Cisco Catalyst 3850 WS-C3850-48P-S Cisco Catalyst switch
Brand: Cisco | Category: Network Switches
SKU: CSC-WS-C3850-48P-S | Part #: WS-C3850-48P-S | MPN: WS-C3850-48P-S
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About the Cisco Catalyst 3850 WS-C3850-48P-S Cisco Catalyst switch
The Cisco Catalyst 3850 WS-C3850-48P-S delivers 130.95 Mpps forwarding rate with a 176 Gbps switching capacity, engineered for wire-speed packet processing across enterprise campus and branch deployments. This managed Layer 3 stackable switch combines high-density Gigabit connectivity with integrated wireless control, making it the foundation for mid-market and large organizations seeking unified wired and wireless infrastructure.
The WS-C3850-48P-S features 48 x 10/100/1000 Mbps PoE+ ports with a 715 W power budget compliant to IEEE 802.3af and IEEE 802.3at standards, enabling deployment of power-hungry access points and IoT devices without external injectors. Four modular uplink slots support optional SFP/SFP+ modules for high-speed fabric connectivity. Cisco StackWise-480 technology enables up to 9 switches to operate as a single logical unit with 480 Gbps stack bandwidth, while the integrated wireless controller manages up to 50 access points and 2000 wireless clients under IP Base licensing. Network engineers will appreciate the 32,000 MAC address table, support for up to 4094 VLANs, and enterprise-grade security including Cisco TrustSec, 802.1X, MACsec-128, Dynamic ARP Inspection, DHCP Snooping, and IP Source Guard. Running Cisco IOS XE with IP Base feature set, the switch delivers the reliability and feature density required for modern enterprise networks in a compact 1U rack-mountable form factor.
Typical Enterprise Deployment Scenarios
- Campus core and distribution layer switching with unified wired-wireless management across multiple buildings
- Branch office consolidation using StackWise-480 to reduce operational complexity and footprint
- Access layer expansion in multi-tenant environments requiring dense PoE+ delivery and VLAN segmentation
- Wireless controller offload—50 APs and 2000 clients per switch stack without dedicated controller appliances
- High-security deployments leveraging MACsec-128, 802.1X, and Dynamic ARP Inspection for threat isolation
For enterprise network architecture teams and IT procurement professionals evaluating scalable, integrated switching platforms, contact Omnixon Global to request a detailed quotation for the Cisco Catalyst 3850 WS-C3850-48P-S.
Technical Specifications
| Brand | Cisco |
| Category | Network Switches |
| SKU | CSC-WS-C3850-48P-S |
| Part Number | WS-C3850-48P-S |
| Condition | New |
| Form Factor | Rack-Mount |
| Interface | Gigabit Ethernet |
| Product Series | Cisco Catalyst 3850 |
| Switch Type | Managed Layer 3 Stackable |
| Total Downlink Ports | 48 x 10/100/1000 Mbps PoE+ |
| Uplink Slots | 4 x modular (SFP/SFP+ via optional uplink modules) |
| PoE Standard | IEEE 802.3af and IEEE 802.3at (PoE+) |
| PoE Power Budget | 715 W |
| Stacking Technology | Cisco StackWise-480 |
| Stack Bandwidth | 480 Gbps |
| Maximum Stack Members | 9 switches |
| Forwarding Rate | 130.95 Mpps |
| Switching Capacity | 176 Gbps |
| MAC Address Table | 32,000 entries |
| VLAN Support | Up to 4094 VLANs |
| Operating System | Cisco IOS XE |
| Software Feature Set | IP Base |
| Integrated Wireless Controller | Yes — up to 50 access points and 2000 wireless clients (IP Base) |
| Security Features | Cisco TrustSec, 802.1X, MACsec-128, Dynamic ARP Inspection, DHCP Snooping, IP Source Guard |
| Form Factor | 1U rack-mountable |
| Dimensions (H x W x D) | 4.4 cm x 44.5 cm x 46.4 cm (1.73 in x 17.5 in x 18.27 in) |
| Weight | 7.7 kg (16.98 lb) |
| Power Supply | 1 x 715 W AC (redundant PSU slot available) |
| Mean Time Between Failures (MTBF) | Approximately 126,582 hours |
Frequently Asked Questions about Cisco Catalyst 3850 WS-C3850-48P-S Cisco Catalyst switch
What does the Cisco Catalyst 3850 WS-C3850-48P-S Cisco Catalyst switch do?
The Cisco Catalyst 3850 WS-C3850-48P-S Cisco Catalyst switch is enterprise networking hardware for data-center, campus, and branch deployments. Common roles include core/distribution switching, server uplinks, top-of-rack fabric, and edge connectivity in mixed Cisco/Juniper/Arista environments.
Is the Cisco Catalyst 3850 WS-C3850-48P-S Cisco Catalyst switch compatible with my infrastructure?
The Cisco Catalyst 3850 WS-C3850-48P-S Cisco Catalyst switch interoperates with standard switching protocols (LACP, MLAG/VPC, 802.1Q, OSPF/BGP). For specific cross-vendor scenarios — Cisco-to-Arista MLAG peering, fabric integration with Cumulus/SONiC, or migration from legacy Catalyst — our network engineers map a compatibility plan as part of the RFQ.