Cisco WS-C3850-16XS-E | Catalyst 3850 16-Port 10G SFP+ Switch, IP Services, Layer 3

Q: Does the WS-C3850-16XS-E support Power over Ethernet (PoE)?
A: No, the WS-C3850-16XS-E is a fiber-only model with SFP+ ports and does not support PoE. It is designed for high-speed fiber connectivity in aggregation and core layers where PoE is not required.

Q: What is the difference between the -E and -S models?
A: The WS-C3850-16XS-E includes the IP Services license, which provides advanced Layer 3 routing protocols (OSPF, EIGRP, BGP) and full enterprise features. The -S model includes only the IP Base license with limited routing capabilities (static routing, RIP, EIGRP stub).

Q: Can this switch support both 1G and 10G SFP modules?
A: Yes, the SFP+ ports are backward compatible and support both 1G SFP and 10G SFP+ optical transceivers, providing flexibility to mix connection speeds based on device requirements and future upgrade paths.

Q: What network modules are compatible with this switch?
A: The WS-C3850-16XS-E ships with the C3850-NM-4-10G module (4x 10G SFP+) pre-installed. It can also support the C3850-NM-2-10G module, but the C3850-NM-4-1G module is not supported on the 12-port and 16-port SFP+ models.

Q: How many switches can be stacked together?
A: Up to 9 Catalyst 3850 switches can be stacked using StackWise-480 technology, providing a total stack bandwidth of 480 Gbps and allowing the stack to be managed as a single logical unit with unified configuration and control plane.