The Cisco Catalyst 2960-48PST-L carries 48 Fast Ethernet access ports with Power over Ethernet, plus four separate uplinks: 2 copper 1000BASE-T ports and 2 SFP slots, on the LAN Base software image. Four discrete uplinks rather than a single pair of dual-purpose combo ports is unusual here, specifically within the classic 2960 range, and it is why buyers still seek this model out.
Four real uplinks, not two shared ones
Most of the classic Catalyst 2960 range provides two dual-purpose uplinks, where each pair contains one copper port and one SFP slot but only one of the two can be active at a time. This model is the exception. It provides 2 copper 1000BASE-T ports and 2 SFP slots as four independent uplinks, all usable simultaneously.
That distinction changes what the switch can do at the top of the rack. Four uplinks allow two links to each of two distribution switches, or a copper pair to one upstream device and a fibre pair to another, or four separate paths in a mesh. A switch with two combo ports can offer at most two paths in total no matter how the ports are populated, which is why this model turns up in designs where the others do not fit.
| Specification | Catalyst 2960-48PST-L |
|---|---|
| Access ports | 48 x 10/100 Fast Ethernet |
| Power over Ethernet | Yes, on the access ports |
| Copper uplinks | 2 x 1000BASE-T |
| Fibre uplinks | 2 x SFP |
| Total simultaneous uplinks | 4 |
| Software image | LAN Base |
| Switching layer | Layer 2 |
| Cisco end-of-life notice | EOL9449 |
Power over Ethernet, without a published wattage
This switch supplies Power over Ethernet on its access ports. Cisco's own product description for the part number confirms the capability and does not state a shared budget in watts, and the classic 2960 LAN Base data sheet that would have carried the figure has been retired. Rather than borrow a number from a later sub-series, this page does not publish one.
That matters practically. The 370 W and 740 W budgets quoted for the 2960-S, 2960-SF and 2960-X families belong to different hardware and cannot be assumed to describe this chassis. Anyone sizing a powered deployment on this model should confirm the budget against the specific unit and its own documentation before committing a device count, and should treat any wattage seen on a resale listing as unverified.
A Layer 2 edge switch
Cisco describes the Catalyst 2960-S and 2960 Series as the leading Layer 2 edge switches. This model forwards on MAC addresses and handles VLAN segmentation at the access layer; routing between VLANs belongs to the distribution switch or the router above it. The LAN Base image is the larger of the two feature sets offered on this generation and it is fixed at manufacture.
Why a voice closet built on this model is hard to substitute
The combination this switch offers is genuinely narrow: powered Fast Ethernet access ports and four independent uplinks in the same chassis. Nothing else in the classic 2960 range provides both. A site that built a telephony closet around it, with two fibre paths to one distribution switch and two copper paths to another, cannot drop in a sibling model without collapsing four paths into two.
That is why the model still moves on the secondary market a decade after End-of-Sale. The alternative to a like-for-like replacement is not another classic 2960; it is a redesign of the closet topology, a change window and, in most cases, a later generation of switch with a documented power budget. Replacing like with like avoids all three, and it is the reason to check the part number carefully rather than accepting a near match.
Where the 48PST-L sits in the classic 2960 range
Against the other 48-port members of its generation, this switch is the only one that both sources power and offers four independent uplinks.
| Model | Access ports | PoE | Uplinks | Image |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2960-48PST-L | 48 Fast Ethernet | Yes | 2 copper plus 2 SFP, four active | LAN Base |
| 2960-48TC-L | 48 Fast Ethernet | None | 2 dual-purpose, one active per pair | LAN Base |
| 2960-48TT-L | 48 Fast Ethernet | None | 2 x 1000BASE-T | LAN Base |
Where a published power budget and Gigabit access ports are both required, the Catalyst 2960S-48FPS-L is a later generation with a documented 740 W pool. The current-generation replacement line is the Catalyst 9300 family, and its 48-port model is the direct counterpart at this port count.
Lifecycle and support horizon
Cisco covered the classic Catalyst 2960 models in end-of-life notice EOL9449 and named this switch in it. End-of-Sale was 31 October 2014, the Last Ship Date was 29 January 2015, End of Software Maintenance was 31 October 2015, End of Vulnerability and Security Support was 30 October 2017 and the Last Date of Support was 31 October 2019.
Every one of those milestones has passed. What keeps this specific model in demand is its uplink arrangement, which no other classic 2960 matches, so sites that built a topology around four independent uplinks cannot substitute a sibling without redesigning the closet. Replacing like with like is the practical answer, and that is what the secondary market exists to supply.
Condition, testing and what ships
Refurbished enterprise hardware carrying the original Cisco part number. Each unit is tested on receipt, then disassembled, cleaned, inventoried and returned to stock; on order it is rebuilt, configured and bench tested again before packing, with the powered ports and all four uplinks exercised. Whole systems including this switch carry the 2-year Enterasource warranty, and delivery is free FedEx Ground to the lower 48 states.
SFP transceivers and rack hardware are separate line items unless quoted with the switch. Cisco software entitlement does not transfer with used hardware.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much PoE power does a Catalyst 2960-48PST-L supply?
Cisco's product description for this part number confirms Power over Ethernet on the access ports but does not publish a shared budget in watts, and the classic 2960 LAN Base data sheet that carried the figure has been retired. No wattage is stated here for that reason. The budgets quoted for the 2960-S, 2960-SF and 2960-X families describe different hardware and should not be applied to this chassis.
How many uplinks can a 2960-48PST-L use at the same time?
All four. It carries 2 copper 1000BASE-T ports and 2 SFP slots as independent uplinks, unlike the dual-purpose arrangement on most of this generation where each pair offers one copper port and one SFP slot with only one active. Four simultaneous uplinks allow two paths to each of two distribution switches, or a mix of copper and fibre to different upstream devices.
What does PST mean in the 2960-48PST-L designation?
It encodes the port and uplink arrangement: Power over Ethernet on the access ports, SFP fibre uplinks and copper 1000BASE-T uplinks. The final L marks the LAN Base software image rather than LAN Lite. Cisco's own description of the part number reads as 48 Fast Ethernet PoE ports plus 2 copper Gigabit ports plus 2 SFP slots.
Are the access ports on a 2960-48PST-L Gigabit?
No, they are 10/100 Fast Ethernet. Only the uplinks reach Gigabit, through the 2 copper 1000BASE-T ports and the 2 SFP slots. This is the original 2960 generation, which predates the Gigabit access layer introduced with the 2960-S, so an endpoint needing a Gigabit port requires a later generation of switch.
What testing does a refurbished 2960-48PST-L receive?
It is bench tested on arrival, then stripped, cleaned and inventoried into stock as a known-good chassis. At order time it is rebuilt, configured and tested a second time immediately before packing, with the powered access ports, both copper uplinks and both SFP slots exercised. Condition is graded per serial and disclosed on that listing. The full range is on the Cisco networking hardware page.
