Cisco C9300X-NM-2X100G Full Official Product Description
Critical Model Explanation
The official Cisco factory part number of this uplink module isC9300X-NM-2C, a dual-port QSFP28/QSFP+ network module exclusively built for Catalyst 9300X high-performance stackable switchesCisco Mera....
C9300X-NM-2X100Gis the standardized descriptive SKU widely adopted for procurement, inventory tracking, engineering documentation and commercial quotation, which will be consistently used throughout this document.
1. Part Number & Naming Breakdown
Official Full Name
Cisco C9300X-NM-2X100G Catalyst 9300X Series Hot-Swappable 2-Port Dual-Rate 40G/100G QSFP28 Uplink Network Module
Naming Segment Definition
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C9300X: Exclusive compatibility marker for Catalyst 9300X enterprise aggregation switches; incompatible with standard non-X Catalyst 9300 chassis due to distinct hardware backplane designCisco Mera...
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NM: Network Module, rear-panel pluggable expansion card installed in the dedicated rear modular uplink slot of Catalyst 9300X switches
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2X100G: Two independent universal QSFP28 multi-rate ports supporting auto-negotiated 40 Gigabit Ethernet and 100 Gigabit Ethernet optical transceivers & twinax copper DAC cables
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Suffix=(C9300X-NM-2X100G=): Field-replaceable spare unit for hardware replacement and after-sales inventory
Core Product Positioning
The C9300X-NM-2X100G is a high-density, line-rate crypto-capable uplink expansion module engineered exclusively for Cisco Catalyst 9300X stackable aggregation switches powered by UADP 2.0sec ASIC with native 100G hardware IPsec accelerationCisco. It delivers an aggregate 200Gbps full-duplex uplink bandwidth for large enterprise campus core layers, medium-to-large data center leaf-spine fabric interconnections, StackWise-1T ultra-high-speed stacking fabric links, and long-distance inter-facility fiber backbone trunks.
The hot-swappable OIR (Online Insertion and Removal) design allows on-site uplink capacity expansion or hardware maintenance without full switch power outage or end-to-end network downtime. It supports all Cisco-certified QSFP+ / QSFP28 40G/100G optical transceivers, passive/active twinax DAC copper cables, and breakout cables to split each high-speed port into multiple lower-speed logical interfaces for flexible mixed-speed hybrid uplink migration architecturesCisco.
2. Hardware & Software Compatibility
Supported Switch Platforms
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Fully compatible with all Catalyst 9300X high-performance chassis: C9300X-24Y, C9300X-48TX, C9300X-48HX, C9300X-48HXNCisco Mera...
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Strictly incompatible with standard Catalyst 9300 non-X chassis, Catalyst 9300L / 9300LM fixed-uplink switches, Catalyst 9200 / Catalyst 9500 series switches due to backplane electrical and mechanical differencesCisco Mera...
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Each Catalyst 9300X switch supports one rear network module slot for a single uplink expansion card; a blank filler panel must be installed if no uplink module is deployed
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Exclusive mechanical and firmware design fully optimized for StackWise-1T 1Tbps stack fabric architecture of 9300X switches, supporting mixed-speed stacking with standard Catalyst 9300 devices at 480Gbps stack bandwidthCisco Mera...
Supported Cisco IOS XE Firmware
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Minimum supported release: Cisco IOS XE Amsterdam 17.3.x
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Fully validated for all modern IOS XE stable branches: 17.6.x, 17.9.x, 17.12.x, 17.13.x and later production releases
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Full hardware crypto offloading feature parity on Catalyst 9300X UADP 2.0sec ASIC, supporting line-rate IPsec encryption for 40G/100G uplink traffic without forwarding performance degradationCisco
Transceiver & Cable Compatibility
All Cisco-certified QSFP+ and QSFP28 transceivers and cables are fully supported:
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40G optical QSFP+ modules: QSFP-40G-SR4, QSFP-40G-LR4, QSFP-40G-ER4, QSFP-40G-BiDi
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100G optical QSFP28 modules: QSFP-100G-SR4, QSFP-100G-LR4, QSFP-100G-ER4, QSFP-100G-BiDi
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QSFP+/QSFP28 passive / active twinax DAC copper cables (1m, 3m, 5m) for short-distance rack-to-rack connections
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Breakout cables: 40G-to-4×10G breakout, 100G-to-4×25G breakout for multi-speed logical port splitting; each physical port can be split into four independent logical interfaces after cable deploymentCisco
3. Physical & Electrical Specifications
Form Factor
Single-width rear pluggable hot-swappable expansion module dedicated for Catalyst 9300X rear uplink slot, standard vertical rear panel installation
Power Consumption
Typical idle power draw: 10 Watts
Maximum power draw: 18 Watts under full dual-port 100G full-duplex line-rate forwarding load
Environmental Operating Parameters
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Operating temperature: 0°C to 40°C (32°F to 104°F)
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Non-operating storage / transit temperature: -40°C to 70°C (-40°F to 158°F)
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Relative humidity: 5% to 95% non-condensing
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Maximum operating altitude: 3000 meters (10,000 ft) above sea level
Port Performance Metrics
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Each QSFP+/QSFP28 port supports auto-sensing native 40Gbps / 100Gbps full-duplex line-rate forwarding
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Aggregate total module bidirectional bandwidth: 200Gbps full-duplex
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Breakout mode functional support: Each physical port can be split into 4 independent logical interfaces (4×10G for 40G port, 4×25G for 100G port)
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Built-in DOM digital optical monitoring sensor on each port for real-time optical parameter collection
4. Key Functional Feature Set
Hot-Swap OIR Online Insertion & Removal Operation
The module can be inserted or removed while the host Catalyst 9300X switch remains fully powered and operational, eliminating service interruption during hardware replacement or uplink capacity expansion. The switch generates system logging events upon module insertion/removal for centralized monitoring.
StackWise-1T Ultra-High-Speed Stacking Support
Enables deployment of 1Tbps bandwidth stacking interconnections between Catalyst 9300X stack members, supporting stacks of up to eight physical switches with ultra-low-latency cross-stack traffic forwarding. Backward compatible with StackWise-480 for mixed 9300/9300X switch stacks.
Full Layer 2 & Layer 3 IOS XE Feature Compatibility
All module ports inherit the complete enterprise feature suite of the host Catalyst 9300X switch:
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Static and dynamic routing protocols: OSPF, EIGRP, BGP, RIP
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802.1Q VLAN trunking, native VLAN configuration, private VLANs
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Granular QoS traffic prioritization, traffic shaping, policing, multi-level queuing scheduling
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Access Control List (ACL) security filtering, inbound/outbound port ACLs
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LACP static/dynamic link aggregation, multi-port channel redundancy
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Broadcast, multicast, unknown unicast storm control
Digital Optical Monitoring (DOM) & Streaming Telemetry
Built-in DOM diagnostic support for all QSFP+/QSFP28 optical transceivers to continuously monitor real-time optical transmit/receive power, module internal temperature, supply voltage and laser bias current. Integrated IOS XE streaming telemetry enables remote real-time port performance statistics collection and hardware fault alerting for centralized Cisco DNA Center network management.
Enterprise High Availability Features
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Fully compatible with SSO (Stateful Switchover) and ISSU (In-Service Software Upgrade) for zero-downtime switch firmware updates
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Dual independent QSFP+/QSFP28 ports support redundant uplink design for automatic Layer 3/Layer 2 link failover protection against fiber cable or transceiver hardware faults
Advanced Enterprise Security Integration
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Cisco DNA Center zero-touch provisioning, automated switch configuration and policy orchestration
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Encrypted Traffic Analytics (ETA) for hidden malware and threat detection
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802.1X port-based network access control, MAC authentication bypass
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Hardware-accelerated MACsec 40G/100G link-layer end-to-end encryption for uplink traffic security
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TrustSec SGT security group tagging for enterprise-wide SD-Access network segmentation
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Line-rate hardware IPsec crypto offloading powered by UADP 2.0sec ASIC, supporting encrypted WAN uplinks at full 100G throughput
5. Typical Enterprise Deployment Use Cases
Large Campus Aggregation Core Uplinks
Deployed on Catalyst 9300X fiber aggregation switches to provide high-capacity 40G/100G uplinks connecting large access switch stacks to campus core switches or core routers.
StackWise-1T Stack Fabric Interconnects
Utilize the 40G/100G QSFP+/QSFP28 ports to build ultra-high-bandwidth stacking trunks between stacked Catalyst 9300X units, delivering ultra-low-latency cross-stack traffic forwarding for large multi-switch enterprise stacks.
Medium & Large Data Center Leaf-Spine Interconnections
Used for high-speed leaf switch uplinks to data center spine switches, supporting short-reach multimode fiber for rack-to-rack leaf-spine connections and long-distance single-mode fiber for cross-row or cross-building data center interconnections.
Inter-Facility & Cross-Building Backbone Links
Deploy long-range 40G/100G QSFP+/QSFP28 single-mode optical transceivers to establish high-bandwidth inter-building fiber backbone connections within large enterprise campus or multi-site data center estates.
Flexible Mixed-Speed Migration via Breakout Cables
Deploy 40G-to-4×10G or 100G-to-4×25G breakout QSFP+/QSFP28 cables to split each high-speed port into four independent lower-speed uplinks, supporting gradual network bandwidth upgrades and mixed 10G/25G/40G/100G hybrid uplink architectures without hardware replacement.
6. Regulatory & Compliance Certifications
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Electrical Safety Standards: UL 60950-1, CSA C22.2 No.60950-1, IEC/EN 60950-1
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EMC & EMI Standards: CE Mark, FCC Part 15 Class A, ICES-003 Class A, VCCI Class A, CISPR 22 Class A, CISPR 24, full EN 61000 series ESD, surge, radiated and conducted immunity compliance
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Environmental Directives: EU RoHS 2.0 hazardous substance restriction compliant, EU WEEE waste electronics recycling directive compliant
7. Standard Factory Packaging Contents
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C9300X-NM-2X100G two-port 40G/100G QSFP+/QSFP28 uplink network module
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Integrated metal extraction lever and captive retention screws for secure rear-slot installation
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ESD anti-static protective packaging and ESD wrist strap for static-safe hardware handling
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Hardware installation quick-start guide covering hot-swap OIR procedures, QSFP+/QSFP28 transceiver and breakout cable installation, and basic FortyGigabitEthernet / HundredGigabitEthernet port configuration steps
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Full global regulatory compliance and certification documentation packet
Supplementary UNSPSC Classification Code
43222503 – Cisco C9300X-NM-2X100G hot-swappable 2-port multi-rate 40G/100G QSFP+/QSFP28 uplink expansion network module exclusive for Catalyst 9300X series enterprise stackable aggregation switches, supporting StackWise-1T 1Tbps high-speed stacking, QSFP+/QSFP28 breakout to 4×10G / 4×25G logical lanes, DOM optical diagnostic monitoring, hardware-accelerated MACsec and IPsec crypto encryption, full IOS XE Layer2/Layer3 enterprise feature support, hot-swap OIR maintenance, designed for large enterprise campus aggregation, medium/large data center leaf-spine uplink and long-distance inter-building fiber backbone deployments.
Standard Hardware Warranty Information
All factory-new C9300X-NM-2X100G network modules include a 1-year limited hardware warranty covering manufacturing defects and component failures under rated standard operating environmental conditions. Cisco Smart Net Total Care extended service contracts are available, providing 24×7 priority Cisco TAC technical support, advance genuine spare hardware replacement service, validated stable IOS XE firmware upgrade releases, and comprehensive switch configuration and network fault troubleshooting support.
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