The Cisco Catalyst 2960XR-48TD-I is a 48-port Gigabit switch with 2 SFP+ uplink slots, the IP Lite image and no Power over Ethernet on any access port. Its two internal supply bays make it the data-only 2960 to specify where one failed supply must not be allowed to take a closet down, particularly where 10 Gigabit uplinks are also part of the requirement.
Forty-eight ports behind one supply is a large blast radius
The case for internal redundancy scales with what the switch carries. A 24-port switch losing a power supply takes 24 endpoints offline. This chassis carries 48 access ports and up to 20 Gbps of uplink, and in an aggregation position it may also be the path for several other switches below it. A single failed module in that position is a significant outage, and it is the specific problem the second bay solves.
Because there is no Power over Ethernet on this model, the second supply is pure availability. There is no additional PoE budget to unlock and no watts to weigh against the cost, which makes the decision unusually clean: fit it where an outage matters, leave the bay empty where it does not, and change the answer later if the room changes.
| Specification | Catalyst 2960XR-48TD-I |
|---|---|
| Access ports | 48 x 10/100/1000 Ethernet |
| Power over Ethernet | None |
| Uplinks | 2 x SFP+, 1/10 Gbps |
| Aggregate uplink capacity | 20 Gbps |
| Software image | IP Lite |
| Second-supply rating | 250 W |
| Power supply bays | 2, field-replaceable, one populated by default |
| Stacking | FlexStack-Plus, 80 Gbps, 8 members |
The 250 W figure in that table is what Cisco's specification carries in the second-supply column for the data-only XR models. It describes a chassis drawing power for itself, its optics and its cooling, not a Power over Ethernet budget, because this model has none.
Twenty gigabits out of a 48-port chassis
The 2 SFP+ slots run at either 1 or 10 Gbps, giving up to 20 Gbps of aggregate uplink behind 48 Gigabit access ports for a ratio of roughly 2.4 to 1. That is a good deal healthier than the 12 to 1 four Gigabit uplinks would provide, and it is the reason this model turns up in aggregation and server-room positions rather than in ordinary wiring closets.
The slots accept Gigabit optics too, so a site can install the switch behind an existing core and raise the uplinks when the core is refreshed. On a chassis chosen for a long, resilient service life, that flexibility is part of the same argument as the second power supply.
IP Lite and the XR stacking domain
The trailing I marks IP Lite, the image every Catalyst 2960-XR carries and the tier above the LAN Base image used across the 2960-X family. FlexStack-Plus runs at 80 Gbps across up to eight members, and the stack is a single logical switch. The constraint to remember is that a 2960-XR stacks only with other 2960-XR switches; it will not join a 2960-X, 2960-S or 2960-SF stack in either direction.
In an aggregation position that boundary is usually academic, because the switch is not being stacked with an access closet in the first place. It becomes expensive when a site assumes otherwise and orders a mixed set for a single stack, which is why it is worth confirming at the purchase order rather than at the rack. Stacking modules and cables are separate parts in every case.
Where the 48TD-I sits in the 2960-XR range
Among the 48-port XR models this one takes the faster uplinks and no power at all, which is the configuration an aggregation position usually wants.
| Model | Uplinks | PoE budget | Second-supply rating |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2960XR-48TD-I | 2 x SFP+, 10 Gbps | None | 250 W |
| 2960XR-48TS-I | 4 x SFP, 1 Gbps | None | 250 W |
| 2960XR-48LPD-I | 2 x SFP+, 10 Gbps | 370 W | 640 W |
Where internal redundancy is not required, the Catalyst 2960X-48FPD-L is the LAN Base equivalent with a 740 W budget and the same uplink layout. The current-generation successor line is the Catalyst 9300 family, and the routing tier for a site with this kind of resilience requirement is normally a Cisco ISR 4331.
Lifecycle and support horizon
Cisco announced this model in end-of-life notice EOL13602 covering the Catalyst 2960-XR product family. End-of-Sale for the hardware was 31 October 2022, the Last Ship Date was 30 January 2023 and End of Software Maintenance was 31 October 2023. The Last Date of Support and End of Vulnerability and Security Support both fall on 31 October 2027, with End of Service Contract Renewal on 29 January 2027.
Every one of those dates matches the Catalyst 2960-X family notice, so the XR carries no calendar advantage. What it carries is a second supply bay, and on a 48-port data-only chassis in an aggregation position that is a materially different proposition from a longer support window in any case.
Condition, testing and what ships
Refurbished enterprise hardware bearing the original Cisco part number. Each unit is tested on receipt, then disassembled, cleaned, inventoried and returned to stock; on order it is rebuilt to the requested specification, configured and bench tested again immediately before packing, with each fitted supply exercised individually. Whole systems including this switch carry the 2-year Enterasource warranty, with free FedEx Ground delivery to the lower 48 states.
The supply count is confirmed at order rather than assumed. SFP+ transceivers, stacking modules and cables are separate line items, and Cisco software entitlement does not transfer with used hardware.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why does a data-only switch need two power supplies?
Because the outage a failed supply causes scales with what the switch carries. This chassis holds 48 access ports and up to 20 Gbps of uplink, and in an aggregation position it may be the path for other switches beneath it. Losing it to a single failed module is a large event, and the second bay removes that failure mode entirely without an external chassis.
What is the uplink ratio on a Catalyst 2960XR-48TD-I?
Roughly 2.4 to 1. Forty-eight Gigabit access ports total 48 Gbps against up to 20 Gbps of aggregate uplink across the two SFP+ slots. Four Gigabit uplinks in the same position would give 12 to 1, so this configuration is markedly better suited to aggregation work or a server room than to a conventional access closet.
Does the 250 W figure mean this switch can supply PoE?
No. This model has no Power over Ethernet on any access port. The 250 W appears in the second-supply column of Cisco's specification for the data-only XR models and reflects the chassis drawing power for itself, its optics and its cooling. Powered endpoints behind this switch need injectors or a separate powered switch.
Will a 2960XR-48TD-I stack with the 2960-X switches already in my rack?
No. The Catalyst 2960-XR forms its own stacking domain and stacks only with other 2960-XR switches, in either direction. The backward compatibility that allows a 2960-X to stack with a 2960-S does not extend to the XR, so an XR added to an existing 2960-X stack becomes a separate device with its own configuration and address.
How are the power supplies on a refurbished 2960XR-48TD-I verified?
Each fitted module is exercised on its own during both bench passes, once on receipt and once after the chassis has been rebuilt and configured to the order. How many supplies are present is recorded against that specific unit and published on its listing, since these switches leave Cisco with one bay filled and a used chassis may carry either one or two. The range is on the Cisco networking hardware page.
