How to build a BOM for Cisco switches
Cisco switch quotes usually go wrong on four things: PoE power sized from the supply's nameplate instead of Cisco's available-PoE table, a missing term subscription, an uplink module that does not fit the chosen model, and stacking or airflow parts ordered by habit. This checklist covers Catalyst campus and Nexus data-centre switches, family by family.
Covers the 14 Cisco families in the SKUit catalog. Part numbers and options below are read from the catalog when the page is served.
The BOM, step by step
What to decide at each stage, and why it matters on the order
Choose the platform and its licence-tier part number
On Catalyst 9300, 9300X, 9500 and 9500X the network licence tier is part of the switch part number: -E is Network Essentials and -A is Network Advantage, so C9300-48P-E and C9300-48P-A are different orderable parts. Nexus 9300 hardware carries no tier; its licence is a separate line. If you will stack, check the stack size here too: Catalyst 9300 and 9300X stacks take up to eight members.
Add the uplink or network module
Catalyst 9300 and 9300X switches ship without a network module, so the uplink module is its own line. C9300X modules fit only 9300X models, and some fit only certain 9300X models. On the Catalyst 9500 only some models take a module at all, such as the C9500-16X. Choose the module from the uplink count and speed you need, then check that it fits the model.
Optics and cables for every uplink
Count one optic per uplink port and choose it by fibre type and distance, then budget the far end of each link. Cisco lists the supported transceivers per model in its separate compatibility matrix rather than in the data sheet, so confirm the exact part there.
Power supplies: size PoE from Cisco's available-PoE table
A Catalyst 9300 ships with one supply and has two bays. The PoE a supply can deliver is far less than its nameplate wattage, and Cisco publishes the available PoE for each supply combination. Size from that table, and remember that the 1900 W supply only delivers full power on a 230 V feed. Nexus 9300 supplies are separate parts, ordered as an N+1 pair.
Fans and airflow
A Catalyst 9300 ships with its three fans installed. On Nexus 9300 you order the fans, and fans and supplies are sold by airflow direction, mostly as port-side intake (-PI) or port-side exhaust (-PE); some older parts use -B, and a few supplies are bidirectional. All modules in one chassis must blow the same way.
Licences and subscriptions
On Catalyst 9300 and 9500 a Cisco DNA or Cisco Catalyst term subscription (3, 5 or 7 years) is mandatory alongside the perpetual network licence. On new orders its tier must match the switch's -E or -A suffix. Nexus 9300 uses a separate Essentials, Advantage or Premier licence, chosen by the switch's platform licence class.
Stacking, rack kit and power cords
Data-stack cables and StackPower cables are separate lines on Catalyst 9300. Catalyst 9200 and 9200L need a stack kit before they will stack. Catalyst 9300 includes 19-inch brackets; other rack widths need a kit, and the Nexus 9300 rack-mount kit is an orderable accessory. Specify a power cord per supply for your PDUs.
Support
A Cisco DNA or Catalyst subscription includes software support, but hardware replacement needs Smart Net Total Care. Add the support line for every switch, at the service level the site needs.
Gotchas and best practice from our catalog
Each one is scoped to the families it is true for, with the part numbers that prove it
- Gotcha
Size Catalyst 9300 PoE from available power, not PSU watts
A C9300-48P on its default PWR-C1-715WAC-P supply has 437 W of PoE available — about 14 ports at 30 W. Full PoE+ on all 48 ports (1,440 W) needs two supplies, for example two PWR-C1-1100WAC-P. The switch caps PoE at 1,440 W whatever you fit.
Applies to: Catalyst 9300 · Source: Cisco Catalyst 9300 Series data sheet (available PoE and power supply tables)
- C9300-48P — Catalyst 9300 platform
- PWR-C1-715WAC-P — Power supply · 715 W · AC
- PWR-C1-1100WAC-P — Power supply · 1,100 W · AC
- Gotcha
The 1900 W Catalyst 9300 supply needs a 230 V feed
PWR-C1-1900WAC-P delivers its full 1,900 W only on a 230 V nominal input; on 115 V it is limited to 1,500 W. If your PoE plan depends on that supply, make sure the rack has 230 V feeds.
Applies to: Catalyst 9300, Catalyst 9300X · Source: Cisco Catalyst 9300 hardware installation guide and data sheet
- PWR-C1-1900WAC-P — Power supply · 1,900 W · AC
- Gotcha
Don't add fans to a Catalyst 9300: three ship installed
Catalyst 9300 switches ship with three field-replaceable fans in an N+1 arrangement. The separately sold fan module is the spare, so ordering three for each switch buys a second set you did not need.
Applies to: Catalyst 9300 · Source: Cisco Catalyst 9300 Series data sheet
- C9300-48P — Catalyst 9300 platform
- Gotcha
Order the term subscription with every Catalyst 9300 or 9500
A Catalyst 9300 or 9500 cannot be bought with only the perpetual Network Essentials or Network Advantage licence. A Cisco DNA or Cisco Catalyst subscription of 3, 5 or 7 years is mandatory at order, and on new orders it must be the same tier as the switch's -E or -A suffix. When the term ends the switch keeps running on its base licence.
Applies to: Catalyst 9300, Catalyst 9300X, Catalyst 9500, Catalyst 9500X · Source: Cisco Catalyst 9300 and 9500 Series data sheets (licensing)
- C9300-48P-E — Orderable part number of C9300-48P — Cisco Catalyst 9300 48-port 1G copper, PoE+, modular uplinks, Network Essentials
- C9300-48P-A — Orderable part number of C9300-48P — Cisco Catalyst 9300 48-port 1G copper, PoE+, modular uplinks, Network Advantage
- C9300-DNA-E-48-3Y — Licence — Cisco DNA Essentials, 48-port, 3-year term license
- C9300-DNA-A-48-3Y — Licence — Cisco DNA Advantage, 48-port, 3-year term license
- C9500X-DNA-E-3Y — Licence — Catalyst 9500X Cisco DNA Essential license (3Y) for 28C8D SKU
- Best practice
Match the Catalyst 9300 subscription to the port count
Catalyst 9300 subscriptions are sold by switch port count. A 48-port switch needs a 48-port part such as C9300-DNA-E-48-3Y, not the 24-port C9300-DNA-E-24-3Y.
Applies to: Catalyst 9300 · Source: Cisco licence part descriptions in our catalog
- C9300-DNA-E-24-3Y — Licence — Cisco DNA Essentials, 24-port, 3-year term license
- C9300-DNA-E-48-3Y — Licence — Cisco DNA Essentials, 48-port, 3-year term license
- Gotcha
Check the 4 x 100G module fits before choosing the 9300X model
Network modules are not included with Catalyst 9300X switches, and C9300X modules work only in 9300X models. The 4 x 100G C9300X-NM-4C fits only the C9300X-48HX, C9300X-48TX and C9300X-24Y, so a C9300X-24HX tops out at two 100G uplinks on a C9300X-NM-2C.
Applies to: Catalyst 9300X · Source: Cisco Catalyst 9300 Series data sheet (network modules)
- C9300X-NM-4C — Network module · 4 ports · 100G
- C9300X-NM-2C — Network module · 2 ports · 100G
- C9300X-48HX — Catalyst 9300X platform
- C9300X-24HX — Catalyst 9300X platform
- Best practice
Order data-stack and StackPower cables as separate lines
Catalyst 9300 and 9300X switches stack up to eight members over STACK-T1-50CM, STACK-T1-1M or STACK-T1-3M data cables, and every member must run the same licence level. Power sharing is a separate StackPower ring of up to four switches over CAB-SPWR-30CM or CAB-SPWR-150CM cables.
Applies to: Catalyst 9300, Catalyst 9300X · Source: Cisco Catalyst 9300 Series data sheet and hardware installation guide
- STACK-T1-50CM — Stacking cable
- STACK-T1-1M — Stacking cable
- STACK-T1-3M — Stacking cable
- CAB-SPWR-30CM — StackPower cable
- CAB-SPWR-150CM — StackPower cable
- Best practice
Add the stack kit before stacking Catalyst 9200 or 9200L
Catalyst 9200 and 9200L switches stack only with a stack kit, C9200-STACK-KIT or C9200L-STACK-KIT, each with two stack adapters and one cable. In our catalog neither family supports StackPower.
Applies to: Catalyst 9200, Catalyst 9200L · Source: Cisco Catalyst 9200 ordering data in our catalog
- C9200-STACK-KIT — Stacking kit
- C9200L-STACK-KIT — Stacking kit
- Gotcha
Order every Nexus 9300 fan and PSU with the same airflow
Nexus 9300 power supplies and fans come in port-side exhaust (-PE) and port-side intake (-PI) versions, and every fan and supply in one chassis must blow the same way. The older -B suffix means different things on different parts: N9K-PAC-1200W-B is port-side exhaust, but NXA-FAN-30CFM-B is port-side intake. Go by the description, not the letter.
Applies to: Nexus 9300 · Source: Cisco Nexus 9300 data sheets and hardware installation guides
- NXA-PAC-650W-PE — Power supply · 650 W · AC
- NXA-PAC-650W-PI — Power supply · 650 W · AC
- NXA-FAN-35CFM-PE — Fan module · Port-side Exhaust
- NXA-FAN-35CFM-PI — Fan module · Port-side Intake
- N9K-PAC-1200W-B — Power supply · 1,200 W · AC
- NXA-FAN-30CFM-B — Fan module · Port-side Intake
- Gotcha
Pick the Nexus 9300 licence by the platform licence class
Nexus 9300 part numbers carry no licence tier. Essentials, Advantage or Premier is a separate licence, and the part depends on the switch's platform licence class, which Cisco assigns per model by switching bandwidth rather than by port speed. For example, a 10/25/40G+ leaf such as the 93180YC-FX3 is XF (C1E1TN9300XF-3Y), higher-bandwidth fixed models are XF2 (C1E1TN9300XF2-3Y), and the 800G N9364E-SG2 is XF3 (C1E1TN9300XF3-3Y). Check the class for the exact model: the wrong class is not a valid order.
Applies to: Nexus 9300 · Source: Cisco Nexus 9300-FX2 and N9364E-SG2 data sheets (licensing)
- C1E1TN9300XF-3Y — Licence — ACI & NX-OS Subscription Essential package for 10/25/40G+ Nexus 9K Leaf, 3 Year Term
- C1A1TN9300XF-3Y — Licence — ACI & NX-OS Subscription Advantage package for 10/25/40G+ Nexus 9K Leaf, 3 Year Term
- C1E1TN9300XF2-3Y — Licence — Cisco DCN (ACI & NX-OS) Subscription Essentials for 6.4T+ Fixed Platform (XF2) — Nexus 9300-GX/GX2 / 9364C / 9332D-H2R, 3 Year Term
- C1E1TN9300XF3-3Y — Licence — Cisco DCN (ACI & NX-OS) Subscription Essentials for 800G Fixed Platform (XF3) — Nexus 9364E-SG2, 3 Year Term
Worked example: N9K-C93180YC-FX3
A real bill of materials from the SKUit BOM engine, with the lines buyers most often leave off
A 25G server leaf: 48 server ports on multimode fibre, four 100G uplinks to the spine, AC power, port-side intake (ports facing the cold aisle), NX-OS standalone, 4-post rack. N9K-C93180YC-FX3 is in the Nexus 9300 family.
| Qty | Part number | Item | Why it is on the BOM |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | N9K-C93180YC-FX3 | Switch | |
| 2 | NXA-PAC-650W-PI | Power Supply | The switch part number is the bare chassis: Cisco lists the supplies as separate parts. Two give N+1, and port-side intake matches the fans. |
| 4 | NXA-FAN-35CFM-PI | Fan | The switch takes four fan modules, sold as separate port-side intake or exhaust parts. Pick the same direction as the power supplies. |
| 48 | SFP-10/25G-CSR-S | Transceiver | Cisco lists supported optics in a separate compatibility matrix, not in the data sheet, so confirm the exact part there before ordering. |
| 4 | QSFP-100G-SR-S | Transceiver | Uplink optics are their own line. This is a single-lane SR1 optic with LC connectors, so the spine end needs SR1 too, not SR4 or BiDi. Confirm the part in Cisco's compatibility matrix. |
| 1 | C1E1TN9300XF-3Y | License | The default software covers Layer 2 and management only. Layer 3 routing needs a licence, and this XF-class subscription is the leaf class. |
| 1 | Quoted by your reseller | Support | |
| 1 | NXK-ACC-KIT-1RU | Rackmount Kit | The rack-mount kit is an orderable accessory. This is the 4-post version; a 2-post rack needs a different kit. |
Lines and quantities generated by the SKUit BOM engine on 2026-10-07; the notes are ours.
Cisco families in our catalog
The order-time builds and the options each family carries, read from the catalog
- Catalyst 92009 platforms
- Power supplies (4)
- 125 W AC · 600 W AC · 715 W DC · 1,000 W AC
- Stacking cables (3)
- Stacking kits (1)
- Catalyst 9200CX8 platforms
- Power supplies (4)
- 80 W AC · 80 W DC · 150 W AC
- Catalyst 9200L18 platforms
- Power supplies (4)
- 125 W AC · 600 W AC · 715 W DC · 1,000 W AC
- Stacking cables (3)
- Stacking kits (1)
- Catalyst 930016 platforms
- Power supplies (9)
- 350 W AC · 715 W AC · 715 W DC · 1,100 W AC · 1,900 W AC
- Stacking cables (3)
- StackPower cables (2)
- Catalyst 9300LM4 platforms
- Power supplies (3)
- 600 W AC · 715 W DC · 1,000 W AC
- Stacking cables (3)
- Catalyst 9300X6 platforms
- Power supplies (5)
- 350 W AC · 715 W AC · 715 W DC · 1,100 W AC · 1,900 W AC
- Stacking cables (3)
- StackPower cables (2)
- Catalyst 94003 platforms
- Power supplies (5)
- 2,100 W AC · 3,200 W AC · 3,200 W DC
- Fan trays (3)
- Catalyst 95004 platforms
- Power supplies (6)
- 650 W AC · 930 W DC · 950 W DC · 1,600 W AC · 1,600 W DC
- Fan modules (2)
- Port-side Exhaust · Port-side Intake
- Fan trays (2)
- Catalyst 9500X2 platforms
- Power supplies (3)
- 950 W DC · 1,500 W AC · 1,500 W DC
- Fan modules (2)
- Port-side Exhaust · Port-side Intake
- Catalyst 96001 platform
- Power supplies (4)
- 2,000 W AC · 2,000 W DC · 3,000 W AC
- Fan trays (1)
- Hyperfabric 61003 platforms
- Power supplies (9)
- 1,400 W AC · 1,500 W AC · 1,500 W DC · 2,000 W AC · 2,000 W DC · 3,000 W AC
- Fan modules (5)
- Port-side Exhaust · Port-side Intake
- Nexus 930034 platforms
- Airflow builds
- Port-side Intake · Port-side Exhaust
- Power supplies (40)
- 350 W AC · 350 W HVAC/HVDC · 440 W DC · 500 W AC · 650 W AC · 750 W AC · 930 W DC · 1,100 W AC · 1,100 W DC · 1,100 W HVAC/HVDC · 1,200 W AC · 1,400 W AC · 1,500 W AC · 1,900 W AC · 2,000 W AC · 2,000 W DC · 2,000 W HVAC/HVDC · 3,000 W AC · 3,200 W AC
- Fan modules (19)
- Port-side Exhaust · Port-side Intake
- Nexus 95003 platforms
- Power supplies (4)
- 3,000 W AC · 3,000 W DC · 3,150 W AC
- Fan trays (6)
- Port-side Intake
- Cisco Nexus 98002 platforms
- Power supplies (3)
- 4,400 W DC · 6,300 W AC/HV
- Fan trays (3)
- Front-to-back
Common questions
Short answers about Cisco switch BOMs
Do I need a DNA licence with a Catalyst 9300?
Yes. Cisco requires a Cisco DNA or Cisco Catalyst term subscription of 3, 5 or 7 years for any Catalyst 9300 ordered with Network Essentials or Network Advantage, and on new orders its tier must match the switch's -E or -A suffix. When the term lapses you can renew, or keep running on the perpetual base licence.
How do I size power for PoE on a Catalyst 9300?
Use Cisco's available-PoE table rather than the supply's wattage. A C9300-48P has 437 W of PoE on its default 715 W supply, and powering all 48 ports at 30 W (1,440 W) needs two supplies, for example two 1100 W units. The 1900 W supply gives its full output only on a 230 V feed.
What do I need to stack Catalyst 9300 switches?
Up to eight Catalyst 9300 or 9300X switches can share a data stack. Order the STACK-T1 cable lengths you need (50 cm, 1 m or 3 m) and run every member at the same licence level. Power sharing (StackPower) is a separate ring of up to four switches over CAB-SPWR cables.
Are network modules included with a Catalyst 9300?
No. The default configuration has no network module, so the uplink module is its own line. C9300X modules fit only 9300X models, and the 4 x 100G C9300X-NM-4C fits only the C9300X-48HX, C9300X-48TX and C9300X-24Y.
What does -PE or -PI mean on a Cisco Nexus power supply?
-PE is port-side exhaust and -PI is port-side intake. Nexus fans carry the same suffixes, and every fan and power supply in the chassis must use the same direction.
Build yours in SKUit
SKUit's BOM builder walks a Cisco build through the same steps: the platform and its tier, uplink modules, optics, power, airflow, the subscription and support, using part numbers from the catalog this page reads.