Cisco WS-C3850-24XU-S
Cisco Catalyst 3850 24 mGig Port UPoE IP Base
Product Highlights
What's Included
(1) PWR-C1-1100WAC
(1) AC Power Cord
(1) Rackmount Kit (C3850-RACK-KIT)
As enterprise networks evolve to support bandwidth-hungry wireless access points, IoT sensors, and high-performance endpoints, the access layer must keep pace — delivering multigigabit speeds and substantial PoE power without compromising manageability or resilience.
The Cisco WS-C3850-24XU-S is a Catalyst 3850 Series stackable access switch featuring 24 multigigabit (100M/1G/2.5G/5G/10G) Cisco UPOE RJ45 ports and the IP Base feature set. Built on Cisco's Unified Access Data Plane (UADP) ASIC, it converges wired and wireless services onto a single Cisco IOS XE platform, enabling consistent policy enforcement, application visibility, and granular QoS across both domains. With a switching capacity of 640 Gbps and a forwarding rate of 500 Mpps, this switch handles the most demanding campus environments with ease.
StackWise-480 technology allows you to stack up to 9 Catalyst 3850 switches with 480 Gbps of stack throughput, managed as a single logical unit with stateful switchover (SSO) for high availability. The integrated wireless controller supports up to 100 access points and 2,000 wireless clients per switching entity. One network module slot provides uplink expansion with options including 8x10G SFP+ or 2x40G QSFP+ modules. Shipped with a 1100WAC power supply, the WS-C3850-24XU-S is ready for high-power UPoE deployments from day one.
Features & Benefits
Multigigabit & UPoE Connectivity
All 24 RJ45 ports support multigigabit speeds (100M/1G/2.5G/5G/10G) with Cisco UPOE delivering up to 60W per port. This enables direct connection of 802.11ac Wave 2 and 802.11ax access points, digital signage, VDI clients, and other high-power devices over standard Cat5e/Cat6 cabling — eliminating the need for separate power infrastructure.
StackWise-480 & StackPower
Cisco StackWise-480 technology delivers 480 Gbps of stacking bandwidth across up to 9 switches, managed as a single logical switch with stateful switchover (SSO) for nonstop forwarding. StackPower enables power pooling or redundancy across stack members, ensuring that a single power supply failure doesn't take down connected PoE devices.
Converged Wired + Wireless Platform
The integrated wireless controller supports up to 100 access points and 2,000 wireless clients per switch or stack, with up to 20 Gbps of wireless throughput on the 24-port model. A single Cisco IOS XE image covers both wired and wireless features, reducing software qualification overhead and simplifying operations.
Modular Uplink Expansion
One hot-swappable network module slot accepts a range of uplink modules including C3850-NM-2-10G, C3850-NM-4-1G, C3850-NM-8x10G, and C3850-NM-2x40G. This lets you tailor uplink capacity to your aggregation or core infrastructure without replacing the switch.
Enterprise-Class Security & Visibility
IP Base licensing delivers robust Layer 2 and Layer 3 features including VLAN ACLs, port-based ACLs, DHCP snooping, Dynamic ARP Inspection, 802.1X authentication, and MACsec 256-bit encryption. Flexible NetFlow provides deep application visibility across wired and wireless traffic for troubleshooting and capacity planning.
Deployment Scenarios
High-Density Wireless Campus Access Layer
Deploy the WS-C3850-24XU-S in wiring closets to power and connect 802.11ac/ax access points at multigigabit speeds. UPOE eliminates the need for local AC power at each AP location, while the integrated wireless controller simplifies management of up to 100 APs per stack.
VDI & Digital Workspace Environments
Thin clients and VDI endpoints benefit from multigigabit throughput and 60W UPOE power delivery. A single cable provides both data and power, reducing desktop cabling complexity in trading floors, healthcare stations, and hot-desking environments.
IoT & Smart Building Edge
Connect and power IoT devices such as IP cameras, environmental sensors, and building automation controllers. Multigigabit speeds future-proof the edge for high-resolution video and analytics workloads, while StackWise-480 provides a unified management plane across distributed closets.
Branch Office Aggregation
Stack multiple WS-C3850-24XU-S units in a branch to create a resilient, high-capacity access layer. StackPower provides power redundancy across members, and the optional 10G/40G uplink modules connect back to the core or WAN edge with ample bandwidth headroom.
General
Ports & Interfaces
Performance
Power
Physical
Environmental
Compliance & Certifications
Compatibility Notes
Network Module Compatibility
- C3850-NM-4-1G — 4x 1GE SFP
- C3850-NM-2-10G — 2x 10GE SFP+
- C3850-NM-8x10G — 8x 10GE SFP+ (supported on multigigabit models)
- C3850-NM-2x40G — 2x 40GE QSFP+ (supported on multigigabit models)
Stacking
- Compatible stacking cables: STACK-T1-50CM, STACK-T1-1M, STACK-T1-3M (StackWise-480); CAB-SPWR-30CM, CAB-SPWR-150CM (StackPower)
- IP Base switches can only stack with other Catalyst 3850 IP Base switches. Mixed stacking with LAN Base or IP Services is not supported.
Software
- Runs Cisco IOS XE Software. Supported versions include Denali 16.3, Everest 16.6, Fuji 16.9, and Gibraltar 16.12 trains.
Power Supplies
- Ships with PWR-C1-1100WAC. Supports a second redundant power supply in bay 2. Compatible supplies: PWR-C1-350WAC, PWR-C1-715WAC, PWR-C1-1100WAC.
End-of-Life Notice
- Cisco announced End-of-Sale for the Catalyst 3850 copper switches. The last day to order was October 30, 2020. Cisco hardware warranty support ends October 31, 2025. The recommended migration path is the Cisco Catalyst 9300 Series.
Downloads & Resources
Frequently Asked Questions
| Part Number | Product | Key Difference |
|---|---|---|
| WS-C3850-24XU-L | Catalyst 3850 24 mGig UPoE LAN Base | LAN Base license — lower-cost option with basic L2/L3 features; cannot stack with IP Base units. |
| WS-C3850-24XU-E | Catalyst 3850 24 mGig UPoE IP Services | IP Services license — adds advanced L3 routing (OSPF, BGP, PIM) for more complex routing requirements. |
| WS-C3850-12X48U-S | Catalyst 3850 48-Port (12 mGig + 36 GE) UPoE IP Base | 48-port model with 12 mGig + 36 GE ports — higher port density when not all ports need multigigabit speeds. |
| C9300-24UXM-A | Catalyst 9300 24-Port mGig UPOE | Next-generation replacement — Cisco's recommended migration path from the C3850 with enhanced performance and ongoing software support. |
