Network switch Cisco Catalyst WS-C3850-24U-S-RFB — Managed L2/L3, 24x Gigabit PoE RJ-45, 1U, stainless steel

The Cisco Catalyst 3850 Series Switches are enterprise-class stackable access-layer switches that deliver converged wired and wireless services on a single Cisco IOS XE platform. Powered by the Unified Access Data Plane (UADP) ASIC, the switches support uniform policy enforcement, application visibility and optimization, and stacking with Cisco StackWise-480. Models support IEEE 802.3at PoE+, Cisco UPOE, modular field-replaceable modules, redundant fans and power supplies.

Advantages

The Catalyst 3850 enables unified wired and wireless access on one platform, simplifying management with a single software image and CLI. It provides high availability through Stateful Switchover (SSO) on stacks, hardware-based QoS, Flexible NetFlow visibility for wired and wireless traffic, and distributed wireless controller functions for scalable deployments. StackPower lets power supplies be pooled across up to four switches for power sharing or redundancy.

Key specifications

• Switch models: 24-port and 48-port variants (48-port provides up to 40 Gbps wireless throughput; 24-port provides up to 20 Gbps)
• UADP application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC) for wired+wireless policy and hardware QoS
• Stacking: Cisco StackWise-480, up to 4 switches, 480 Gbps stack bandwidth
• Power: IEEE 802.3at PoE+ support; Cisco Universal Power over Ethernet (UPOE) supported on applicable models
• Power sharing: Cisco StackPower technology (up to 4 switches in StackPower stack; power-sharing and redundancy modes)
• Wireless roles: Mobility Agent (default) and Mobility Controller (CLI-enabled; IP Base license required)
• Traffic monitoring: Flexible NetFlow (FNF) for wired and wireless flows
• QoS: Hierarchical bandwidth management, CoS/DSCP queuing, policing, shaping, marking
• Security: IEEE 802.1x, DHCP snooping, IP Source Guard, control plane protection, WIPS support, session-aware networking with Cisco ISE
• Ports and interfaces: Basic RJ-45 Ethernet ports (24-port model listed); console port: RJ-45; supported speeds 10/100/1000BASE-T
• MAC address table: up to 32,000 entries; switching capacity: 92 Gbit/s
• Form factor: 1U rackmountable, stackable
• Management and protocols: Web-based management, RMON I/II, SNMPv1/v2c/v3
• Warranty and software: Cisco Enhanced Limited Lifetime Hardware Warranty (E-LLW) with NBD replacement where available and 90 days of 8x5 TAC support; software maintenance policy varies by license

How to use

Install the switch in a standard 1U rack and connect power and network cabling. Configure stacking and StackPower using the appropriate cables if you plan to combine multiple units; StackWise-480 is used for data stacking while StackPower uses a separate connector for power pooling. Deploy the switch as a Mobility Agent by default to terminate CAPWAP tunnels from access points; enable Mobility Controller mode via the CLI and ensure IP Base licensing when required. Use the Cisco IOS XE CLI or web management tools to configure QoS, Flexible NetFlow, security features (802.1x, DHCP snooping, IP Source Guard), and downloadable policies from Cisco ISE as needed. For firmware updates and feature licensing, follow Cisco's software policy for the applicable license level or obtain SMARTnet for IP Services image updates.

Recommendations

For typical deployments, use the Catalyst 3850 as mobility agents in wiring closets for distributed control and add mobility controllers centrally for advanced functions. When deploying stacks, configure StackPower for either redundancy or pooled power depending on availability needs, and ensure required software licenses (IP Base or higher) are in place for controller features and StackPower use.