Cisco Catalyst vs Ruckus ICX Switches

Cisco Catalyst WS-C2960XR-48FPD-I

Ruckus ICX 7150-48PF-4X10GR-RMT3

Ruckus ICX 7150-48ZP-E8X10GR-RMT3

Manufacturer DescriptionCatalyst 2960-XR 48 GigE PoE+ ports, 740W, 2 x 10G SFP+, IP LiteICX 7150-48FP 48 GigE PoE+ ports, 740W, 4 x 10G SFP+, L3 features (OSPF, VRRP, PIM, PBR). 1 RPS20-E Power Supply, 1 Fan tray. 3 years remote supportICX 7150-48ZP Switch Z-Series, 16x 100/1000/2.5G PoH ports, 32x 10/100/1000 PoE+ ports, 8x 10G SFP+, L3 features (OSPF, VRRP, PIM, PBR). 1 RPS20-E Power Supply, 1 Fan tray. 3 years remote support
Includes Vendor TAC Support?NoYes – 3 yearsYes – 3 years
Feature SetLayer 2/3 (IP Lite)Layer 3Layer 3
Layer 3 FeaturesRIP v1/2, OSPF Stub, EIGRP Stub, HSRP, VRRP IPv4, PIM stubRIP v1/2, OSPF, PIM, PBR, VRRP/-E, Layer 3/4 ACLs, Routed InterfacesRIP v1/2, OSPF, PIM, PBR, VRRP/-E, Layer 3/4 ACLs, Routed Interfaces
Number of Ports484848
Port Speed10/100/1000 Mbps10/100/1000 Mbps100/1000/2500 Mbps (16)

10/100/1000 Mbps (32)

Power Over Ethernet24 ports up to 30W; 48 ports up to 15W24 ports up to 30W; 48 ports up to 15W16 ports up to 90W; 32 ports up to 30W
Total PoE Budget740W740W1480W
Uplinks2x1G/10G uplink SFP/SFP+ ports4x Dual-Purpose 1G/10G uplink/stacking SFP/SFP+ ports8x Dual-Purpose 1G/10G uplink/stacking SFP/SFP+ ports
StackingYes – FlexStack ModuleYes – 4x Dual-Purpose 1G/10G uplink/stacking SFP/SFP+ portsYes – 8x Dual-Purpose 1G/10G uplink/stacking SFP/SFP+ ports
Long Distance Stacking over Fiber?YesYesYes
Maximum Stack Members81212
Power SuppliesDual Field-Replaceable UnitSingleDual Field-Replaceable Unit
List Price (USD)$12,752.52*$4,750$7900

*The list price of the 2960XR is for only the switch itself (the orderable SKU at the top of the table).  3 years of 8x5xNBD Smartnet adds $2176.38 to this cost.  A Fiber Flexstack module adds another $1250.  The Ruckus switches include stacking and TAC support so the “apples to apples” list price (of switch, Smartnet, and FlexStack module) is $16,178.90.  Feel free to download this Sample 2960XR BoM to see for yourself.

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Phil is the President and founder of Denton Business Solutions. He's had a fascination with technology for as long as he can remember. Phil uses that fascination to guide manufacturers to technology solutions for enhancing their plant safety, cybersecurity, and productivity. Outside the office, Phil enjoys cooking, spending time with his wife and son, and reading up on the latest manufacturing news. You can connect with Phil on Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn!

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