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Cisco Catalyst 3850 Series Switches: Features, Models, Controllers and StackWise-480

Stackable Catalyst 3850 Series multigigabit and 10Gb switches supports Cisco StackWise-480 Technology which allowed them stack with up to 9 switches and support 480 Gbps stackable bandwidth.

Cisco Catalyst 3850 Series Features

As an integrated wireless controller, Cisco Catalyst 3850 series switch also supports for up to 100 access points and 2000 wireless clients on each switching entity (switch or stack). It supports higher performance than 3650 series.

Besides, 3850 series support Cisco StackPower technology, dual redundant, modular power supplies and three modular fans providing redundancy.

Cisco Catalyst 3850 series support Network Modules to deliver various uplink ports options. The Network Modules include C3850-NM-4-1G, C3850-NM-2-10G and C3850-NM-4-10G.

Cisco Catalyst 3850 Series Models

With LAN Base Software

Models	Total GE Ethernet Ports	Total Multi-Gigabit Ethernet Ports	Default AC Power Supply/ Available PoE Power	Optional Network Module	Stack Power
WS-C3850-24T-L	24	-	350 W, no PoE	4 x 1 GE 2 x 10 GE	Yes*
WS-C3850-48T-L	48	-	350 W, no PoE	4 x 1 GE 2 x 10 GE 4 x 10 GE	Yes*
WS-C3850-24P-L	24 PoE+	-	715 W, 435 W	4 x 1 GE 2 x 10 GE	Yes*
WS-C3850-48P-L	48 PoE+	-	715 W, 435 W	4 x 1 GE 2 x 10 GE 4 x 10 GE	Yes*
WS-C3850-48F-L	48 PoE+	-	1100 W, 800 W	4 x 1 GE 2 x 10 GE	Yes*
WS-C3850-24U-L	24 UPOE	-	1100 W, 800 W	4 x 1 GE 2 x 10 GE	Yes*
WS-C3850-48U-L	48 UPOE	-	1100 W, 800 W	4 x 1 GE 2 x 10 GE 4 x 10 GE	Yes*
WS-C3850-24XU-L	24 UPOE	24 UPOE	1100 W, 800 W	4 x 1 GE 2 x 10 GE 4 x 10 GE 8 x 10 GE 2 x 40 GE	Yes*
WS-C3850-12X48U-L	36 UPOE	12 UPOE	1100 W, 800 W	4 x 1 GE 2 x 10 GE 4 x 10 GE 8 x 10 GE 2 x 40 GE	Yes*

* LAN Base models require purchase of a separate StackPower cable.

With IP Base Software

Models	Total Gigabit Ethernet (GE) Ports	Total Multi-Gigabit Ethernet Ports	Default AC Power Supply/ Available Power over Ethernet (PoE) Power	Optional Network Module	Stack Power
WS-C3850-24T-S	24	-	350 W, no PoE	4 x 1 GE 2 x 10 GE	Yes
WS-C3850-48T-S	48	-	350 W, no PoE	4 x 1 GE 2 x 10 GE 4 x 10 GE	Yes
WS-C3850-24P-S	24 PoE+	-	715 W, 435 W	4 x 1 GE 2 x 10 GE	Yes
WS-C3850-48P-S	48 PoE+	-	715 W ,435 W	4 x 1 GE 2 x 10 GE 4 x 10 GE	Yes
WS-C3850-48F-S	48 PoE+	-	1100 W, 800 W	4 x 1 GE 2 x 10 GE 4 x 10 GE	Yes
WS-C3850-12S-S	12 Small Form-Factor Pluggable (SFP)	-	350 W, no PoE	4 x 1 GE 2 x 10 GE	Yes
WS-C3850-24S-S	24 SFP	-	350 W, no PoE	4 x 1 GE 2 x 10 GE	Yes
WS-C3850-24U-S	24 UPOE	-	1100 W, 800 W	4 x 1 GE 2 x 10 GE	Yes
WS-C3850-48U-S	48 UPOE	-	1100 W, 800 W	4 x 1 GE 2 x 10 GE 4 x 10 GE	Yes
WS-C3850-24XU-S	24 UPOE	24 UPOE	1100 W, 800 W	4 x 1 GE 2 x 10 GE 4 x 10 GE 8 x 10 GE 2 x 40 GE	Yes
WS-C3850-12X48U-S	36 UPOE	12 UPOE	1100 W, 800 W	4 x 1 GE 2 x 10 GE 4 x 10 GE 8 x 10 GE 2 x 40 GE	Yes

With IP Services Software

Models	Total GE Ethernet Ports	Total Multi-Gigabit Ethernet Ports	Default AC Power Supply/ Available PoE Power	Optional Network Module	Stack Power
WS-C3850-24T-E	24	-	350 W, no PoE	4 x 1 GE 2 x 10 GE	Yes
WS-C3850-48T-E	48	-	350 W, no PoE	4 x 1 GE 2 x 10 GE 4 x 10 GE	Yes
WS-C3850-24P-E	24 PoE+	-	715 W, 435 W	4 x 1 GE 2 x 10 GE	Yes
WS-C3850-48P-E	48 PoE+	-	715 W, 435 W	4 x 1 GE 2 x 10 GE 4 x 10 GE	Yes
WS-C3850-48F-E	48 PoE+	-	1100 W, 800 W	4 x 1 GE 2 x 10 GE 4 x 10 GE	Yes
WS-C3850-12S-E	12 SFP	-	350 W, no PoE	4 x 1 GE 2 x 10 GE	Yes
WS-C3850-24S-E	24 SFP	-	350 W, no PoE	4 x 1 GE 2 x 10 GE	Yes
WS-C3850-24U-E	24 UPOE	-	1100 W, 800 W	4 x 1 GE 2 x 10 GE	Yes
WS-C3850-48U-E	48 UPOE	-	1100 W, 800 W	4 x 1 GE 2 x 10 GE 4 x 10 GE	Yes
WS-C3850-24XU-E	24 UPOE	24 UPOE	1100 W, 800 W	4 x 1 GE 2 x 10 GE 4 x 10 GE 8 x 10 GE 2 x 40 GE	Yes
WS-C3850-12X48U-E	36 UPOE	12 UPOE	1100 W, 800 W	4 x 1 GE 2 x 10 GE 4 x 10 GE 8 x 10 GE 2 x 40 GE	Yes

Integrated Wireless Controllers

Cisco Catalyst 3650 and 3850 series switches are integrated wireless controllers, which are deisgned to manage Access Points more expediently.

Cisco Catalyst 3650 and 3850 series switches

As integrated wireless controllers, Cisco Catalyst 3650 series switches can directly connecte 1-50 APs per switch/stack and 1000 clients per stack, delivering 40 Gbps per switch.

Cisco Catalyst 3850 series switches can directly connecte 1-100 APs per switch/stack and 2000 clients per stack, delivering 40 Gbps per switch.

If the APs are used in small campus or branch, they are suitable to make Catalyst 3650 and 3850 be wireless controllers. These switches also can support POE for those Access Points.

Cisco StackWise-480

The Cisco Catalyst 3850 supports StackWise-480 technology.

Cisco Catalyst 3850 supports StackWise-480

StackWise-480 supports a mixed stack of any Catalyst 3850 models (48 ports 10/100/1000, 24 ports 10/100/1000, and 12/24 Ethernet SFP ports). We can mix the switches with different number of access ports (48, 24, and 12), different type of access ports (copper and fiber, PoE, and non-PoE-capable), and different network modules. But all switches in one stack must have the same version of IOS XE and the same feature set license.

A mixed stack of LAN base switches with IP base or IP services is not supported. Catalyst 3850 Series Switches with a LAN base feature set can only stack with other Catalyst 3850 Series LAN base switches. The same applies to IP base and IP services as well.

Table 1. Cisco StackWise Architecture Comparison

StackWise Technology	Catalyst 3850 StackWise-480	Catalyst 3650 StackWise-160	Catalyst 3750-X StackWise Plus
Stack ports per switch	2	2	2
Ring per stack port	6	2	2
Throughput per ring (bi-directional)	40 Gbps	40 Gbps	16 Gbps
Throughput per stack port/ASIC	240 Gbps	80 Gbps	32 Gbps
Throughput per switch (dual stack ports) with SRP	480 Gbps	160 Gbps	64 Gbps

Reference

Cisco Catalyst 3850 Series Datasheet

Categories: Switches

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