Cisco WS-X4993
Catalyst 4948E Spare Fan Tray
Product Highlights
When a fan tray fails or degrades in a production Cisco Catalyst 4948E switch, every minute of impaired cooling puts your hardware investment at risk. The Cisco WS-X4993 is the genuine spare fan tray engineered specifically for the Catalyst 4948E chassis, delivering reliable front-to-back airflow to keep your switch operating within safe thermal limits.
The WS-X4993 contains four variable-speed, 12 VDC fans whose speed is governed by redundant temperature sensors with six programmable thresholds. If an individual fan fails, the remaining fans automatically increase speed to compensate — giving you time to plan a replacement without an emergency outage. The fan tray mounts in the rear of the Catalyst 4948E chassis between the two power supply bays and is fully hot-swappable, so you can service it without disrupting network traffic.
Designed for front-to-back (port-side exhaust) airflow, the WS-X4993 is color-coded dark grey and is not interchangeable with the WS-X4993-F fan tray used in the Catalyst 4948E-F chassis. Keeping a spare fan tray on hand is a best practice for any environment where the Catalyst 4948E supports business-critical workloads — data centers, financial trading floors, and campus aggregation closets alike.
Features & Benefits
Intelligent Variable-Speed Cooling
The four 12 VDC fans operate at variable speeds controlled by redundant temperature sensors. Six programmable temperature thresholds trigger automatic speed adjustments, ensuring optimal cooling efficiency while minimizing acoustic noise during normal operation.
Automatic Fan Failure Compensation
If an individual fan fails, the remaining fans automatically ramp up to compensate for the lost airflow. This built-in resilience protects your Catalyst 4948E from thermal events and gives your team time to schedule a maintenance window rather than react to an emergency.
Hot-Swappable, Tool-Free Replacement
The WS-X4993 is designed for hot-swap replacement — remove and install the fan tray while the switch remains powered and forwarding traffic. Two captive installation screws secure the tray in the rear of the chassis between the power supply bays, requiring no additional tools.
Front-to-Back Airflow Management
Air is drawn in through vents at the front of the chassis and exhausted through the rear, supporting standard hot-aisle/cold-aisle data center configurations. The dark grey front panel visually distinguishes this tray from the blue WS-X4993-F (back-to-front) variant, preventing incorrect installation.
Deployment Scenarios
Proactive Spare for Data Center Deployments
Data center operators running Catalyst 4948E switches in top-of-rack or server aggregation roles should stock a spare WS-X4993 fan tray. Having a replacement on hand reduces mean time to repair (MTTR) and avoids the risk of thermal shutdown during a fan failure event.
Scheduled Maintenance & Lifecycle Refresh
As the Catalyst 4948E platform has reached end-of-life status, fan trays in long-running deployments may show signs of bearing wear or reduced airflow. Replacing an aging fan tray with a fresh WS-X4993 extends the operational life of the switch while you plan a platform migration.
Financial & Low-Latency Trading Environments
In environments where even brief thermal throttling is unacceptable, maintaining a spare fan tray ensures continuous, uninterrupted cooling. The hot-swappable design allows replacement during market hours without a network outage.
General
Cooling
Physical
Lifecycle
Compatibility Notes
Compatible Chassis:
- Cisco Catalyst 4948E (WS-C4948E)
Not Compatible With:
- Cisco Catalyst 4948E-F (WS-C4948E-F) — requires the WS-X4993-F fan tray instead. The WS-X4993 and WS-X4993-F are not interchangeable; the WS-X4993-F is physically keyed to prevent insertion into the 4948E chassis, and the WS-X4993 is designed exclusively for the standard 4948E.
EOL Notice: The Cisco Catalyst 4948E switch was announced end-of-life on October 31, 2016, with a last support date of October 31, 2022. Catalyst 4948E Switch Accessories reached end-of-sale on October 30, 2020. No direct Cisco replacement product has been announced.
Downloads & Resources
Frequently Asked Questions
| Part Number | Product | Key Difference |
|---|---|---|
| WS-X4993-F | Catalyst 4948E-F Spare Fan Tray | Back-to-front (rear intake, front exhaust) airflow for the Catalyst 4948E-F chassis; blue front panel; not compatible with the standard 4948E. |
| WS-X4991 | Catalyst 4900 Fan Tray (Spare) | Fan tray for the original Catalyst 4948 and 4948-10GE switches; not compatible with the Catalyst 4948E. |
| WS-X4994 | Catalyst 4948E Power Supply Blank Cover | Blank cover for unused power supply bay on the Catalyst 4948E; maintains proper chassis airflow when only one PSU is installed. |