Cisco Catalyst WS-C3850-48T-S Full English Product Description

1. Short Sales Title

Cisco WS-C3850-48T-S 1RU Stackable 48-Port Non-PoE Gigabit Layer 3 Converged Wired/Wireless Access Switch, 48×10/100/1000BASE-T Copper Downlinks, Hot-Swap Modular 10G/40G Uplink Module Slot, IP Base IOS XE Feature Set, Single Fixed 350W AC Power Supply, StackWise-480 480Gbps Stack Bus, Integrated Full Unified CAPWAP Wireless LAN Controller, Baseline Enterprise Layer 3 Routing Suite (Static / RIP / EIGRP Stub / PIM Stub / HSRP/VRRP), Up to 4000 IEEE 802.1Q VLANs, Full Flexible NetFlow Lite, MQC Hierarchical QoS & Unified Wired-Wireless Identity Security, Cisco Enhanced Limited Lifetime Warranty (E-LLW), End-of-Sale Mid-Tier Non-PoE Stackable Switch for Small/Medium Routed Branch Office, Multi-Building Education Fiber Backbone, Medium Headquarters Desktop & Medium-Density Wi-Fi AP Deployments Without PoE Power Requiring Local Baseline Dynamic Layer 3 Routing

2. Official Product Overview

The Cisco Catalyst WS-C3850-48T-S belongs to the Catalyst 3850 next-generation stackable unified multilayer access switch family, fully End-of-Sale (EOL Oct 31, 2021), built on Cisco UADP Unified Access Data Plane ASIC and Cisco IOS XE operating system. This compact 1RU non-PoE converged wired-wireless chassis integrates wire-speed Layer 2 switching and native full-capacity embedded CAPWAP wireless controller hardware, eliminating standalone wireless controller appliances for medium-scale routed branch and campus networks with non-PoE desktop endpoints and fiber-uplink wireless APsCisco.

This model features 48 standard 10/100/1000BASE-T RJ45 Gigabit copper ports with zero PoE power output, factory equipped with a fixed 350W AC power supply (no PoE power budget). It contains one rear field-replaceable modular uplink expansion slot supporting interchangeable uplink modules: C3850-NM-4-1G, C3850-NM-2-10G, C3850-NM-4-10G, C3850-NM-8-10G, C3850-NM-2-40G QSFP+ for flexible high-speed uplink scaling and future bandwidth upgrades.

It runs mid-tier IP Base IOS XE feature set. IP Base unlocks complete Layer 2 switching, baseline dynamic Layer 3 routed access, full unified wireless mobility control, 4000-VLAN capacity, cross-stack HSRP/VRRP gateway redundancy, and full Flexible NetFlow Lite — all core routed capabilities locked behind entry-level LAN Base firmware. This switch is purpose-built for office desktops, fiber-connected medium-density Wi-Fi 6/6E APs, non-PoE IP cameras and servers deployed in multi-VLAN routed campus networks requiring pure copper non-PoE access ports, modular 10G/40G fiber aggregation flexibility and local inter-VLAN dynamic routing without premium core-grade advanced routing features like BGP or full multi-area OSPFCisco.

Model Suffix Breakdown

3850: Next-gen stackable unified access multilayer switch platform with UADP ASIC, StackWise-480 stacking, hot-swappable fan/uplink modules, integrated full wireless mobility controller
48: Forty-eight front-panel standard Gigabit RJ45 downlink ports
T: Standard 10/100/1000BASE-T RJ45 copper ports, no PoE power support
S: IP Base IOS XE feature set (baseline Layer 3 dynamic routing, full unified wireless mobility controller, max 4000 VLANs, cross-stack HSRP/VRRP redundancy support)

Three IOS XE Feature Tier Comparison for Catalyst 3850

LAN Base (WS-C3850-48T-L): Pure Layer 2 only, limited static inter-VLAN routing, max 255 VLANs, lightweight limited CAPWAP AP termination only, all dynamic routing protocols disabled, no HSRP/VRRP, restricted Flexible NetFlow Lite, maximum 50 APs per stack.
IP Base (WS-C3850-48T-S): All LAN Base features + Static / RIP / EIGRP stub / PIM stub multicast routing, HSRP/VRRP gateway redundancy, full cross-stack wireless mobility controller, 4000 VLAN IDs, complete Flexible NetFlow Lite, IPv6 stub dynamic routing, cross-stack Layer 3 replication, support for up to 100 CAPWAP APs and 2000 concurrent wireless clients per stackCisco.
IP Services (WS-C3850-48T-E): All IP Base features + full multi-area OSPF, full EIGRP, BGPv4, full PIM sparse-dense multicast, complete end-to-end IPv6 dynamic routing, PBR, WCCP v2, VRF-Lite multi-tenancy, full Flexible NetFlow v9, WIDS/WIPS wireless intrusion prevention, TrustSec & MACsec link encryption.

Stacking Architecture

StackWise-480 480Gbps full-duplex stacking bus: Up to nine identical Catalyst 3850 switches can be interconnected into a single logical stack under unified IP management plane, supporting distributed wire-speed Layer 2/Layer 3 forwarding, cross-stack EtherChannel link aggregation, cross-stack RSPAN port mirroring, cross-stack HSRP gateway redundancy, and cross-stack wireless AP mobility replication. StackWise-480 stacking cables sold separately as optional accessoriesCisco.
Unified wireless stack domain: IP Base license supports full CAPWAP mobility, centralized AP licensing, full CleanAir RF spectrum monitoring, rogue AP detection, seamless cross-stack roaming, up to 100 APs and 2000 wireless clients per stack, maximum 40G wireless throughput per 48-port modelCisco.
StackPower compatible: Enables power sharing across stacked switches when paired with StackPower cables and optional dual power supply tray kit for redundant chassis power distribution (no PoE load sharing on this non-PoE model).

Power & Port Hardware Design

Factory equipped with one fixed 350W AC auto-ranging power supply, zero PoE power output to all RJ45 ports, no PoE power budget allocated. A second optional redundant 350W AC power supply can be installed via hardware upgrade kit for 1+1 N+1 power fault tolerance, with external RPS2300 backup power connector on the rear panel. No PoE priority scheduling applicable as this model lacks PoE capability.

Rear uplink slot accepts hot-swappable field-replaceable network modules (C3850-NM-4-1G, C3850-NM-2-10G, C3850-NM-4-10G, C3850-NM-8-10G, C3850-NM-2-40G QSFP+). All SFP/SFP+/QSFP+ transceivers support hot swap without full switch reboot for zero-touch fiber uplink upgrades. Triple redundant variable-speed hot-swap fan tray with rear-to-front airflow adjusts RPM dynamically based on internal chassis temperature to minimize idle acoustic noise under light loads.

Front panel port layout: 48 × 10/100/1000BASE-T RJ45 non-PoE Gigabit copper ports with dedicated per-port LEDs for link, activity and speed (no PoE status LED). Rear panel interfaces include RJ45 RS232 serial console, USB Type-B mini console, USB Type-A flash storage port, dedicated out-of-band 10/100/1000BASE-T RJ45 management port, dual StackWise-480 stacking connectors, dual power supply bays, and Kensington security lock. All copper ports support auto MDI-X and Energy-Efficient Ethernet (EEE).

3. Port & Hardware Specifications

Front Downlink Ports: 48 × 10/100/1000BASE-T RJ45 auto-sensing Gigabit copper, auto MDI-X, no PoE power
Rear Uplink Expansion Slot: 1 modular hot-swappable network module slot (supports 4×1G SFP, 2×10G SFP+, 4×10G SFP+, 8×10G SFP+, 2×40G QSFP+ uplink modules)
Local Management Interfaces: RJ45 serial console, USB Type-B mini console, USB Type-A flash storage, dedicated out-of-band 10/100/1000BASE-T RJ45 management port
Stack Interfaces: Dual StackWise-480 480Gbps stacking connectors
Power Supply: Single fixed 350W AC auto-ranging unit; optional second redundant 350W AC PSU for dual power redundancy; input 100–240V AC 50/60Hz; zero PoE power budget
Front Panel LEDs: Per-port link/activity/speed indicators; global system fault, power, stack member ID, wireless status LEDs
Mounting: Standard 19-inch 1RU rack-mount brackets included; wall-mount adapter optional, desktop rubber anti-slip feet supplied
Thermal Envelope: Triple redundant hot-swappable variable-speed fan trays; operating temperature 0°C ~ +45°C, storage -40°C ~ +70°C, relative humidity 10–95% non-condensing
Compliance Certifications: CE, FCC Class A, UL listed, VCCI Class A, RoHS compliant, NEBS Level 3 certified
Physical Dimensions: 445 mm (W) × 44.5 mm (H, 1RU) × 488 mm (D) / 17.5 × 1.75 × 19.2 inches
Unit Weight: 5.3 kg (11.7 lbs) with single 350W power supply
Memory: 4 GB DRAM, 2 GB onboard flash memory for IOS XE universal images and configuration filesCisco
Switching Fabric: 176 Gbps full-duplex non-blocking per-chassis capacity
Forwarding Rate: 130.95 Mpps wire-speed Layer 2 / baseline Layer 3 forwarding for 64-byte packets
MAC Address Table: Up to 32,000 unicast MAC entries
VLAN Capacity: IP Base limit 4000 active IEEE 802.1Q tagged VLANs (VLAN ID range 1–4094)Cisco
Multicast Groups: 4096 IPv4 CGMP snooping + PIM stub multicast routing groups
Jumbo Frame Support: Up to 9198 bytes on all Gigabit downlinks and uplink module ports
Wireless Scale: Supports up to 100 CAPWAP wireless APs per standalone switch/stack, maximum 2000 concurrent wireless clients, 64 unique WLAN profiles, full RF monitoring, CleanAir spectrum analysis
IPv4 Route Scale: Up to 24,000 IPv4 routed entries
NetFlow Scale: 48,000 Flexible NetFlow Lite flow entriesCisco
MTBF: 303,230 hours under standard office enterprise operating conditions
Warranty: Cisco Enhanced Limited Lifetime Warranty (E-LLW)

4. Layer 2 + IP Base Baseline Layer 3 IOS XE Full Feature Set

Core Layer 2 Switching & Converged Wired-Wireless QoS Functions

Up to 4000 IEEE 802.1Q tagged VLANs, VTPv3 dynamic VLAN synchronization, MSTP 802.1s multiple spanning tree
Dual trunk encapsulation: Cisco ISL trunk + IEEE 802.1Q standard trunk on all Gigabit copper and SFP/SFP+/QSFP+ fiber ports
Hierarchical IEEE 802.1p CoS / DSCP MQC QoS, 4 egress priority queues per port; Auto-QoS template optimized for VoIP, video conferencing and IPTV traffic prioritization
Gigabit / 10G / 40G EtherChannel link aggregation (LACP / static PAgP), up to 8 bundled ports for uplink redundancy and cross-stack load balancing
Rapid STP (802.1w), UplinkFast, BackboneFast, BPDU Guard, Root Guard, UDLD to eliminate Layer 2 switching loops
Port security: Static MAC assignment, sticky dynamic MAC learning, configurable port shutdown violation actions
Per-port broadcast/multicast/unicast storm control to mitigate flooding DoS attacks
Local SPAN + cross-stack RSPAN port mirroring supported via StackWise-480 stacking
CGMP (Cisco Group Management Protocol) to reduce redundant multicast flooding across unified wired/wireless domains
Voice VLAN dedicated VoIP traffic segmentation, automated Auto QoS marking for non-PoE IP voice endpoints
Cisco EnergyWise intelligent power management to lower idle chassis power consumption
RMON Groups 1,2,3,9 real-time traffic statistics monitoring
NTP time synchronization, CDP Cisco Discovery Protocol for end-to-end network device visibility
Embedded web-based Device Manager, Cisco Network Assistant zero-touch stack-wide provisioning
Full IPv6 dual-stack Layer 2 switching: IPv6 Snooping, IPv6 ACL, IPv6 QoS marking, IPv6 neighbor discovery
Integrated Unified Wireless Controller: Mobility Agent & Mobility Controller dual modes, CAPWAP AP termination, unified wired/wireless ACL/QoS/policy enforcement, wireless rogue AP detection, 802.11r fast roaming support, baseline CleanAir RF spectrum management
Full Flexible NetFlow Lite for granular wired/wireless traffic visibility (complete Flexible NetFlow v9 requires IP Services license upgrade)

Exclusive IP Base Baseline Layer 3 Routing Suite

Hardware wire-speed IPv4 inter-VLAN routing via SVI switched virtual interfaces (maximum 1000 SVIs)
Static default routing, static prefix routing, RIP v1 / RIP v2 interior gateway protocols
Limited interior gateway support: EIGRP stub routing only (no full multi-area EIGRP)
Multicast support: PIM stub multicast routing (no full PIM sparse-dense mode)
First-hop redundancy protocols: HSRP, VRRP for IPv4 gateway redundancy, cross-stack HSRP fully supported
Basic Layer 3 ingress/egress ACL for routed subnet traffic filtering
Equal-cost multi-path (ECMP) static route load balancing across multiple fiber uplinks
Limited IPv6 stub dynamic routing (OSPFv3/EIGRPv6 stub mode)

IP Base Routing Limitations vs IP Services

No full multi-area OSPF, full EIGRP, BGP inter-domain core routing
No full PIM sparse / dense / sparse-dense multicast routing
No policy-based routing (PBR), no WCCP web cache redirection, no DVMRP multicast tunneling
No fallback bridging for non-IP inter-VLAN traffic
No VRF-Lite multi-tenancy segmentation

Enterprise Security Feature Suite

IEEE 802.1X port-based NAC authentication with RADIUS/TACACS+ AAA remote access control (unified wired/wireless NAC enforcement)
SSH v2 encrypted CLI management; SNMPv3 secure monitoring (fallback unencrypted Telnet/SNMPv1/v2c available)
Combined Layer 2 + Layer 3 ingress access control lists for granular inbound traffic filtering
Time-based ACL policy scheduling for restricted network access hours
Private VLAN edge isolation to separate host communication within the same broadcast domain
DHCP Snooping, Dynamic ARP Inspection (DAI), IP Source Guard to block IP/MAC spoofing attacks
Encrypted startup-config files, strong password encryption for local administrative credentials
Wireless baseline security suite: WPA2/WPA3 enterprise, basic ISE identity services engine integration, rogue AP containment

5. Full Management Interfaces

Local Out-of-Band: RJ45 serial console port for offline configuration without network connectivity
Secure Remote CLI: SSH v2 encrypted command-line access; fallback unencrypted Telnet
In-Band Management: Embedded web GUI, SNMP v1/v2c/v3, CDP Cisco Discovery Protocol, NTP time synchronization
Auxiliary Interfaces: USB Type-A flash storage port for IOS XE image / config backup, dedicated out-of-band 10/100/1000BASE-T RJ45 management port
Stack & Wireless Management: Single unified IP management plane for entire StackWise-480 stack; centralized wireless AP licensing, RF and policy management across all stack members

6. Integrated Security Mitigation Suite

Multi-level privilege CLI access with encrypted local user password storage
IEEE 802.1X port authentication to validate wired/wireless endpoints before granting LAN access
Port MAC address security to restrict unauthorized device connection
STP BPDU guard and root guard to block rogue switches from altering spanning-tree topology
Broadcast/multicast storm control to suppress flooding-based denial-of-service threats
Private VLAN edge to isolate peer hosts on the same access VLAN
DHCP Snooping + DAI ARP Inspection + IP Source Guard to eliminate address spoofing attacks
SSHv2 and SNMPv3 encryption to secure remote switch management traffic over the LAN
Manual permanent shutdown of unused RJ45/SFP/SFP+/QSFP+ ports to reduce unauthorized network attack vectors
Dedicated management VLAN isolation to segregate switch control plane traffic from end-user data traffic

7. Typical Deployment Scenarios

Small/Medium Enterprise Stackable Converged Wired-Wireless Routed Access Switch: 48 standard non-PoE Gigabit ports power office desktop PCs, medium-density fiber-uplink Wi-Fi 6 APs and non-PoE surveillance cameras; modular uplink slot supports flexible 10G or 40G fiber aggregation to building distribution/core switches. IP Base baseline static/RIP/HSRP inter-VLAN routing eliminates small dedicated distribution routers for multi-VLAN unified wired-wireless campus segmentation, StackWise-480 stacking enables linear access-layer capacity expansion as endpoint count grows.
Small/Medium K-12 / Higher Education Campus Converged Network: Non-PoE Gigabit ports link classroom workstations and student medium-density Wi-Fi APs; hot-swappable 10G/40G uplink modules connect to central school high-speed data center backbone for cross-campus distance learning video traffic. MSTP prevents broadcast loop failures across geographic VLAN domains, baseline multi-subnet routing meets entry-level campus convergence requirements without expensive IP Services advanced routing licenses.
Medium Regional Headquarters Wiring Closet Main Multilayer Switch: Non-PoE Gigabit downlinks connect multi-department desktop stacks and conference room high-density Wi-Fi APs; long-distance single-mode 10G SFP+ uplink provides high-speed fiber backhaul to corporate headquarters core distribution layer. IP Base EIGRP stub + cross-stack HSRP redundancy satisfies enterprise branch multi-VLAN routing compliance without external dedicated branch routers.
Medium Retail / Hotel / Satellite Office Access Pod: Non-PoE Gigabit ports power lobby POS terminals, medium-concurrency guest Wi-Fi APs and office thin clients; modular uplink slot allows future upgrade to 40G aggregation as business scale expands, integrated full unified wireless controller removes standalone WLC hardware cost for medium AP density commercial venues.
Legacy Catalyst 3750 Non-PoE Access Network Refresh Hardware: Drop-in stackable IP Base upgrade replacement for aging LAN Base WS-C3850-48T-L switches, fully compatible with existing enterprise fiber uplink infrastructure, unlocks baseline dynamic Layer 3 inter-VLAN routing and full unified wireless mobility control for gradual migration to Catalyst 9300 access platforms without intermediate core router upgrades.

8. Standard Package Contents

1 × Cisco Catalyst WS-C3850-48T-S Non-PoE Gigabit Multilayer Switch (IP Base IOS XE Image Preinstalled, single 350W AC power supply factory pre-installed)

1 × AC power cord matching regional mains voltage standard

1 × RJ45-to-RS232 serial console rollover cable

1 × Standard 19-inch rack-mount bracket kit

Rubber anti-slip desktop stand feet

Hardware installation guide & Cisco IOS XE IP Base configuration documentation

10G SFP+/40G QSFP+ fiber uplink modules, StackWise-480 stacking cables, redundant power supply tray kit, wall-mount adapter sold separately as optional accessories

Short Commercial Version (For Quotation & Product Catalog)

The Cisco Catalyst WS-C3850-48T-S is an EOL 1RU rack-mount variable-fan stackable Layer 2 / Baseline Layer 3 managed non-PoE 48-port Gigabit converged wired/wireless access switch from the Catalyst 3850 Series, factory preloaded with IP Base IOS XE firmware supporting static / RIP / EIGRP stub / PIM stub / HSRP/VRRP inter-VLAN routing and integrated full unified CAPWAP wireless LAN controller functionality. It features 48×10/100/1000BASE-T non-PoE auto-sensing RJ45 copper downlink ports (zero PoE power budget) plus one rear hot-swappable modular uplink slot supporting 4×10G SFP+ or 2×40G QSFP+ modules, single fixed 350W AC power supply with optional redundant power tray kit, 480Gbps StackWise-480 stacking bus supporting up to 9 stacked units. It delivers a 176 Gbps non-blocking switching fabric, 130.95 Mpps Layer 2 / baseline Layer 3 forwarding rate, 32K MAC address table, maximum 4000 VLANs, MQC multilayer DSCP QoS, CGMP multicast snooping, Rapid STP, cross-stack EtherChannel/RSPAN, Cisco EnergyWise power management, full Flexible NetFlow Lite, unified wired/wireless NAC & centralized RF wireless monitoring, paired with enterprise-grade security tools including 802.1X authentication, SSHv2, DHCP Snooping and DAI. Mid-tier high-density non-PoE stackable Gigabit converged voice/Wi-Fi access multilayer switch for small/medium enterprise routed branch office, education multi-building campus and medium regional headquarters flexible high-speed fiber hybrid LAN deployments requiring baseline enterprise dynamic Layer 3 routing and integrated unified wireless control, covered by Cisco Enhanced Limited Lifetime Warranty (E-LLW), End-of-Sale legacy unified access switch.


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