The Cisco Catalyst 2960-Plus 48TC-L is a 48-port Fast Ethernet access switch on the LAN Base image, with 2 dual-purpose combo uplinks and no Power over Ethernet on any access port at all. It is the density option in this range for a floor that already powers its telephones some other way, additionally the largest port count the series offers in a single chassis.
Forty-eight Fast Ethernet ports behind two Gigabit paths
The oversubscription arithmetic here is worth working out before installation, because it is unusually favourable and it explains why this class of switch stayed in service so long. Forty-eight access ports capped at 100 Mbps produce a theoretical access-layer total of 4.8 Gbps. The two usable uplink paths run at 1 Gbps each, for 2 Gbps in aggregate. That is a ratio of roughly 2.4 to 1.
Compare that with a 48-port Gigabit switch behind the same two uplinks, which sits at 24 to 1. In a room of desktops, printers and terminals the Fast Ethernet access layer keeps the uplink comfortably out of the way, and the practical effect is that these switches rarely felt slow even when they were already old.
| Specification | Catalyst 2960-Plus 48TC-L |
|---|---|
| Part number | WS-C2960+48TC-L |
| Access ports | 48 x 10/100 Fast Ethernet |
| Power over Ethernet | None |
| Uplinks | 2 dual-purpose combo, one port active per pair |
| Uplink options per pair | 1 x SFP or 1 x 1000BASE-T |
| Aggregate uplink capacity | 2 Gbps |
| Software image | LAN Base |
| Stacking | Not offered on this series |
Density without a stack
Forty-eight ports in one chassis matters more in this series than it does elsewhere, precisely because nothing in the Catalyst 2960-Plus range stacks. Where a stacking sub-series lets two 24-port switches present as one logical device with 48 ports, here the only route to 48 ports under a single configuration is a single 48-port switch. That makes this model the largest manageable unit the series offers.
It also sets the ceiling. A room that grows past 48 ports gains a second device with its own configuration file, its own address and its own update cycle, and no arrangement of hardware in this series avoids that.
That is worth weighing at the point of purchase rather than at the point of expansion. A site that expects to stay inside 48 ports per room can standardise on this model and accept one managed device per closet. A site that expects rooms to grow is better served by a stacking sub-series from the outset, because retro-fitting stacked management means replacing every switch in the room rather than adding to it.
LAN Base and the combo uplinks
The final L marks LAN Base, the larger of the two software feature sets Cisco offers here, with a higher ceiling on active VLANs than the LAN Lite variant. On a 48-port switch that headroom is the sensible default, since port count and VLAN count usually grow together. The two uplinks are dual-purpose, each holding an SFP slot and a 1000BASE-T copper port with one active, so the same chassis suits a fibre closet or a copper one.
No power stage, and when that is the right call
No port on this switch sources Power over Ethernet, which suits a floor where telephones and access points are powered by injectors or where there are no powered endpoints at all. The gains are less heat, no power budget to manage and one fewer subsystem to fail. The limitation is permanent, since PoE cannot be added to a T chassis afterwards.
Where the 48TC-L sits in the 2960-Plus range
Its two closest relatives differ by the software image in one case and by the presence of power and four uplinks in the other.
| Model | Access ports | PoE budget | Uplinks | Image |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2960-Plus 48TC-L | 48 Fast Ethernet | None | 2 combo | LAN Base |
| 2960-Plus 48TC-S | 48 Fast Ethernet | None | 2 combo | LAN Lite |
| 2960-Plus 48PST-S | 48 Fast Ethernet | 370 W | 2 SFP plus 2 copper | LAN Lite |
Where Gigabit access ports and a 10 Gigabit uplink are required, the Catalyst 2960S-48FPD-L is a later generation built for that job. The current-generation counterpart at this port count is a Catalyst 9300 48-port model, part of the wider Catalyst 9300 family.
Support position for this series
This page carries no lifecycle dates because no Cisco end-of-life notice for the Catalyst 2960-Plus series exists in our verified sources. Dates appear on our other Catalyst 2960 pages only where a named Cisco announcement supports them, and applying that rule consistently means this section has a gap in it rather than an approximation.
Confirm the specific part number against Cisco's own end-of-life listing before planning support. The practical position for a Fast Ethernet platform of this vintage is continuity cover from held spares, which is how the remaining installed base is generally supported in any case.
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 immediately before packing, with all 48 access ports and both uplink pairs verified. 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 mounting hardware are separate line items unless quoted with the switch. Cisco software entitlement does not transfer with used hardware.
Frequently Asked Questions
How oversubscribed is a Catalyst 2960-Plus 48TC-L?
About 2.4 to 1. Forty-eight access ports capped at 100 Mbps total 4.8 Gbps against 2 Gbps of usable uplink across the two combo pairs. The same two uplinks behind 48 Gigabit ports would sit at 24 to 1, which is why a Fast Ethernet access layer of this size rarely felt constrained by its uplink in normal office use.
Is 48 ports the largest Catalyst 2960-Plus switch available?
Yes, and it is also the largest manageable unit in the series, because nothing in this range stacks. Where a stacking sub-series lets two smaller switches present as one logical device, here 48 ports in a single chassis is the maximum available under one configuration and one management address.
Does the Catalyst 2960-Plus 48TC-L supply Power over Ethernet?
No. The T marks a data-only chassis with no power controller and no budget, and the capability cannot be added later. Powered devices behind this switch need midspan injectors, local adapters or a separate powered switch. In the same range the PC and LC models provide power at 370 W and 123 W respectively.
How many uplink connections can this switch make at once?
Two. Each of the two combo uplinks holds one SFP slot and one 1000BASE-T copper port, with one port active per pair, so four connectors present two usable paths. The arrangement lets a single part number serve either a fibre closet or a copper one, but it cannot be configured to run four simultaneous links.
What is checked on a refurbished 2960-Plus 48TC-L?
All forty-eight access ports and both uplink pairs are exercised on the outbound bench pass, after the chassis has been rebuilt and configured to the order. An earlier pass on receipt establishes that the hardware is sound before it enters stock, with cleaning and inventory in between. Condition is graded per serial and disclosed on the listing. The catalogue is on the Cisco networking hardware page.
