The Cisco Catalyst C9300-48T is a stackable campus access switch with 48 ports of 1G copper, a modular uplink module and no PoE budget at all. Cisco lists the model as data only, so the power supply sizing that dominates the PoE members of this family does not apply here. That leaves uplinks, stacking and license level, decided once at order.
Ports, uplinks and stacking
Access ports on the C9300-48T are 48 ports of 1G copper, and Cisco's ordering description for the part number reads data only. Uplinks are not part of that count. They arrive on a removable network module, which is the defining difference between this line and the fixed-uplink C9300L line, and it means uplink speed stays a later decision rather than a permanent one.
Stacking is StackWise-480, rated at 480 Gbps with up to eight members in a stack. Cisco attaches one condition to it: members must sit at the same network stack license level. A switch ordered at one level will not join a stack built at the other, which makes the license line on a purchase order a compatibility decision rather than a paperwork detail.
| Specification | C9300-48T |
|---|---|
| Access ports | 48 x 1G copper, data only |
| PoE | None |
| 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 | 256 Gbps, 736 Gbps stacked |
| Forwarding rate | 190.47 Mpps |
| Default power supply | 350 W, PWR-C1-350WAC-P |
| Rack height | 1RU |
| Weight | 16.43 lb |
Why this model has no PoE budget
Cisco's power table lists the C9300-48T as having no PoE in every column, and that is the whole specification: no budget to size, no per-port rating to divide into it, and no second power supply to plan around. On the powered members of this family that calculation is the buying decision. Here it is absent, which is why a data-only switch is a deliberate choice rather than a compromise.
The default power supply is a 350 W PWR-C1-350WAC-P, and Cisco's footnote on that row records 715 W and 1100 W supplies as ordering options for this model. That is worth knowing. A data-only switch carrying a larger supply is an odd thing to end up with by accident and a sensible thing to ask for on purpose, where redundancy matters more than power draw.
The failure mode worth naming is the opposite one. A closet specified as data only that later grows access points, cameras or phones needs powered ports, and powered ports are not on this part number. Where that is even a possibility, the C9300-48P is the same platform with a PoE stage attached.
Stacking: what this switch can and cannot join
A Cisco Catalyst C9300-48T stacks over StackWise-480 at 480 Gbps, with up to eight members in a stack. Cisco is explicit about what may and may not be joined: 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 models can form a stack, and separately, any combination of Catalyst 9300L models can form a stack.
The practical reading is short. A data-only C9300-48T sits in a stack alongside the PoE and UPOE members of the same line, so one closet can mix powered and unpowered access density inside a single managed unit. What it cannot do is extend a C9300L stack. The two lines have to be planned separately from the beginning, and the license level has to match across members as well.
Uplinks: modular module or fixed ports
Uplinks on the C9300-48T come from a network module rather than from the chassis. Cisco publishes five modules for this line: 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 a separate order line and it can be changed later, which is the entire argument for the modular line.
One limit belongs with that list. There is no 100G module for the base Catalyst 9300, because the 100G modules belong to the 9300X instead. A site planning a 100G uplink path off this switch is planning a chassis replacement rather than a module purchase, and that is much cheaper to learn before the closet is built than after.
Where the C9300-48T sits in the 9300 line
The C9300-48T is the 48-port data-only member of the modular-uplink Catalyst 9300 line. Set against the C9300-48P it is the same switching platform with the PoE stage removed, and that is the comparison most buyers are really making when this part number comes up.
| Specification | C9300-48P | C9300-48T |
|---|---|---|
| Access ports | 48 PoE+ | 48 data only |
| PoE budget | 437 W on the 715 W supply | None |
| Default power supply | 715 W | 350 W |
| Switching capacity | 256 Gbps | 256 Gbps |
| Uplinks | Modular network module | Modular network module |
| Stacking | StackWise-480, 480 Gbps, up to 8 | StackWise-480, 480 Gbps, up to 8 |
The C9300-48T is the same switching platform as the C9300-48P without the PoE stage: 48 ports of 1G copper either way, the same 256 Gbps of switching capacity, the same modular uplink module and the same StackWise-480 stacking, with no PoE budget to size and a 350 W supply in place of a 715 W one. Where 24 ports are enough, the C9300-24T is the same switch in a smaller chassis, and the rest of the line sits on the Catalyst 9300 pages.
Buying refurbished while Cisco still ships new
Cisco still sells the Catalyst 9300 new, so nothing on this page rests on a lifecycle gap. The refurbished case here is availability and price on identical hardware: the same part number, the same switch, shipped from stock rather than scheduled into a queue. For a closet build already waiting on cabling and mounting, that is usually the constraint worth removing first.
Every whole system we ship carries a 2 year Enterasource warranty, and freight is free FedEx Ground to the lower 48 states. Where the requirement is 1G copper access with far faster uplinks than this line can reach, a Nexus 93180YC-EX answers the same floor plan differently, and the wider range is 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. 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
Does a C9300-48T support PoE?
No. Cisco's power table reads no PoE for this model in every column, so there is no budget, no per-port rating and no powered ports on the chassis. Access points, IP phones, cameras and door controllers all need power from somewhere else, whether that is an injector, a midspan or a different switch. The T in the part number is what records that, and it is the reason the model exists.
What is the difference between a C9300-48T and a C9300-48P?
The PoE stage, and almost nothing else. Both carry 48 ports of 1G copper, both run 256 Gbps of switching capacity, both take the same modular uplink module and both stack over StackWise-480 at 480 Gbps. The 48P adds powered ports and ships with a 715 W supply to feed them; the 48T has no PoE budget and ships with a 350 W supply because it does not need one.
What uplinks does a C9300-48T take?
A removable network module, which Cisco publishes 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. There is no 100G module for the base Catalyst 9300, so a path to 100G means a different platform rather than a different module.
Can a C9300-48T be stacked with a C9300L?
No. Cisco states that fixed uplink models, the C9300L SKUs, cannot be stacked with modular uplink models, the C9300 SKUs, nor with other Catalyst switches such as the 3850 and 3650 Series. Any combination of Catalyst 9300 models can form a stack together, so this switch will stack with the PoE and UPOE models in the same line, provided every member sits at the same network stack license level.
How many ports does a C9300-48T have?
48 access ports of 1G copper, described by Cisco as data only, in a chassis one rack unit high. Uplink ports are separate and come from the network module, so the module chosen at order adds four, eight or two more ports on top of the 48 depending on which one is fitted. The 48 figure refers to access ports and nothing else.
Does a refurbished C9300-48T include a Cisco license?
Licenses and subscriptions are not included unless the listing says so. A data-only switch still carries a network stack level, because the level governs routing and management features rather than power delivery, so it is not a question that disappears just because the model has no PoE. It also has to match the rest of a stack. Tell us which level the network needs and we will confirm in writing what the specific unit being shipped carries.
