Ubiquiti UniFi Switch Enterprise 48 PoE

The UniFi Switch Enterprise 48 PoE is a high-performance Layer 3 access switch designed for modern enterprise environments where multi-gigabit connectivity and centralized power delivery are critical. It features a total of 48 RJ45 Ethernet ports supporting 2.5 GbE, 1 GbE, and legacy Ethernet speeds, enabling seamless integration of both new and existing network devices. All copper ports support PoE+ output, allowing the switch to power access points, IP cameras, VoIP phones, and other PoE-enabled devices directly over the network cable. With a total PoE power budget of 720 W and up to 32 W available per port, the switch is well suited for dense deployments where multiple powered devices operate simultaneously. This makes it an excellent choice for office buildings, campuses, retail environments, and hospitality networks that rely on large numbers of powered endpoints.

For uplink connectivity, the switch is equipped with four 10G SFP+ ports that provide high-speed connections to aggregation switches, servers, or core network infrastructure. These interfaces enable smooth traffic flow between access and distribution layers and support scalable network designs. It is important to note that while the switch delivers extensive PoE+ capabilities, it does not support PoE++ and is therefore not intended for powering the latest U7 and E7 access points. For such deployments, UniFi Enterprise Campus switches are recommended. This clear positioning helps ensure optimal compatibility and long-term network stability.

The UniFi Switch Enterprise 48 PoE is engineered to handle demanding network workloads with consistently high performance. It delivers a switching capacity of 160 Gbps and an equal amount of total non-blocking throughput, ensuring that traffic can flow freely between all ports without internal bottlenecks. Even under full load, the switch maintains predictable latency and stable data transmission. A forwarding rate of 238 million packets per second allows the device to efficiently process large volumes of small packets, which is particularly important in modern enterprise networks with real-time applications, voice traffic, and extensive east-west communication. The internal architecture is optimized to maintain performance during peak usage periods, including simultaneous PoE operation across all ports.

The switch supports up to 1,000 VLANs, making it suitable for segmented network designs that separate traffic by department, service, or security level. A MAC address table capable of storing 32,000 entries allows the switch to scale comfortably in large Layer 2 environments with many connected devices. At the Layer 3 level, the hardware supports up to 16,000 ARP entries and 16,000 IPv4 routes, enabling efficient local routing between VLANs without the need for an external router. A packet buffer size of 4 MB helps absorb temporary traffic bursts and reduces packet loss during congestion. Access control is handled through both IPv4 and MAC-based access lists, providing granular traffic filtering directly at the switch level. Together, these hardware characteristics make the USW-Enterprise-48-PoE a reliable foundation for high-density, performance-sensitive enterprise networks.

Beyond raw performance, the UniFi Switch Enterprise 48 PoE offers an extensive set of Layer 2 and Layer 3 features designed to simplify network design while enhancing reliability and security. At Layer 3, the switch supports local DHCP server functionality, DHCP relay, inter-VLAN routing, and static routing. These capabilities allow network administrators to handle basic routing tasks directly on the access layer, reducing dependency on external routing devices. On the Layer 2 side, the switch provides a comprehensive suite of control and optimization tools. Link aggregation using LACP enables higher bandwidth and redundancy between switches. STP and RSTP prevent topology issues caused by redundant connections, ensuring stable operation even in complex network layouts.

Quality of Service with DSCP support allows prioritization of critical traffic such as voice and video. Specialized Pro AV profiles are included for professional audio-visual environments, supporting protocols used by systems such as Dante, NDI, SDVoE, and AES67. Advanced multicast handling is provided through IGMP snooping and configurable IGMP roles, optimizing multicast traffic distribution. Additional features such as 802.1X authentication, DHCP snooping, MAC-based restrictions, traffic rate limiting, port mirroring, jumbo frame support, LLDP-MED, voice VLANs, and network isolation mechanisms give administrators precise control over network behavior. Together, these features allow the switch to function not only as a connectivity device, but as an active participant in traffic management, security enforcement, and service optimization.

The UniFi Switch Enterprise 48 PoE is designed for dependable operation in professional IT environments. It uses an internal high-capacity power supply rated at 870 W and supports both standard AC input and a dedicated USP RPS DC input for power redundancy. This ensures continued operation when connected to a backup power system, reducing the risk of downtime. Power consumption reaches up to 150 W without PoE load and up to 870 W when fully utilizing the PoE budget. Heat dissipation is carefully managed to maintain stable operation in rack installations, even under sustained load.

The switch is housed in a durable SGCC steel enclosure and is intended for 1U rack mounting. A built-in 1.3-inch touchscreen display provides quick access to device status and basic diagnostics directly on the unit. High ESD protection levels help safeguard the hardware from electrical discharge during installation and operation. The device operates reliably in ambient temperatures from −5 to 40 °C and in environments with up to 90% non-condensing humidity. It complies with NDAA requirements and holds major international certifications, including CE, FCC, IC, and Anatel, making it suitable for enterprise and regulated deployments. Centralized configuration, monitoring, and firmware updates are handled through the UniFi Network application (version 6.2.26 or later), providing a unified management experience across the UniFi ecosystem.