Q1: What is the primary difference between the C9200-24P-A and the C9200L-24P-4G-A?
A: The C9200-24P-A is a modular switch with a hot-swappable uplink slot, field-replaceable (FRU) cooling fans, higher stacking bandwidth (160 Gbps vs. 80 Gbps), and support for up to 4 Virtual Networks in SD-Access. In contrast, the C9200L-24P-4G-A is a fixed-configuration model with built-in uplinks, non-replaceable fans, and support for only 1 Virtual Network.
Q2: Which uplink modules are compatible with the C9200-24P-A?
A: It supports the C9200-NM-4G (4×1G SFP) and C9200-NM-4X (4×1/10G SFP+) modules. Higher-speed modules such as 25G or 40G are not supported on this model.
Q3: What routing protocols are unlocked with the Network Advantage license?
A: The Network Advantage license enables full enterprise routing, including EIGRP, IS-IS, and full OSPF, along with advanced segmentation features such as VRF, VXLAN, and full SD-Access fabric edge capabilities.
Q4: How much PoE+ power does the C9200-24P-A provide?
A: It includes a 600W AC power supply (PWR-C6-600WAC) with a 370W PoE+ budget. Adding a second 600W power supply increases the total PoE+ budget to 740W for higher-density deployments.
Q5: Can I replace the cooling fans if one fails?
A: Yes. The switch uses field-replaceable (FRU) redundant fans, allowing hot-swapping without interrupting network operations.
Q6: Why is the 6 MB packet buffer significant?
A: The 6 MB packet buffer helps absorb sudden traffic bursts, preventing packet loss and maintaining low latency, which is essential for real-time applications like voice, video, and Wi-Fi 6 traffic.
Q7: Does this switch support BGP routing?
A: No. BGP is not supported on standard Catalyst 9200 or 9200L series switches and is only available on Catalyst 9200CX models.
Q8: Can I stack the C9200-24P-A with my existing C9200L switches?
A: No. Mixed stacking is not supported. The C9200-24P-A can only be stacked with other modular C9200 switches using StackWise-160 technology.
Q9: Why do system integrators and resellers prefer stocking the modular C9200-24P-A?
A: Its modular design allows resellers to stock a single chassis and customize uplinks as needed, enabling faster fulfillment of diverse customer requirements without holding multiple fixed configurations.
Q10: What is the forwarding performance of this switch?
A: It delivers a switching capacity of 128 Gbps and a forwarding rate of 95.23 Mpps, ensuring consistent wire-speed performance.
Q11: What warranty is included?
A: The switch is covered by the Cisco Enhanced Limited Lifetime Hardware Warranty (E-LLW), which includes Next-Business-Day (NBD) hardware replacement where available to minimize downtime.