Cisco Catalyst 9300 Series
The enterprise access standard. Stackable Catalyst 9300, 9300L, 9300LM, and 9300X switches deliver high PoE, multigigabit, deep security, and SD-Access fabric for campus access the business cannot lose.
The Catalyst 9300 is the switch most enterprises standardize on for the access layer, and the platform that carries critical voice, video, security cameras, and wireless. It stacks as one logical unit, mixes PoE, UPOE, and multigigabit models in the same stack, and doubles as a small-site distribution layer through modular uplinks. Larger hardware tables support identity-based segmentation, so access policy can follow the user and device rather than the switch port. We model Network Essentials versus Advantage licensing and the subscription term alongside the hardware so there is no capability gap at turn-up.
Why Cisco Catalyst 9300 Series
- StackWise stacking up to eight switches with hitless failover.
- PoE, PoE+, Cisco UPOE (about 60W) and UPOE+ (about 90W) for Wi-Fi 7 and IoT.
- Modular uplinks from 1G to 25G/40G; the 9300X adds higher speeds and 10G mGig.
- First-class SD-Access node with rich segmentation via Catalyst Center and ISE.
What the platform brings
UADP 2.0 / 2.0sec programmable ASIC
Catalyst 9300 and 9300L/LM models run on the Cisco UADP 2.0 ASIC with a programmable pipeline and template-based allocation of Layer 2, Layer 3, ACL, and QoS entries. The 9300X models use UADP 2.0sec, which adds line-rate crypto including 100G hardware-based IPsec.
StackWise data stacking up to 1 Tbps
Up to eight switches stack as a single managed virtual switch. 9300X models reach 1 Tbps with StackWise-1T, 9300 models 480 Gbps with StackWise-480, and 9300L/LM models 320 Gbps with StackWise-320. Mixed 9300X and 9300 stacks run at StackWise-480 speeds.
High-density PoE, UPOE, and 90W UPOE+
Models support PoE, PoE+, 60W Cisco UPOE, and IEEE 802.3bt 90W UPOE+. A standalone 9300X delivers up to 48 ports of 90W UPOE+, and a stack scales to 384 ports of 90W UPOE+ for OT/IT and IoT powered devices.
Cisco StackPower power resiliency
StackPower pools power supplies across modular-uplink (9300 and 9300X) members so one extra supply can provide redundancy or supplemental power for the stack. Up to four switches share power directly, or up to eight with the XPS-2200. The 9300X adds StackPower+ for higher power budgets.
AES-256 MACsec and hardware IPsec
All models support 128-bit and 256-bit AES MACsec (IEEE 802.1AE) link encryption. The 9300X adds line-rate IPsec up to 100 Gbps with AES-256 for secure site-to-site tunnels and connectivity to secure internet gateways and cloud providers (HSEC key required).
Choice of on-premises, virtual, or cloud management
Switches run Cisco IOS XE with NETCONF, RESTCONF, gNMI, YANG, streaming telemetry, and container app hosting. They can be managed by Cisco Catalyst Center for SD-Access or migrated to the Cisco Meraki dashboard for centralized cloud management with a cloud-hosted CLI terminal.
Cisco Catalyst 9300 Series by the numbers
- Switch ASIC
- Cisco UADP 2.0 (9300/L/LM); UADP 2.0sec (9300X)
- Stacking bandwidth
- Up to 1 Tbps (StackWise-1T); 480G / 320G on other models
- Stack members
- Up to 8 switches; up to 448 access ports
- Switching capacity
- 208 Gbps to 2,000 Gbps per SKU (to 3,000 Gbps stacked)
- Forwarding rate
- Up to 1,488 Mpps per SKU (64-byte IPv4 packets)
- PoE
- PoE, PoE+, 60W UPOE, 90W UPOE+ (up to 384 UPOE+ ports per stack)
- MAC addresses
- 32,000 (up to 64,000 on higher-scale models)
- IPv4 routes
- Up to 39,000 (up to 112,000 on higher-scale models)
- Memory / flash
- 8 GB DRAM (16 GB on 9300X), 16 GB flash, USB 3.0 SSD slot up to 240 GB
- Operating system
- Cisco IOS XE 16.5.1a or later (16.11.1b+ for 9300L)
Figures are from the published family data sheet and vary by model and configuration. Confirm exact specs for your SKUs in a validated quote.
Find the Cisco Catalyst 9300 Series model that fits
Compare the models in this family. Open any datasheet to read the full specs right here.
Stackable access
Catalyst 9300
Premier stackable access.
- 24/48 ports
- PoE+/UPOE/UPOE+
- StackWise up to 8
- Modular uplinks to 40G
Catalyst 9300X
Higher-speed access and small distribution.
- Higher-density UPOE+
- 10G multigigabit
- 25G/40G/100G uplink options
- Application hosting
Catalyst 9300L / 9300LM
Fixed-uplink and compact variants.
- Fixed uplinks
- PoE+ options
- Cost-optimized stacking
Datasheets & guides
Built for deployments like these
- Stackable enterprise campus access layer providing wired and wireless connectivity for a hybrid workforce
- Foundational building block for Cisco SD-Access fabric with policy-based segmentation managed from Catalyst Center
- High-density 90W UPOE+ access for IoT, smart-building, security cameras, and access points
- Cloud-managed branch and campus switching migrated to the Meraki dashboard with Adaptive Policy segmentation
- Secure edge connectivity using 100G line-rate IPsec tunnels on 9300X models to cloud and remote sites
Cisco Catalyst 9300 Series questions, answered
What is the difference between the Catalyst 9300, 9300X, 9300L, and 9300LM?
The 9300 and 9300X are modular-uplink models; the 9300X adds the UADP 2.0sec ASIC, 1 Tbps StackWise-1T, 100G hardware IPsec, and double the app-hosting resources. The 9300L and 9300LM are fixed-uplink models with StackWise-320 (320 Gbps) stacking and no StackPower. There are 19 modular and 14 fixed uplink models in the series.
How many switches can I stack and what bandwidth do I get?
Up to eight switches stack as a single managed unit across all variants. 9300X models stack at 1 Tbps (StackWise-1T), 9300 models at 480 Gbps (StackWise-480), and 9300L/LM models at 320 Gbps (StackWise-320). A 9300X and 9300 mixed stack operates at StackWise-480 speeds, and a stack supports up to 448 access ports.
Can these switches be managed from the cloud?
Yes. Catalyst 9300 models can be ordered with or migrated to the Meraki software option, which manages the switch from the Meraki dashboard with Adaptive Policy segmentation and a cloud CLI terminal. You can choose whether each device's configuration source is the device itself (cloud monitoring) or the cloud (full Meraki management), or keep them on-premises with Catalyst Center.
What PoE power levels are supported?
Models support standard PoE, PoE+, 60W Cisco UPOE, and IEEE 802.3bt 90W UPOE+. A standalone 9300X delivers up to 48 ports of 90W UPOE+, and an eight-member stack scales to 384 ports of 90W UPOE+. Available PoE budget depends on the installed power supplies (350W, 715W, 1100W, or 1900W AC).
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