Cisco C9500-24Y4C-1A: Why Is It a Versatile Choice for Multi-Speed Enterprise Switching?

Core Hardware Specifications

The ​​Cisco C9500-24Y4C-1A​​ is a ​​24-port fixed-configuration switch​​ from the Catalyst 9500 Series, optimized for hybrid network environments requiring flexible speed support. Key hardware attributes include:

• ​​24x Multi-Gigabit ports​​: Supports 100M/1G/2.5G/5G/10G speeds via ​​NBASE-T technology​​, ideal for legacy and modern devices.
• ​​4x QSFP28 uplinks​​: 40G/100G connectivity for high-bandwidth aggregation or spine-leaf topologies.
• ​​Dual modular PSU slots​​: Hot-swappable AC/DC power supplies (sold separately) for N+1 redundancy.

Performance and Scalability Insights

​​What workloads justify this switch?​​

• ​​High-density Wi-Fi 6/6E deployments​​: Powers and connects 50+ access points with PoE+ (30W per port).
• ​​Mixed-speed data centers​​: Aggregates 10G storage traffic while linking to 100G core switches.

​​Throughput and buffering​​:

• ​​1.4 Tbps system capacity​​ with ​​48 MB shared buffer​​ to handle traffic bursts in VoIP or video collaboration.
• ​​Sub-5-microsecond latency​​ for financial trading or real-time analytics clusters.

Licensing and Software Capabilities

The “-1A” suffix denotes an ​​Advantage-tier license​​, unlocking:

• ​​Cisco DNA Software Advanced​​: AI-driven network analytics, SD-Access automation, and encrypted traffic visibility.
• ​​Cisco ThousandEyes Integration​​: Proactive WAN/LAN performance monitoring.

​​Critical limitations​​:

• Downgrading to ​​Essentials Tier​​ disables encrypted traffic analysis and API-driven automation.
• ​​No license portability​​: Licenses are tied to the switch’s serial number.

Deployment Best Practices and Pitfalls

​​Common configuration errors​​:

• Assigning ​​5G speeds to non-NBASE-T devices​​, causing negotiation failures.
• Overloading PoE budgets by neglecting ​​Cisco Power Calculator​​ pre-planning.

​​Optimization tips​​:

• Use ​​FlexStack-Enhanced​​ to stack up to eight C9500 switches with 480G stacking bandwidth.
• Enable ​​MACsec on 100G uplinks​​ for secure data center interconnects.

Availability and Cost Considerations

For enterprises balancing performance and budget, the C9500-24Y4C-1A is available through itmall.sale, offering Cisco-verified refurbished units with warranty-backed Advantage licenses.

​​Field Experience​​: Deploying this switch in a hospital network underscored its versatility—supporting 10G MRI imaging systems while powering 200+ IP phones. However, its lack of native 25G BASE-T support forces costly SFP28 adapters for 25G server links. For enterprises juggling multi-speed needs and PoE demands, the C9500-24Y4C-1A is a robust workhorse, provided you factor in redundant 1100W PSUs for mission-critical uptime.