Cisco C9500-24Y4C-E — Catalyst 9500 24-Port 10/25/40GbE Switch (Network Essentials)
What it is
C9500-24Y4C-E is a Cisco Catalyst 9500 Series enterprise core/distribution switch.
It’s a high-performance Layer 3 switch featuring 24 multigigabit 10/25 GbE ports and 4 × 40 GbE uplink ports, running Cisco IOS-XE and bundled with the Network Essentials feature set — ideal for campus core, distribution, and high-throughput enterprise networks.
Why buyers pick C9500-24Y4C-E (plain English)
High-density multigig access
Provides 24 ports capable of 10 Gb and 25 Gb speeds for servers, uplinks, and aggregated workloads.
Powerful uplinks
Four 40 GbE QSFP+ ports deliver high-capacity connections to network cores and aggregation layers.
Modern IOS-XE platform
Runs Cisco’s current enterprise operating system with advanced routing, automation, and security capabilities.
Flexible optics support
Modular uplink ports support a variety of optics and DACs to match design needs and future upgrades.
Enterprise-ready features
Includes robust QoS, resiliency, programmability, and telemetry well suited for large-scale networks.
60-second spec box (C9500-24Y4C-E)
Switch type
Enterprise core/distribution switch
Access ports
24 × 10/25 GbE (multigigabit)
Uplink ports
4 × 40 GbE (QSFP+)
Operating system
Cisco IOS-XE
Feature license
Network Essentials
Layer support
Layer 2 / Layer 3
Stacking
StackWise-Virtual / StackWise-480
Use case
Campus core/distribution and high-performance enterprise networks.
Where it fits (and when to choose something else)
Perfect for:
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Campus backbone and distribution layers
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Aggregating multigigabit servers and uplinks
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High-performance Layer 3 routing environments
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Organizations standardizing on Catalyst IOS-XE
Choose something else if:
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You need advanced analytics and automation → Network Advantage license
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You need 100 Gbps ports → Catalyst 9500-32C or 9600 Series
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You’re focused on access-layer switching → Catalyst 9200/9300 Series
TL;DR
C9500-24Y4C-E is Cisco’s Catalyst 9500 multigigabit enterprise switch with 24 × 10/25 GbE and 4 × 40 GbE (Network Essentials):
a high-capacity core/distribution platform for modern, high-bandwidth enterprise networks.
