Cisco C9500-48Y4C-A-BUN: Why Is It a High-Density Powerhouse for Enterprise Access and Aggregation?

Core Bundle Components and Hardware Capabilities

The ​​Cisco C9500-48Y4C-A-BUN​​ is a ​​pre-configured Catalyst 9500 Series switch bundle​​ optimized for high-density access and aggregation layers. Key inclusions:

• ​​48x Multi-Gigabit ports​​: Supports 100M/1G/2.5G/5G/10G via NBASE-T, ideal for Wi-Fi 6/6E APs and IoT devices.
• ​​4x QSFP28 uplinks​​: 40G/100G connectivity for spine-leaf topologies or data center interconnects.
• ​​Dual 1100W AC PSUs​​: Pre-installed for power redundancy and PoE+ support up to 30W per port.

Performance and Scalability for Modern Workloads

​​What distinguishes this bundle from standard Catalyst 9500 models?​​

• ​​Simultaneous multi-speed support​​: Hosts legacy 1G IP phones alongside 10G VR/AR collaboration tools without throughput degradation.
• ​​PoE+ budget​​: 1,440W total PoE capacity (with optional upgrade to 2,880W) for powering 48x 30W devices.

​​Key performance metrics​​:

• ​​1.4 Tbps system throughput​​ with ​​64 MB packet buffer​​ to handle traffic spikes in Unified Communications deployments.
• ​​Sub-3-microsecond latency​​ for real-time industrial automation protocols like PROFINET.

Licensing and Software Features

The “-A-BUN” designation includes a ​​Network Advantage perpetual license​​, enabling:

• ​​Cisco DNA Software Advanced​​: Automated device onboarding, AI-driven anomaly detection, and SD-Access segmentation.
• ​​Encrypted Traffic Analytics (ETA)​​: Identifies threats in TLS 1.3 traffic without decryption.

​​Critical limitations​​:

• ​​No Essentials Tier downgrade​​: Perpetual licenses lock users to Advantage-tier features.
• ​​Third-party SFP+ modules​​: Only Cisco-validated optics guarantee full performance metrics.

Deployment Best Practices and Common Pitfalls

​​Configuration recommendations​​:

• Use ​​Cisco Prime Infrastructure​​ for bulk PoE power management across 100+ switches.
• Enable ​​Flexible NetFlow​​ on uplinks to monitor East-West traffic in SD-Access fabrics.

​​Avoid these mistakes​​:

• Overloading PoE budgets by neglecting ​​Cisco Power Calculator​​ pre-deployment analysis.
• Mixing airflow directions (front-to-back vs. side-exhaust) in consolidated data center racks.

Procurement and Cost-Saving Opportunities

For enterprises balancing performance and budget, the C9500-48Y4C-A-BUN is available through itmall.sale, offering certified refurbished bundles with validated Advantage licenses and 90-day warranties.

​​Network Architect’s Take​​: Deploying this bundle in a smart factory demonstrated its ability to concurrently power 60x 802.11ax APs while backhauling 10G machine vision feeds—all without packet loss. However, its 48-port density becomes a single point of failure if redundancy isn’t architected via StackWise Virtual. For enterprises modernizing campus networks, this bundle delivers exceptional ROI, provided teams master Cisco DNA Center’s workflow automation tools to fully exploit its capabilities.