Cisco Catalyst C9300-48UXM-E — 48× mGig + UPOE (60W/port) access with modular uplinks (Network Essentials)

What it is: A stackable, enterprise Layer-3 Catalyst 9300 built for high-speed APs and power-hungry edge devices. You get 48 multigig copper ports with Cisco UPOE up to 60W/port, plus a modular uplink bay so you can choose uplink speeds now and swap later. Runs IOS-XE and ships with Network Essentials (-E).

Why buyers pick C9300-48UXM-E (plain English)

• mGig where you need it: supports >1G copper for Wi-Fi 6/6E backhaul and fast edge clients.

• Big PoE headroom: UPOE 60W/port avoids injectors for high-draw APs, cameras, lighting/IoT, thin clients, etc.

• Uplinks on your terms: pick a 1G/10G/25G/40G (even 100G, module-dependent) network module today—upgrade later without changing the switch.

• Enterprise stacking: StackWise-480 makes a closet full of switches operate like one.

• Essentials feature set is “just-right”: strong L3 + security for most access layers without the Advantage premium.

60-second spec box (C9300-48UXM-E)

Access ports (multigig downlinks)

• 48 × RJ-45 mGig total

  • 36 ports: 100M/1G/2.5G

  • 12 ports: 100M/1G/2.5G/5G/10G

• Cisco UPOE up to 60W/port (backward compatible with PoE/PoE+)

Uplinks (modular bay — order one module)
Common Catalyst 9300 module options:

• 4 × 1G SFP

• 4 × 10G SFP+

• 8 × 10G SFP+

• 2 × 25G SFP28 (where available)

• 2 × 40G QSFP

• Higher-speed variants exist depending on region/bundle

Power / PoE

• Two hot-swap PSU bays (supports 1+1 redundancy)

• PoE budget depends on PSU(s):

  • Typical/default PoE available around ~490W

  • Scales up to ~1.5kW-class with larger/dual PSUs

• Perpetual / Fast PoE keeps endpoints powered through reloads

Stacking / HA

• StackWise-480 (up to 480 Gbps stack bandwidth)

• Up to 8 members per stack

• StackPower for pooled/redistributed power across the stack

Performance (model typical)

• Switching capacity ~580 Gbps

• Forwarding rate ~430 Mpps class

Software / features (Network Essentials)

• L3: static routing, OSPF, EIGRP-lite; VRF-lite

• Security/segmentation: ACLs, 802.1X/MAB, DHCP snooping, DAI, TrustSec hooks

• Ops: WebUI/CLI, model-driven telemetry, NetFlow/Flexible NetFlow, Catalyst Center ready

Hardware serviceability

• Hot-swap PSUs (AC/DC options by region)

• Hot-swap/FRU fans

Form factor

• 1U rack-mount, wiring-closet friendly acoustics

What to order with it (common adds)

• Uplink module that matches your core/distribution speed plan

• SFP/SFP+/SFP28/QSFP optics or DAC/AOC cables

• Second PSU for redundancy and/or higher UPOE headroom

• DNA subscriptions (Essentials/Advantage) if you’re doing SD-Access or centralized automation

Where it fits (and when to choose something else)

• Perfect for: access layers feeding Wi-Fi 6/6E or dense IoT where 1G copper is the bottleneck and device power draw is high.

• Pick C9300-48UXM-A if you want the same hardware with Network Advantage.

• Pick C9300-48P-E/A if you only need 1G copper + PoE+ (30W/port).

TL;DR

C9300-48UXM-E is the “multigig + big power” Essentials Catalyst: 48 mGig ports (12 up to 10G), UPOE 60W/port, modular uplinks, and StackWise-480—the go-to switch when your edge needs speed and serious PoE without future-proofing regrets.