The Cisco Catalyst C9300-24P is a 24-port PoE+ access switch with a 445 W PoE budget on its default 715 W power supply. Cisco rates the ports at IEEE 802.3at PoE+, 30 W each, so the budget covers a majority of the switch rather than all of it. A budget is a total and not a per-port guarantee, which is why the endpoint count is the number to add up.
Ports, uplinks and stacking
Access ports on the C9300-24P are 24 ports of 1G copper, every one of them PoE+ capable at the IEEE 802.3at rating of 30 W. Uplinks are separate and arrive on a removable network module, so the uplink speed is a decision that can be revisited later without replacing the chassis.
Stacking is StackWise-480, rated at 480 Gbps with up to eight members in a stack, and Cisco requires every member to sit at the same network stack license level. A powered closet built as a stack therefore has to be planned as a set, because a switch bought at the wrong level will not join the group no matter how the ports are wired.
| Specification | C9300-24P |
|---|---|
| Access ports | 24 x 1G copper, PoE+ |
| PoE budget | 445 W on the default 715 W supply |
| Per-port rating | PoE+, IEEE 802.3at, 30 W |
| Maximum PoE | 720 W with the PWR-C1-1100WAC-P primary supply |
| Uplinks | Modular network module, 1G / mGig / 10G / 25G / 40G |
| Stacking | StackWise-480, 480 Gbps, up to 8 members at the same license level |
| Switching capacity | 208 Gbps, 688 Gbps stacked |
| Forwarding rate | 154.76 Mpps |
| Rack height | 1RU |
| Weight | 16.33 lb |
PoE budget: what this switch can actually power
A Cisco Catalyst C9300-24P carries 24 PoE+ ports against a 445 W PoE budget on its default 715 W power supply. Cisco's own footnote sets out how to read that pairing: PoE delivery is limited by port number and port rating, and the worked example Cisco chose is a 24-port PoE+ switch, where 24 ports at 30 W each comes to 720 W. That is this switch, and it means the arithmetic closes on one page.
So the two numbers that bound the model are 445 W as it ships and 720 W as its ceiling, the latter reached by moving the primary supply to a PWR-C1-1100WAC-P. Between them, fourteen ports drawing the full 30 W each account for 420 W of the 445 W available. That fourteen-port figure is our arithmetic on Cisco's published inputs and is not itself a Cisco specification, but it is the calculation a closet has to perform before it commits.
The useful thing about a 24-port switch is that the question has a realistic answer. Counting the endpoints that genuinely draw a full PoE+ class, rather than assuming every port does, is achievable at this density in a way it is not at 48. Where every port must carry a full-class device, the ceiling supply is the order to place at the start rather than the upgrade to schedule later.
How the 24P compares with the 48P on power
On the same default 715 W supply Cisco publishes 445 W of PoE budget for the 24-port C9300-24P and 437 W for the 48-port C9300-48P. The two figures are close, and the port counts are not, which is the whole point: budget does not scale with density, so a smaller switch can cover proportionally more of itself.
The ceilings diverge in the other direction. The 24P tops out at 720 W, and the 48P reaches 1440 W with a 1100 W or 1900 W secondary supply. A site that needs a large number of full-class powered ports is buying the larger chassis for the power headroom rather than for the ports.
Stacking: what this switch can and cannot join
A Cisco Catalyst C9300-24P stacks over StackWise-480 at 480 Gbps with up to eight members. Cisco's boundary is explicit: you cannot stack fixed uplink models, which are the C9300L SKUs, with modular uplink models, which are the C9300 SKUs, or with other Catalyst switches such as the 3850 and 3650 Series. Any combination of Catalyst 9300 Series models can form a stack, and separately, any combination of Catalyst 9300L models can form a stack.
Within the line the freedom is real. This switch stacks alongside data-only and UPOE members of the same family, so a closet can mix powered and unpowered density without buying identical chassis. Each member keeps its own PoE budget, though: stacking shares switching fabric, not power, so a stack of four does not pool 445 W four times over into a single figure that any one member can draw on.
Uplinks: modular module or fixed ports
Uplinks on the C9300-24P come from a network module rather than the chassis, and Cisco publishes five: C9300-NM-4G for four 1G ports, C9300-NM-4M for four mGig ports, C9300-NM-8X for eight 10G ports, C9300-NM-2Q for two 40G ports and C9300-NM-2Y for two 25G ports. The module is ordered separately and can be changed during the life of the switch.
There is no 100G module for the base Catalyst 9300; those belong to the 9300X. A 100G uplink requirement is therefore a platform decision rather than a module decision, and it is worth resolving before a closet is committed to this line.
Where the C9300-24P sits in the 9300 line
The C9300-24P is the 24-port PoE+ member of the modular-uplink Catalyst 9300 family. It sits between the data-only models, which have no PoE stage at all, and the UPOE models, which double the per-port rating.
| Specification | C9300-48P | C9300-24P |
|---|---|---|
| Access ports | 48 PoE+ | 24 PoE+ |
| PoE budget on the default 715 W supply | 437 W | 445 W |
| Per-port rating | PoE+, 30 W | PoE+, 30 W |
| Maximum PoE | 1440 W with a 1100 W or 1900 W secondary | 720 W |
| Switching capacity | 256 Gbps | 208 Gbps |
| Uplinks | Modular network module | Modular network module |
| Stacking | StackWise-480, 480 Gbps, up to 8 | StackWise-480, 480 Gbps, up to 8 |
Stepping up a tier rather than a size changes the per-port rating instead of the port count: the C9300-24U keeps the same 24 ports and the same 208 Gbps of switching capacity but runs Cisco UPOE at 60 W per port. Stepping down out of PoE entirely gives the C9300-24T, which is the same switch with no power stage.
Buying refurbished while Cisco still ships new
Cisco still sells the Catalyst 9300 new, so the refurbished case on this page is price and lead time rather than lifecycle. The part number is the same, the hardware is the same, and the unit ships from stock instead of being scheduled. For a powered closet waiting on access points that have already been delivered, that ordering is usually backwards, and it is the piece worth fixing.
Whole systems carry a 2 year Enterasource warranty, and freight is free FedEx Ground to the lower 48 states. The rest of the Cisco switching range sits on the Cisco networking pages.
Condition, testing and what ships with the switch
Every unit follows the same process, stated rather than summarised: inbound test on receipt, disassemble, clean, inventory, pick, assemble, configure, and an outbound test before the switch ships. Power supplies beyond the one fitted, network modules, stacking cables and stack kits are separate line items and are quoted explicitly, never assumed to be in the box.
Software licenses and subscriptions are not included unless the listing states otherwise. Cisco sells the Catalyst 9300 in two network stack levels, Network Essentials and Network Advantage, and they are different part numbers with different feature sets rather than a cosmetic suffix. Tell us which level your network needs before you order and we will confirm, in writing, what the specific unit we are shipping carries.
Frequently Asked Questions
How many ports can a C9300-24P power at full PoE+?
The bound is the budget, not the port count. On the default 715 W supply Cisco publishes 445 W, and at the PoE+ rating of 30 W per port that covers fourteen ports drawing their full class, which accounts for 420 W of the 445 W available. Moving the primary supply to a PWR-C1-1100WAC-P raises the ceiling to 720 W, which is Cisco's own figure for 24 ports at 30 W each.
What is the PoE budget of a C9300-24P?
Cisco publishes 445 W on the default 715 W power supply, and 720 W as the maximum once the primary supply is upgraded to the 1100 W unit. Both figures describe a total available across all 24 ports rather than a guarantee for any single one, so the number that decides a build is the sum of what the connected endpoints actually draw in their real power class.
What uplinks does a C9300-24P take?
A removable network module, published by Cisco in five forms: C9300-NM-4G for four 1G ports, C9300-NM-4M for four mGig ports, C9300-NM-8X for eight 10G ports, C9300-NM-2Q for two 40G ports and C9300-NM-2Y for two 25G ports. No 100G module exists for the base Catalyst 9300, so a 100G uplink path means a different platform rather than a different module in this chassis.
Can a C9300-24P be stacked with a C9300L?
No. Cisco is explicit that fixed uplink models, the C9300L SKUs, cannot be stacked with modular uplink models, the C9300 SKUs, or with other Catalyst switches such as the 3850 and 3650 Series. Within the line the position is the opposite: any combination of Catalyst 9300 models can form a stack, provided every member carries the same network stack license level.
Is a C9300-24P enough for a closet of access points?
It depends on the draw rather than the count. There are 24 ports rated at 30 W each, but 445 W of budget as the switch ships, so the honest arithmetic is that fourteen full-class devices consume 420 W of it. Access points that negotiate below their maximum class leave room for more. Where every port will carry a full-class device, order the 1100 W primary supply and the ceiling becomes 720 W.
Does a refurbished C9300-24P include a Cisco license?
Licenses and subscriptions are not included unless the listing says so. The network stack level and the PoE tier are independent of each other: the budget on this switch establishes what it can power, and the level governs the routing and management features it can run, so knowing one tells you nothing about the other. Tell us which level the network needs and we will confirm in writing what the specific unit carries.
