Cisco Catalyst 4500 WS-C4948-10GE-E Cisco Catalyst switch

Brand: Cisco | Category: Network Switches

SKU: CSC-WS-C4948-10GE-E | Part #: WS-C4948-10GE-E | MPN: WS-C4948-10GE-E

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The Cisco Catalyst 4500 WS-C4948-10GE-E delivers 136 Gbps of switching capacity with a forwarding rate of 101.2 million packets per second. These numbers matter because they determine whether the switch sustains line-rate throughput when all 48 Gigabit Ethernet ports operate simultaneously at full utilisation. For network engineers deploying this WS-C4948-10GE-E into production data centres or enterprise core networks, that throughput floor eliminates the bottleneck risk that comes with oversubscribed fabric architectures. The Cisco platform uses a fixed 1RU form factor, meaning no modular line-card complexity—what you see in the rack is what you get in terms of port density and performance.

Port layout reflects a deliberate design choice common across mid-range enterprise switching. The 48 10/100/1000BASE-T ports provide the density required for access-layer or aggregation-layer deployment, while the two 10 Gigabit Ethernet X2 uplinks create a clear separation between local user traffic and backbone connectivity. Those X2 uplinks accept a range of transceiver modules—SR, LR, ER, or CX4—so you can tune optical reach and distance without changing hardware. A network engineer familiar with Catalyst platforms will recognise this port arrangement immediately; it fits the familiar pattern where Gigabit covers horizontal distribution and 10GE handles north-south traffic to the core.

Where this Cisco switch justifies its position in larger estates is routing depth and protocol support. The WS-C4948-10GE-E runs full hardware-based IPv6 routing alongside OSPFv2, OSPFv3, EIGRP, BGP, RIP, and IS-IS. That routing capability means you can collapse a two-tier hierarchy—a traditional access switch plus a separate router—into a single 1RU box. The MAC address table holds 55,000 entries, and the platform supports 4,094 VLANs, giving you granular segmentation across medium-to-large networks without flooding or table exhaustion. Layer 2 resilience comes through IEEE 802.1w RSTP, 802.1s MSTP, and 802.3ad LACP, all hardware-accelerated so failover and link aggregation happen at wire speed rather than waiting for CPU intervention.

Security implementation is where Cisco's enterprise pedigree shows. The Catalyst 4500 includes Dynamic ARP Inspection, DHCP Snooping, IP Source Guard, and port-based access control lists—all executed in hardware. Private VLANs let you segregate traffic at Layer 2 without requiring a separate switch, useful when you need to isolate guest networks or vendor access segments. 802.1X authentication integrates with your existing identity infrastructure, allowing per-port or per-user policy enforcement. QoS is not an afterthought here; the switch provides eight hardware queues per port with DSCP and CoS marking and policing, which means voice, video, and critical applications get predictable service levels even when the network saturates.

Management operates via SSH v2, SNMP v3, or the Cisco IOS CLI, all of which feel native to anyone who has worked with Catalyst hardware. The switch runs Cisco IOS Enterprise Services software, which includes SPAN and RSPAN for remote traffic mirroring into packet analysis tools. The internal AC power supply accepts an optional RPS 2300 redundant power module, a common insurance policy in facilities where downtime carries material cost. The unit operates across standard data-centre temperatures—0°C to 45°C—and complies with all relevant IEEE 802.3 standards for Ethernet and Gigabit Ethernet.

Interface & Connectivity Specifications

• 48 x 10/100/1000BASE-T ports (RJ-45) plus 2 x 10 Gigabit Ethernet X2 uplinks supporting SR, LR, ER, and CX4 transceiver modules
• 136 Gbps switching fabric with 101.2 Mpps forwarding rate, sustaining line-rate at full port utilisation
• MAC address table of 55,000 entries with support for 4,094 VLANs and full IPv6 routing with hardware-based ACLs
• Hardware QoS with eight queues per port, DSCP and CoS marking, and rate policing for deterministic traffic handling
• Routing protocol support: OSPFv2, OSPFv3, EIGRP, BGP, RIP, and IS-IS for multi-protocol enterprise networks
• Layer 2 resilience via 802.1w RSTP, 802.1s MSTP, and 802.3ad LACP with hardware acceleration
• Security features including 802.1X, Dynamic ARP Inspection, DHCP Snooping, IP Source Guard, and Private VLANs
• Cisco IOS Enterprise Services software with SSH v2, SNMP v3, SPAN/RSPAN monitoring, and standard CLI management

Omnixon Global stocks the Cisco Catalyst 4500 WS-C4948-10GE-E and maintains availability across the UAE, GCC, and regional distribution. Whether you are building out a new data centre network, upgrading aggregation infrastructure, or consolidating switching tiers in an established enterprise, the WS-C4948-10GE-E fits the middle ground where performance meets cost discipline. Contact Omnixon to discuss your switching requirements and request a quotation for immediate or planned deployment.