Cisco WS-C3850-12S-E Catalyst

Cisco WS-C3850-12S-E Catalyst – 12-Port SFP Fiber Layer 3 Switch

The Cisco WS-C3850-12S-E is a compact, high-performance fiber switch featuring 12 SFP-based Gigabit Ethernet ports. Tailored for enterprise aggregation and fiber-rich edge deployments, this switch offers advanced Layer 3 capabilities via the IP Services license, full stacking support, and strong security mechanisms. It is ideal for businesses requiring high-density fiber connectivity and routing functionality in mission-critical environments such as campus cores, industrial automation, or service provider access layers.

Core Features of the Cisco WS-C3850-12S-E

1. 12 x Gigabit SFP Ports – Full Fiber Uplink Flexibility

Unlike traditional copper switches, the WS-C3850-12S-E switch features 12 SFP ports designed for fiber optic modules. This makes it ideal for long-range connectivity, high-speed backbone links, and environments with minimal electrical interference—perfect for healthcare centers, data centers, and high-security facilities.

2. IP Services Image – Full Layer 3 Routing

The switch runs on Cisco’s IP Services IOS image, enabling dynamic Layer 3 routing protocols including OSPF, EIGRP, BGP, and VRF-Lite. This makes it suitable for more complex enterprise network designs where Layer 3 segmentation, policy-based routing, and route redistribution are required. With this capability, the switch can serve as a small core or aggregation layer router in distributed networks.

3. StackWise-480 – Unified Fabric Architecture

With support for Cisco StackWise-480, up to nine switches can operate as a single logical unit with 480 Gbps of stack bandwidth. The WS-C3850-12S-E is an ideal fiber-based aggregation switch in stacked topologies, ensuring both flexibility and redundancy without increasing operational overhead.

4. Enterprise-Grade Security & Policy Control

The switch incorporates 802.1X, MACsec, DHCP snooping, and IP Source Guard, ensuring robust endpoint security and dynamic access control. Advanced routing environments benefit from policy-based QoS and ACLs that help enforce traffic segmentation and prioritize critical applications—essential for financial institutions and government deployments in the UAE and MENA region.

5. Flexible NetFlow and Application Visibility

With built-in support for Flexible NetFlow, IT teams gain valuable visibility into traffic flows, application usage, and bandwidth consumption. This data is critical for troubleshooting, capacity planning, and enforcing user-level policies in real time.

6. Compact Form Factor and Resilient Design

With its 1RU size and passive cooling design, the switch is ideal for deployments with limited rack space or noise-sensitive environments. It operates within standard temperature and humidity ranges, ensuring 24/7 reliability in enterprise, industrial, and educational settings.

Conclusion

The Cisco WS-C3850-12S-E Catalyst switch offers a unique combination of fiber flexibility, advanced Layer 3 features, and full-stack support—making it one of the best compact fiber switches in its class. For IT leaders in the UAE and beyond, it provides secure, scalable, and manageable connectivity in high-demand environments where fiber is essential.

Explore the official Cisco product page for more technical documentation.

Also consider similar models like the WS-C3850-24PW-S, WS-C3850-48F-E, and other Catalyst Series Switches.