9500 for the core.

Cisco Catalyst switches compared

	Where it fits	Uplinks	Stacking
Catalyst 1000, 1200, 1300	Small offices and branches	Fixed 1G or 10G	No, or limited
Catalyst 9200L	Access closets in small and mid-size networks	Fixed 4 x 1G, 4 x 10G or 2 x 25G	StackWise-80
Catalyst 9200	Access closets that need modular uplinks	Network module	StackWise-160
Catalyst 9300L	Larger access closets on a budget	Fixed 4 x 1G, 4 x 10G or 2 x 40G	StackWise-320
Catalyst 9300	Large access closets and small cores	Network module, up to 40G	StackWise-480
Catalyst 9400	Large closets that want a modular chassis	Supervisor ports	Chassis, no stacking
Catalyst 9500	Core and aggregation	10G to 100G	StackWise Virtual (pairs)

Which Catalyst do you need?

Small offices: Catalyst 1000, 1200 and 1300

These are Cisco’s small-business switches: managed, with a web interface, PoE options and a lower price than the Catalyst 9000 line. The Catalyst C1000-24P-4G-L is a typical example: 24 Gigabit PoE+ ports and four SFP uplinks. The Catalyst 1200 and 1300 replaced the Cisco Business 250 and 350 series.

Most access closets: Catalyst 9200 and 9200L

The 9200 is Cisco’s mainstream access switch, running the same IOS XE software as the larger Catalyst 9000 models. The 9200L has fixed uplinks and costs less; the 9200 takes a network module so you can choose 1G, 10G, 25G or 40G uplinks later. The C9200L-24P-4G-E covers a 24-port closet with PoE+.

Larger networks: Catalyst 9300 and 9300L

The 9300 is the switch most enterprise closets are built on: higher switching capacity, StackWise-480 stacking, modular uplinks and more PoE options, including multigigabit ports for Wi-Fi 6 and newer access points. The 9300L is the fixed-uplink version at a lower price. A small network can use a 9300 stack as its core. Choosing between the two? Catalyst 9200 vs 9300 compares stacking, uplinks and PoE budgets.

Core and aggregation: Catalyst 9500

The 9500 sits in the middle of larger networks, connecting closets and servers at 10G to 100G. The C9500-48Y4C-A has 48 ports at 25G and four 100G uplinks. Two 9500s are typically paired with StackWise Virtual so they act as one switch.

Data centers: Nexus

Nexus switches run NX-OS and are built for server racks and data-center fabrics. If you’re wiring offices and closets, you want Catalyst.

How to read a Catalyst part number

Catalyst part numbers tell you most of what you need. Take C9300-48UXM-A:

• C9300: the series.
• 48: the number of access ports.
• The letters after the port count are the port type. T is data only, P is PoE+, U is UPOE, H is UPOE+, S is SFP fiber. UX, UXM and UN are multigigabit ports with UPOE.
• -4G or -4X (on 9200L and 9300L models): four 1G or four 10G fixed uplinks.
• -E or -A: the software tier, Network Essentials or Network Advantage. Advantage adds advanced routing and other features most access closets don’t need.
• -M: the Meraki-managed version, run from the Meraki dashboard instead of IOS XE.

Older Catalyst models

Catalyst 2960-X, 3650 and 3850 switches are still running in many closets. They’re past end of sale, and the Catalyst 9200 and 9300 are their replacements. The compact Catalyst 3560-CX is replaced by the Catalyst 9200CX. Adding a matching older switch to an existing stack can make sense; for a new build, start with the 9000 series.

Cisco switch buying tips

1. Count ports and PoE watts. Add up the devices you’ll power and compare against the switch’s PoE budget, not just the port count. More in how a PoE switch works.
2. Plan the uplinks. Fixed 1G uplinks are fine for small closets; 10G or more if the closet has many users or Wi-Fi 6 access points.
3. Decide on stacking. A stack manages several switches as one; only switches in the same family stack together.
4. Choose Essentials unless you need Advantage. Most access switches run fine on Network Essentials.
5. Harden it. Follow our Cisco switch security practices before it goes live.

Get a quote

We sell new and refurbished Cisco switches, with the condition labeled on every listing and our 90-day warranty. Send us the part numbers or the port and PoE counts you need, and we’ll quote it the same business day.