Cisco WS-C3850-12S-E - Catalyst 3850 12-Port SFP Switch (IP Services)
The Cisco WS-C3850-12S-E is part of the Catalyst 3850 Series, designed to unify wired and wireless access on a single platform. With 12 Gigabit SFP ports, modular uplink options, and IP Services licensing, it provides secure, scalable, and resilient networking for enterprise access and aggregation layers.
🔧 Key Specifications
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Ports: 12x 10/100/1000 SFP optical ports (fiber-based, non-PoE)
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Feature Set: IP Services (advanced Layer 3 routing: OSPF, EIGRP, BGP, PBR)
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Uplinks: Modular uplink slot supporting C3850-NM-4-1G or C3850-NM-2-10G modules
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Switching Capacity: 68 Gbps
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Forwarding Rate: 50.5 Mpps
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Stacking: StackWise-480 technology (up to 9 switches, 480 Gbps stack bandwidth)
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Memory: 4 GB RAM, 2 GB Flash
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Dimensions: 1.75 x 17.5 x 17.7 in (1RU rack-mountable)
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Weight: ~15.48 lb
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Reliability: Redundant fans, hot-swappable power supplies, StackPower support for power sharing
🧩 Ideal Use Cases
- Enterprise fiber aggregation and distribution layers
- Campus or branch deployments requiring secure, high-speed fiber connectivity
- Advanced Layer 3 routing with IP Services for complex enterprise networks
- Unified wired and wireless management with Cisco DNA architecture
⚙️ Licensing & Expansion
The WS-C3850-12S-E runs Cisco IOS XE software with IP Services, enabling advanced routing protocols, policy-based routing, and full IPv6 support. Expansion is enabled through modular uplink options and StackWise-480 technology, allowing seamless scalability and simplified administration.
