Cisco Catalyst WS-C3548-XL Full English Product Description
1. Short Sales Title (For Quotation & E-commerce Listing)
Cisco WS-C3548-XL 1RU Rack-Mount Stackable Layer 2 Fast Ethernet Managed Switch, 48×10/100BASE-T Access Ports, 2 Hot-Swappable GBIC Gigabit Uplink Slots, Enterprise IOS Image, GigaStack Stacking, Single IP Cluster Management, Dual ISL / 802.1Q Trunking, CGMP Multicast Control, Per-Port QoS, External RPS Redundant Power Support, End-of-Sale Legacy High-Density Edge Switch for Large Office Zones, Multi-Floor Classrooms, High-Scale VoIP & Externally Powered Wi-Fi AP Deployments
2. Official Product Overview
The Cisco Catalyst WS-C3548-XL belongs to the classic Catalyst 3500 XL stackable enterprise Layer 2 switch family, released in early 2000s and fully End-of-Sale (EoS). It is a high-density 48-port Fast Ethernet edge switch designed for large-scale enterprise, education and retail branch access deployments without built-in PoE power circuits (PoE variant PID: WS-C3548-PWR-XL).
This model features 48 auto-sensing 10/100 Fast Ethernet RJ45 downlink ports for desktop PCs, external-powered Cisco IP phones and standalone wireless access points. Two front-panel universal GBIC slots deliver flexible Gigabit uplink and stacking options, supporting hot-swappable 1000BASE-SX/LX/LH/ZX fiber, 1000BASE-T copper, and proprietary GigaStack GBIC modules for low-cost stack interconnection without consuming uplink bandwidth.
Up to nine Catalyst 3500 XL switches can be clustered via GigaStack technology and managed under a single unified IP address, greatly reducing multi-switch operation overhead. The hardware runs factory preloaded Cisco IOS Enterprise Edition firmware, which provides complete enterprise-grade Layer 2 functions including dual ISL proprietary + 802.1Q open-standard trunking, multilayer QoS, CGMP multicast suppression, comprehensive port security, full IPv6 Layer 2 support, and cross-stack RSPAN remote mirroring unavailable on entry-level lightweight IOS releases.
The 1U chassis integrates a fixed internal single AC power supply, with a dedicated rear RPS connector compatible with Cisco RPS 300 external redundant power systems to eliminate single power failure risks for mission-critical edge networks.
Model Suffix Breakdown
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3548-XL: Catalyst 3500 XL extended-feature stackable platform; 48 = forty-eight 10/100 Fast Ethernet downlink ports; XL = extended enterprise feature set hardware
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No PWR suffix: Zero integrated inline PoE power supply
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Implied
-EN suffix: Default factory Enterprise IOS feature set
This compact 1U metal rack-mount chassis uses variable-speed front-to-back fan cooling for stable operation in large central wiring closets. Front panel layout: 48 Fast Ethernet RJ45 ports, two GBIC bays and multi-mode status LEDs for port link/activity, uplink media type, stack status and system health. Rear panel carries RJ45 RS232 serial console port, AC power inlet and RPS redundant power connector.
All RJ45 ports support auto MDI-X, auto speed/duplex negotiation and full-duplex flow control. GBIC transceivers support hot swap without full switch reboot to minimize maintenance downtime.
Equipped with 32 MB DRAM and 16 MB onboard flash memory, the WS-C3548-XL delivers 10.8 Gbps full-duplex non-blocking switching capacity and 10.8 Mpps wire-speed forwarding rate for 64-byte frames, full line-rate performance on all downlink and uplink interfaces. It adopts store-and-forward switching architecture to filter corrupted frames and suppress broadcast/multicast flooding across VLAN domains, with jumbo frame support up to 9000 bytes for large file and video traffic transmission.
3. Port & Hardware Specifications
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48 × 10/100BASE-T RJ45 auto-sensing Fast Ethernet access ports, auto MDI-X, IEEE 802.3x full-duplex flow control, no PoE hardware
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2 × hot-swappable GBIC Gigabit uplink slots (1000BASE-X), compatible with Cisco GBIC modules: 1000BASE-SX, LX/LH, ZX, 1000BASE-T copper, GigaStack stacking GBIC
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Local Out-of-Band Console: 1×RJ45 RS232 serial console port; no Mini-USB console or front USB storage port
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Stacking: GigaStack GBIC stacking, maximum 9 Catalyst 3500 XL switches per cluster, single unified IP cluster management
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Power architecture: Fixed internal AC power supply, input 100–240 VAC autoranging 50/60Hz; typical power draw 92W; max total power consumption 98W; rear RPS connector compatible with Cisco RPS 300 external redundant power supply
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Front panel LED indicators: Per-port link/activity, speed, duplex; GBIC slot media status, stack health, RPS power status, global system fault alarm
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Mounting options: 19-inch 1RU rack-mount brackets included; desktop rubber anti-slip feet supplied
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Thermal design: Variable-speed active fan cooling
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Environmental operating range: 0°C to 45°C (32°F–113°F); storage -25°C to 70°C; relative humidity 10–85% non-condensing
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Safety & EMI certifications: CE, FCC Class A, UL listed, VCCI Class A, RoHS compliant
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Physical dimensions: 445 mm (W) × 44.5 mm (H, 1RU) × 404.6 mm (D)
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Unit weight: 5.6 kg (12.3 lbs)
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MAC address table capacity: Up to 8,192 unicast MAC entries
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Maximum active VLANs: 250 active IEEE 802.1Q tagged VLANs, full VLAN ID range 1–4094
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Multicast Groups: 256 IPv4 CGMP snooping groups
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MTBF: 148,000 hours under standard office operating conditions
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Warranty: Original Cisco Limited Lifetime Hardware Warranty (EoS, only third-party refurbished hardware support available)
4. Layer 2 Switching & Enterprise IOS Full Feature Set
Core Layer 2 Switching & QoS Core Functions
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Up to 250 active IEEE 802.1Q tagged VLANs, VTPv2 dynamic VLAN synchronization, MSTP 802.1s multiple spanning tree
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Dual trunking standards: Cisco proprietary ISL trunking + IEEE 802.1Q open-standard trunking available on both Gigabit uplink ports
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IEEE 802.1p CoS / DSCP multilayer QoS with 2 egress priority queues per port; strict priority scheduling optimized for VoIP voice traffic
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Gigabit EtherChannel link aggregation, up to 4-port bundled trunking for fault tolerance and aggregated backbone bandwidth
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IEEE 802.1D STP + Rapid STP (802.1w), BPDU guard, root guard to eliminate Layer 2 switching loops
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Port security: Static MAC binding, sticky dynamic MAC learning, port shutdown violation mode
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Per-port broadcast/multicast/unicast storm control to mitigate Layer 2 flooding DoS attacks
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Local SPAN port mirroring + cross-stack RSPAN remote span for multi-switch traffic capture and troubleshooting
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Cisco CGMP (Cisco Group Management Protocol) to suppress unnecessary multicast flooding to access ports
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Voice VLAN, Auto QoS for automatic Cisco IP Phone traffic priority marking
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GigaStack stacking management: Single IP cluster administration for up to 9 stacked switches
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Cisco EnergyWise power management (limited non-PoE feature set)
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RMON Groups 1,2,3,9 real-time traffic statistics monitoring
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NTP time synchronization for consistent system log timestamps
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CDP Cisco Discovery Protocol for end-to-end network device visibility
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Web-based embedded Device Manager & Cisco Network Assistant for zero-touch initial deployment
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Full IPv6 dual-stack Layer 2 switching: IPv6 Snooping, IPv6 ACLs, IPv6 QoS marking, IPv6 neighbor discovery
Exclusive Enterprise IOS Feature Advantages Over Basic LAN Lite Images
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Dual ISL + 802.1Q trunking support (entry-level LAN Lite only supports 802.1Q)
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Complete cross-stack RSPAN remote port mirroring functionality
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Expanded Layer 2 security ACL entry capacity for large-scale edge traffic filtering
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Full switch clustering automation for unified multi-stack administration
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Enhanced diagnostic and fault isolation utilities for campus edge troubleshooting
Enterprise Advanced Security Features
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IEEE 802.1X port-based NAC authentication with RADIUS/TACACS+ AAA remote access control
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SSHv2 encrypted remote CLI management; SNMPv3 secure encrypted monitoring (unencrypted Telnet/SNMPv1/v2c available as fallback)
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Layer 2 ingress access control lists (ACLs) for IPv4 and IPv6 granular inbound traffic filtering
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Time-based ACL traffic policies for scheduled network access restrictions
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Private VLAN edge for isolated host segmentation on shared access ports
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Ingress port bandwidth rate limiting, traffic policing and shaping
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DHCP Snooping + Dynamic ARP Inspection (DAI) + IP Source Guard to mitigate IP/MAC address spoofing attacks
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Encrypted local user passwords and encrypted startup-config file storage
5. Full Management Interfaces
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Local Out-of-Band: RJ45 RS232 serial console port for direct CLI access without live network connectivity
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Secure Remote CLI: SSHv2 encrypted command-line access; fallback password-authenticated Telnet
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Embedded Web GUI: Lightweight browser-based Cisco Device Manager for port, VLAN, QoS and stacking configuration panel
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SNMP v1/v2c/v3: Encrypted/unencrypted enterprise monitoring compatible with Cisco Prime and third-party NMS platforms
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Local Storage: 16 MB onboard flash memory to store IOS operating image, startup-config and running-config files (encrypted config storage; no external USB backup port)
6. Integrated Enhanced Security Suite
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Multi-level privilege CLI access with encrypted local user password storage
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IEEE 802.1X port authentication to validate end-user devices before granting LAN access
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Port security to restrict unauthorized end-device MAC addresses per access port
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STP BPDU guard and root guard to block rogue unmanaged switches from corrupting Layer 2 topology
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Broadcast storm control to suppress flooding-based denial-of-service threats
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Private VLAN edge to isolate connected endpoints from each other on shared access ports
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DHCP Snooping + DAI ARP inspection + IP Source Guard to eliminate address spoofing attacks
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SSHv2 and SNMPv3 encryption to secure remote switch management traffic over the LAN
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Manual permanent shutdown of unused ports to reduce unauthorized network attack vectors
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Dedicated management VLAN isolation to segregate switch control plane traffic from end-user data
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No PoE hardware, so no PoE overload protection logic required
7. Typical Deployment Scenarios
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Large enterprise stacked high-density edge access switch: 48 Fast Ethernet ports connect employee workstations, office printers and externally powered Cisco IP phones; dual dual-media GBIC Gigabit uplinks support fiber or copper trunk connections to building core aggregation switches. GigaStack stacking unifies multiple 3500 XL switches under one IP address to simplify IT operation, and external RPS redundant power eliminates single power failure risks for large office floors.
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K-12 multi-floor campus converged network: High 48-port density for student desktops and classroom IP phones; dual GBIC Gigabit uplinks provide redundant trunk links to campus backbone, MSTP and storm control prevent broadcast loop outages across multi-building VLAN domains.
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Large regional branch wiring closet main switch: Cost-effective non-PoE hardware eliminates unnecessary PoE power overhead, dual-media GBIC uplinks offer flexible long-distance fiber trunking to corporate headquarters. Modular replaceable power supplies simplify on-site maintenance without full switch replacement, and Enterprise IOS security tools (802.1X, DAI, private VLAN) meet branch network compliance requirements.
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Multi-location retail headquarters aggregation: Mass 48-port Fast Ethernet capacity for POS terminals and administrative workstations; dual Gigabit uplinks deliver trunk failover resilience to retail central data center, stable single internal power supply suits low-priority non-critical retail network segments.
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Legacy campus network refresh: Direct drop-in replacement for older Catalyst 1900/2900 Fast Ethernet switches, fully compatible with existing ISL trunking legacy core infrastructure, supporting gradual migration to modern Catalyst 9000 series hardware.
8. Standard Package Contents
1 × Cisco Catalyst WS-C3548-XL Stackable Non-PoE Fast Ethernet Switch (Enterprise IOS Image Preinstalled, fixed internal AC power supply pre-installed)
1 × AC power cord
1 × RJ45-to-RS232 console rollover cable
1 × 19-inch rack mounting bracket kit
Rubber desktop stand feet
Hardware installation guide & Cisco IOS Enterprise configuration documentation
*GBIC fiber/copper transceivers, GigaStack stacking GBIC modules, external RPS power supply sold separately as optional accessories; stacking modules not included by default
Short Commercial Version (For Quotation & Product Catalog)
The Cisco Catalyst WS-C3548-XL is a legacy 1RU rack-mount variable-fan stackable Layer 2 managed high-density Fast Ethernet edge switch from the Cisco Catalyst 3500 XL Series, factory preloaded with Enterprise IOS firmware supporting dual ISL/802.1Q trunking, equipped with 48×10/100BASE-T non-PoE auto-sensing RJ45 copper access ports plus two hot-swappable GBIC Gigabit uplink expansion slots supporting fiber, copper and GigaStack stacking transceivers, GigaStack multi-switch cluster management and external RPS redundant power supply compatibility. It delivers 10.8 Gbps non-blocking switching capacity, 8192 MAC address table, 250 active VLANs, multilayer DSCP QoS, CGMP multicast control, Rapid STP and port security, with full enterprise-grade security tools including 802.1X NAC authentication, SSHv2, DHCP anti-spoofing protection, cross-stack RSPAN remote mirroring and full IPv6 dual-stack Layer 2 switching. High-density stackable dual-media Gigabit uplink non-PoE enterprise Fast Ethernet edge switch for large office zones, multi-floor education campus and large regional branch flat Layer 2 hybrid fiber/copper LAN deployments, End-of-Sale legacy Cisco switching hardware with third-party refurbished warranty support only.
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