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

What it is: A stackable, enterprise Layer-3 Catalyst 9300 built for Wi-Fi 6/6E and high-draw edge devices. You get 48 multigig copper ports with UPOE up to 60W/port, plus a modular uplink bay so you can choose uplink speed now and swap later. Runs IOS-XE and ships with Network Advantage (-A) features.

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

• mGig where it counts: supports >1G copper for fast AP backhaul and high-throughput clients.

• Serious PoE headroom: UPOE (60W/port) handles power-hungry APs, IoT/lighting, PTZ cameras, thin clients, etc.

• Uplinks on your terms: swap network modules for 1G/10G/25G/40G (and beyond, depending on module) without replacing the switch.

• Enterprise stacking: StackWise-480 makes a full closet stack act like one switch.

• Advanced campus L3 included: Network Advantage unlocks richer routing, segmentation, and SD-Access readiness.

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

Access ports (multigig downlinks)

• 48 × RJ-45 mGig total

  • 36 ports support 100M/1G/2.5G

  • 12 ports support 100M/1G/2.5G/5G/10G

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

Uplinks (modular bay — order one module)
Common choices in the Catalyst 9300 ecosystem:

• 4 × 1G SFP

• 4 × 10G SFP+

• 8 × 10G SFP+

• 2 × 25G SFP28 (where available)

• 2 × 40G QSFP
  (Exact module availability varies by region/bundle.)

Power / PoE

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

• System PoE budget is PSU-dependent — size PSUs to your endpoint plan and add ~20–30% headroom

• 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 stacked switches

Performance (model typical)

• Switching capacity ~580 Gbps

• Forwarding rate ~430 Mpps class

Software / features (Network Advantage)

• Advanced L3: OSPF/EIGRP/BGP use cases, PBR, VRF-lite

• Security/segmentation: 802.1X/MAB, TrustSec/SGT hooks, ACLs, DHCP snooping, DAI, MACsec support where equipped

• 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 budget

• DNA subscriptions 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 is the bottleneck and power draw is high.

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

• Pick C9300-48UXM-E if you want the same hardware with Network Essentials instead of Advantage.

TL;DR

C9300-48UXM-A is the “mGig + big power” Catalyst 9300: 48 multigig 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.