Cisco WS-C4506-E
Catalyst 4500 Chassis (7-Slot),fan, no p/s, Red Sup Capable
Product Highlights
Enterprise networks demand infrastructure that scales without compromise. The Cisco WS-C4506-E is a Catalyst 4500 E-Series 6-slot modular switch chassis engineered for campus access, distribution, and branch-office deployments where flexibility, power delivery, and reliability are non-negotiable.
The WS-C4506-E provides one dedicated supervisor engine slot and five line-card slots, supporting up to 48 Gbps of bandwidth per slot. It accepts the full portfolio of Cisco Catalyst 4500 classic and E-Series line cards — including 10/100, 10/100/1000 Ethernet, Gigabit SFP, and 10 Gigabit Ethernet modules — so you can tailor port density and media types to your exact requirements. With integrated Power over Ethernet capability delivering up to 1,500W per slot, the chassis can power large-scale IP telephony, wireless access point, and surveillance camera deployments without external midspan devices.
Designed for always-on environments, the WS-C4506-E features dual power supply bays for 1+1 redundancy, a factory-installed fan tray, and front-to-back airflow. The chassis ships without a power supply or supervisor engine, giving procurement teams full control over configuration and licensing. As part of the Cisco Catalyst 4500 E-Series family (now End-of-Life), the WS-C4506-E remains a cost-effective choice for organizations maintaining or expanding existing Catalyst 4500 infrastructure.
Features & Benefits
Modular 6-Slot Architecture
The WS-C4506-E provides six expansion slots — one dedicated to a supervisor engine and five available for line cards. This modular design lets you start with the ports you need today and expand incrementally as the network grows, protecting your initial investment while avoiding costly forklift upgrades.
High Per-Slot Bandwidth
Each line-card slot supports up to 48 Gbps of switching bandwidth, enabling wire-speed forwarding across high-density Gigabit and 10 Gigabit Ethernet modules. This ensures consistent application performance even as port utilization climbs.
Integrated Power over Ethernet
With up to 1,500W of PoE budget per slot, the chassis can power a dense deployment of IEEE 802.3af/at devices — IP phones, wireless access points, security cameras, and more — directly from the switch, eliminating the need for separate power injectors and reducing cabling complexity.
Redundant Power & Cooling
Dual power supply bays support 1+1 power redundancy with hot-swappable supplies ranging from 1000W to 4200W AC. The included fan tray provides front-to-back airflow for efficient thermal management. Together, these features help deliver the uptime enterprise environments require.
Broad Line Card Compatibility
The WS-C4506-E accepts all Cisco Catalyst 4500 Series classic and E-Series line cards, including copper RJ-45, SFP, and 10GbE modules. This backward and forward compatibility maximizes reuse of existing modules and simplifies sparing strategies.
Deployment Scenarios
Enterprise Campus Access Layer
Deploy the WS-C4506-E in wiring closets to aggregate access-layer connections from end users. Populate the chassis with high-density 10/100/1000 PoE line cards to power IP phones and wireless APs while delivering Gigabit speeds to every desk.
Small Distribution or Core Layer
In small-to-midsize campus networks, the WS-C4506-E can serve as a compact distribution or small core switch. Pair it with 10 Gigabit Ethernet uplink modules and a Supervisor Engine 7-E or 8-E for Layer 3 routing and advanced QoS services.
Branch Office Consolidation
Consolidate switching, PoE, and routing into a single chassis at remote branch sites. The modular design lets you right-size the deployment while maintaining the same management tools and IOS feature sets used at headquarters.
Existing Catalyst 4500 Infrastructure Expansion
Organizations with an installed base of Catalyst 4500 E-Series switches can add WS-C4506-E chassis to expand capacity without introducing a new platform, preserving operational consistency and reusing existing line cards and spares.
General
Slots & Expansion
Power
Physical
Environmental
Compliance
Lifecycle
Compatibility Notes
Supervisor Engines: The WS-C4506-E supports Supervisor Engines 6-E, 6L-E, 7-E, 7L-E, 8-E, and 8L-E (different supervisors require different IOS/IOS XE software trains).
Line Cards: Compatible with all Cisco Catalyst 4500 Series classic and E-Series switching modules (e.g., WS-X4648-RJ45V+E, WS-X4624-SFP-E, WS-X4712-SFP+E).
Power Supplies (ordered separately): Supports PWR-C45-1000AC, PWR-C45-1400AC, PWR-C45-1300ACV, PWR-C45-2800ACV, and PWR-C45-4200ACV.
Fan Tray: Ships with fan tray (WS-X4596-E) pre-installed.
Note: This product has reached End-of-Life (EOL). The Cisco-recommended migration path is to the Cisco Catalyst 9400 Series (e.g., C9407R for a comparable slot count).
Downloads & Resources
Frequently Asked Questions
| Part Number | Product | Key Difference |
|---|---|---|
| WS-C4503-E | Catalyst 4503-E 3-Slot Chassis | Smaller 3-slot / 7RU form factor for lower-density wiring closets; 2 line-card slots vs. 5 on the 4506-E. |
| WS-C4507R+E | Catalyst 4507R+E 7-Slot Chassis | 7-slot chassis with redundant supervisor engine support (1+1 SSO) for higher availability requirements. |
| WS-C4510R+E | Catalyst 4510R+E 10-Slot Chassis | 10-slot chassis for maximum port density; supports redundant supervisors and up to 8 line-card slots. |
| C9407R | Cisco Catalyst 9407R 7-Slot Chassis | Cisco-recommended next-generation replacement; supports Catalyst 9400 line cards, UADP 2.0 ASIC, and DNA licensing. |
