Cisco WS-C3850-24P-S Catalyst

Cisco WS-C3850-24P-S Catalyst Overview

The Cisco WS-C3850-24P-S is a high-performance, stackable, and intelligent enterprise-grade access switch designed to deliver secure and scalable connectivity in demanding network environments. As part of the widely deployed Cisco Catalyst 3850 Switch family, this model combines powerful Layer 2/3 capabilities with robust PoE+ support and full-stack integration. It is especially well-suited for mid-sized and large organizations seeking to enhance their campus or branch-level infrastructure.

Whether used in corporate offices, educational institutions, or government sectors, the WS-C3850-24P-S provides flexible, energy-efficient switching while maintaining optimal performance and centralized control through Cisco’s advanced management platforms.

Key Features of the Cisco WS-C3850-24P-S

1. 24 PoE+ Ports with Simplified Device Deployment

This 24 port PoE+ switch complies with IEEE 802.3at standards, delivering up to 30W per port. It powers and connects various network devices, including VoIP phones, wireless access points, and surveillance cameras, directly via Ethernet cables. This eliminates the need for separate power lines, reducing infrastructure complexity and simplifying cable management.

The total PoE power budget supports a wide range of devices simultaneously, making it ideal for dense deployment scenarios such as conference rooms, smart classrooms, and open-plan offices.

2. Intelligent Layer 2 and Layer 3 Switching

The WS-C3850-24P-S runs on the Cisco IOS IP Base image, offering a wide suite of Layer 2 capabilities like VLANs, Spanning Tree Protocol (STP), and Port Aggregation. It also includes basic Layer 3 functionality such as static routing and limited multicast support (PIM stub, IGMP).

With support for up to 255 VLANs and dynamic port-based segmentation, the switch helps administrators optimize traffic flow, isolate sensitive workloads, and enforce logical boundaries across network segments. It serves as a versatile Cisco Layer 3 switch in hybrid or distributed topologies.

3. StackWise-480 Technology for Scalability

Using Cisco’s StackWise-480 architecture, up to nine WS-C3850 switches can be stacked together with a total throughput of 480 Gbps. This stackable managed switch design simplifies network expansion and supports centralized configuration, unified updates, and seamless redundancy.

All members of the stack are managed as one logical device, reducing operational complexity and lowering Total Cost of Ownership (TCO) in both small and large environments.

4. High Performance for Demanding Workloads

The switch provides non-blocking switching performance with up to 480 Gbps of stack bandwidth and a forwarding rate of 130.95 million packets per second (Mpps). This ensures consistent performance across all ports—even under heavy load—supporting applications such as high-definition video streaming, cloud synchronization, and unified communication platforms.

Its architecture enables smooth packet forwarding and reliable throughput, which is essential for latency-sensitive workloads in business-critical environments.

5. Robust Enterprise-Grade Security

Security is a priority for enterprise networks, and the WS-C3850-24P-S includes industry-standard protocols and mechanisms to ensure device and data protection. With 802.1X authentication, dynamic VLAN assignment, and port security, the switch enables access control at the network edge.

It also supports DHCP snooping, IP Source Guard, and Dynamic ARP Inspection (DAI), protecting against common Layer 2 threats such as spoofing and man-in-the-middle attacks.

6. Advanced Monitoring and Management Tools

Cisco provides a comprehensive suite of tools for managing and monitoring the WS-C3850-24P-S. These include Cisco DNA Center and Cisco Prime Infrastructure, offering centralized visibility, automation, and policy enforcement. The switch also supports SNMP, RMON, syslog, and CLI for granular diagnostics and configuration.

Flexible NetFlow is another powerful feature that enables in-depth traffic analysis and behavior monitoring. It provides real-time insights into bandwidth usage and application-level trends, empowering network teams to fine-tune performance and security.

7. Resilient Design and Environmental Tolerance

The switch is designed to operate in diverse environments with temperatures ranging from 0°C to 40°C (32°F to 104°F) and relative humidity from 10% to 95% (non-condensing). This makes it suitable for use in server rooms, IT closets, classrooms, and corporate facilities.

Its compact 1RU rack-mountable form factor and field-replaceable power supplies offer flexible deployment and ensure long-term reliability with minimal downtime.

Technical Specifications Summary

Conclusion

The Cisco WS-C3850-24P-S is an ideal enterprise network switch for businesses seeking a scalable, secure, and intelligent solution at the access layer. With strong PoE+ support, StackWise technology, and Layer 3 features, it combines high availability with advanced control mechanisms to support the demands of growing enterprise networks.

Its rich feature set and centralized management make it an excellent long-term investment for organizations upgrading legacy infrastructure or expanding into next-gen digital architectures.

For more technical details, please refer to the
official Cisco datasheet.