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How Cisco Licensing Impacts Catalyst 9300X Model Selection | Enterprise Guide

Selene Gong

Selecting the right Cisco Catalyst 9300X model goes beyond hardware specifications. The licensing tier—Network Essentials (-E) vs. Network Advantage (-A)—dictates your network architecture, stacking capabilities, and long-term budget. Making the wrong choice can lead to feature gaps, deployment delays, or stack initialization failures. This guide helps IT decision-makers and network engineers navigate these choices with minimal risk.

Part 1: Understanding Catalyst 9300X Licensing
Part 2: Essentials vs Advantage – Key Differences
Part 3: Strategic Implications for SD-Access and Stacking
Part 4: Budget, DNA Subscriptions, and Long-Term Planning
Part 5: Verification and Practical Checks
Part 6: RS Advantage for Safe Procurement
Part 7: FAQ – Common Licensing Questions

Cisco Licensing Impacts Catalyst 9300X Model Selection

Part 1: Understanding Catalyst 9300X Licensing

Cisco Catalyst 9300X switches include both hardware and mandatory license components: a perpetual network license and a term-based software subscription (DNA or Catalyst software). Licensing defines the switch's capabilities:

Network Essentials (-E): Designed for basic Layer 2/3 deployments. Supports RIP, OSPF (up to 1k routes), and EIGRP Stub.
Network Advantage (-A): Enables full Layer 3 routing (BGP, EIGRP, OSPF, IS-IS), segmentation (MPLS, VXLAN), and is required for SD-Access.
Catalyst 9300L (-L): Fixed uplinks, cost-effective for static deployments, suitable when modular uplinks are unnecessary.

Understanding the licensing is crucial because all stack members must share the same license level to avoid initialization errors and configuration restrictions.

Part 2: Essentials vs Advantage – Key Differences

The table below highlights the key differences between the two licensing tiers:

Feature	Network Essentials (-E)	Network Advantage (-A)
Routing	RIP, OSPF (1k routes), EIGRP Stub	Full BGP, OSPF, EIGRP, IS-IS
Segmentation	Private VLAN	VRF, VXLAN, MPLS
SD-Access	Not Supported	Full Support
Stacking	Essentials members only	Advantage members only
Security	MACsec-128	MACsec-256

Part 3: Strategic Implications for SD-Access and Stacking

SD-Access Requirement: Advantage (-A) licenses are mandatory for policy-based automation, segmentation, and participation in Cisco DNA fabrics. Essentials (-E) cannot support these features.
Stacking Rule – License Parity: Mixing -E and -A switches in a StackWise stack will fail or experience severe limitations. Always verify license parity before integrating new switches.

Practical deployment tip: Before expanding a stack, document existing license tiers and match new switch purchases accordingly.

Part 4: Budget, DNA Subscriptions, and Long-Term Planning

Purchasing Catalyst 9300X switches involves hardware + mandatory DNA subscriptions:

Initial Cost: Advantage models typically cost more upfront than Essentials due to advanced software.
Renewal Cost: DNA Advantage subscriptions are more expensive. If expired, the perpetual Network Advantage license still allows core routing but loses Catalyst Center automation.
High Security (HSEC): Some high-throughput IPsec or MACsec scenarios require HSEC add-ons with Smart Licensing Authorization Codes (SLAC).

Part 5: Verification and Practical Checks

CLI Commands for License Status:

show license usage – Displays entitlements in use and enforcement type.
show license summary – Quick glance at evaluation or authorization state.
show license status – For Smart Licensing, confirms CSSM communication.

GUI Option:

Cisco Catalyst Center – Monitors license consumption and RUM reports across inventory.

Part 6: RS Advantage for Safe Procurement

Planning for licensing and stack compliance is easier with Router-Switch:

Wide product range & global stock – All Catalyst 9300X variants available.
Fast worldwide delivery (1–5 days) – Ensures deployment timelines are met.
EOL/EOSL visibility – Use RS EOL/EOSL Checker to avoid unsupported hardware.
SKU & license verification – IT-Price.com shows stock, SKU details, and license information for each switch.

Part 7: FAQ – Common Licensing Questions

Q1.What happens if my DNA subscription expires?

The switch continues to operate on its perpetual license (Essentials or Advantage). Catalyst Center automation and analytics are disabled, but core routing functions remain active.