Cisco Catalyst C9300-48U-E — 48× 1G UPOE (60W/port) access with modular uplinks (Network Essentials)

What it is: A stackable, enterprise Layer-3 Catalyst 9300 with 48 × 10/100/1000 RJ-45 access ports delivering Cisco UPOE up to 60W per port, plus a modular uplink bay so you can choose uplink speeds now and swap later. Runs IOS-XE and ships with the Network Essentials (-E) feature set. Dual hot-swap PSUs and field-replaceable fans make it service-friendly for busy wiring closets.

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

• Serious power at scale: UPOE (60W/port) lets you run high-draw APs, PTZ cameras with heaters, thin clients, lighting/IoT, and signage without injectors.

• Uplink flexibility: add the network module you need (1G/10G/25G/40G options) and upgrade later without a forklift swap.

• Enterprise stacking: StackWise-480 makes up to 8 switches behave like one, with fast failover.

• Essentials is “just-right” for most campuses: strong L3 + security/segmentation without paying for Advantage extras.

• Closet uptime: hot-swap PSUs/fans plus Perpetual/Fast PoE keep endpoints alive through reloads.

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

Access ports

• 48 × 10/100/1000 RJ-45

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

Uplinks (modular bay — order one network module)
Common options in the 9300 ecosystem:

• 4 × 1G SFP module

• 4 × 10G SFP+ module

• 8 × 10G SFP+ module

• 2 × 25G SFP28 module (where available)

• 2 × 40G QSFP module

Power / PoE

• Two PSU bays, supports 1+1 redundancy

• Typical default build targets ~822W PoE available with a suitable PSU; scales higher with larger/dual PSUs

• Perpetual/Fast PoE supported

Stacking / HA

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

• Up to 8 members per stack

• StackPower for pooled/redistributed power across stack members

Switching / performance (model typical)

• Switching capacity ~256 Gbps

• Forwarding rate ~190 Mpps

Software / features (Network Essentials)

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

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

• Ops/telemetry: 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

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

• Second PSU for redundancy and/or higher UPOE budget

• DNA subscriptions if you’re doing SD-Access or centralized automation

Where it fits (and when to choose something else)

• Perfect for: campus/branch access layers with lots of high-draw powered endpoints and a desire for modular uplinks.

• Pick C9300-48P-E/A if standard PoE+ (30W/port) is enough.

• Pick C9300 mGig models (24UX/48UXM) if you need 2.5/5/10G copper downlinks for ultra-fast APs.

TL;DR

C9300-48U-E is the power-rich Essentials access workhorse: 48× UPOE (60W/port), modular uplinks up to 40G, StackWise-480 + StackPower, and hot-swap PSUs/fans—built for closets that need serious power today and clean upgrade headroom tomorrow.