Cisco WS-C3650-48FQM-L | Catalyst 3650 48-Port Gigabit PoE+ Switch, 775W, 4x 10G SFP+

Q: What is the difference between the WS-C3650-48FQM-L and standard 3650 models?
A: The 48FQM is part of the Catalyst 3650 Mini series with a compact 12-inch depth, making it ideal for tight wiring closets. It features fixed power supply and fans (with optional RPS2300 redundancy) rather than modular components, while maintaining all the same Layer 2/Layer 3 and wireless controller capabilities as standard 3650 models.

Q: What does the LAN Base license include?
A: The LAN Base feature set provides comprehensive Layer 2 switching including VLANs, STP, RSTP, link aggregation, basic QoS, and integrated wireless LAN controller functionality for up to 25 access points. It does not include advanced Layer 3 routing features like OSPF or BGP, which require IP Base or IP Services licenses.

Q: Can this switch stack with other Catalyst 3650 models?
A: Yes, the WS-C3650-48FQM-L supports Cisco StackWise-160 technology and can stack with other Catalyst 3650 series switches. Up to 9 switches can be stacked together with 160 Gbps stack bandwidth, creating a single logical switch for simplified management and high availability.

Q: How many PoE+ devices can I power with the 775W budget?
A: With 775W available PoE budget and 48 PoE+ ports, you can power approximately 25 devices at the full 30W per port (802.3at maximum), or up to 48 devices drawing lower power such as standard IP phones and wireless access points averaging 15.4W each.

Q: Does this switch support the built-in wireless controller feature?
A: Yes, the WS-C3650-48FQM-L includes integrated wireless controller capability that can manage up to 25 Cisco Aironet access points and 1,000 wireless clients per switch, enabling unified wired-wireless policy enforcement and simplified network management without requiring a separate wireless controller appliance.