HPE S3L76A 48-Port SmartRate PoE++ L2 Network Switch
Overview
The HPE Aruba CX 6300L S3L76A is a 48-port SmartRate PoE++ access switch built for high-density deployments where legacy gigabit PoE runs out of headroom — think campuses rolling out Wi-Fi 6E access points, physical security teams pushing 90W to pan-tilt-zoom cameras and multi-sensor units, or AV installations running power-hungry endpoints over a single cable. Every one of its 48 downlink ports supports 100M/1G/2.5G/5G BaseT at up to Class 8, 90W PoE — a total switch budget of 2880W that covers even the most power-dense access layer designs. Pair that with 50G uplinks and you have an access switch that won't become the bandwidth bottleneck as wireless throughput scales.
Explore the full HPE Aruba networking catalog to see compatible access points, controllers, and infrastructure that pair with this switch.
Key Features
- 48x SmartRate 5G PoE++ Ports (Class 8, 90W each): IEEE 802.3bt Class 8 means each port can deliver up to 90W — enough to power the latest Wi-Fi 6E tri-band APs, outdoor PTZ cameras with built-in heaters, and digital signage over a single Cat6A run. You won't need a separate power injector or midspan for any current-generation PoE endpoint.
- 2880W Total PoE Budget: With a full 2880W available across all 48 ports, you can realistically power a mix of 30W APs and 60–90W specialty devices simultaneously without load-shedding or port-priority gymnastics. That budget requires dual PSUs — plan your power supply configuration before deployment.
- MACsec on All Ports: Hardware-based MACsec encryption is supported on all 48 SmartRate downlink ports and the uplink ports. For healthcare, government, and financial environments where layer-2 encryption is a compliance requirement, this eliminates the need for overlay solutions — the switch handles it at wire speed.
- 2x 50G + 2x 25G SFP Uplinks: Two 10G/25G/50G SFP uplink ports provide headroom as downstream 5G traffic aggregates upward; two additional 10G/25G SFP ports also support PoE+, giving you powered uplink options for daisy-chaining or connecting powered aggregation devices. The 50G uplinks are the right call when you're aggregating a full 48-port 5G access layer.
- Virtual Stacking — Up to 10 Units: Stack up to 10 S3L76A units virtually, managing the group as a single logical switch. That scales to 480 SmartRate PoE++ ports under one management plane — relevant for large campus floors or multi-tenant deployments where per-switch management overhead adds up.
- Hot-Swap Redundant Power and Fans: Both power supply slots and both fan tray slots are field-replaceable and hot-swappable. A second PSU can be added to provide redundancy without taking the switch offline — critical for 24/7 environments. Back-to-front airflow suits hot-aisle/cold-aisle data closet layouts.
- 7th-Generation ASIC: The 7th-gen forwarding ASIC underpins hardware-accelerated switching, PoE classification, and MACsec — keeping latency flat as port density and encryption overhead scale up, without punting work to the control plane.
- Out-of-Band Management Port: A dedicated OOBM port keeps management traffic on a separate path from production data. When the production network is degraded or under troubleshooting, you retain console access without traversing the in-band network.
- USB-C Console + USB Type-A Host: The USB-C console port connects to modern laptops without an adapter hunt, and the USB-A host port supports local firmware delivery and configuration bootstrapping via USB drive — useful in zero-touch provisioning workflows or remote sites without staging infrastructure.
- Limited Lifetime Warranty: HPE covers the S3L76A with a limited lifetime warranty, which reduces the risk calculus on 5–10 year campus infrastructure refresh cycles.
Integration and Compatibility
The S3L76A is part of the HPE Aruba CX 6300 switch series, designed to integrate with Aruba Central for cloud-based management and AOS-CX for on-premises network OS workflows. Virtual stacking via the Virtual Stacking Framework means you can treat up to 10 units as a single switch in your management plane — useful for large PoE switch deployments where per-unit management multiplies administrative overhead.
Power supply compatibility is a pre-deployment checkpoint: the S3L76A supports JL086A, JL087A, JL670A, and JL758A PSUs, ordered separately. Minimum one PSU is required to operate; install two for full redundancy. Fan trays ship pre-installed (two trays, two fans each), and both are required — but are field-replaceable if a tray fails in service. Review your PoE switch selection guide to confirm PSU wattage matches your intended PoE load before ordering.
For uplink connectivity, the 50G SFP ports require appropriate SFP transceivers matched to your fiber or DAC cabling plant — direct-attach copper is typically the lowest-latency option for top-of-rack or IDF-to-MDF runs under 5 meters. For longer runs, verify transceiver compatibility against the Aruba CX 6300 transceiver compatibility matrix before purchasing optics.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: How many PoE watts can the S3L76A deliver per port, and what PoE standard is required?
A: Each of the 48 SmartRate ports supports up to 90W under IEEE 802.3bt Class 8 (PoE++). The switch also supports 802.3af and 802.3at devices — Class 8 is the ceiling, not the floor. Total switch PoE budget is 2880W.
Q: Does the S3L76A ship with power supplies included?
A: No. Power supplies are ordered separately. The S3L76A has two field-replaceable PSU slots and requires a minimum of one. Supported PSU part numbers are JL086A, JL087A, JL670A, and JL758A. For full PoE budget and redundancy, two PSUs are recommended.
Q: What is the maximum stacking capacity for the S3L76A?
A: The S3L76A supports HPE Aruba's Virtual Stacking Framework, allowing up to 10 units to be managed as a single logical switch — up to 480 SmartRate PoE++ ports under one management instance.
Q: Does the S3L76A support MACsec encryption?
A: Yes. Hardware-based MACsec is supported on all 48 SmartRate downlink ports and the uplink ports, enabling wire-speed layer-2 encryption without a separate appliance.
Q: What warranty does the S3L76A carry?
A: HPE provides a limited lifetime warranty on the S3L76A.
Q: What airflow direction does the S3L76A use?
A: Back-to-front airflow. Plan accordingly if deploying in a hot-aisle/cold-aisle closet — exhaust exits the front of the switch.
The S3L76A is the switch I recommend when a client has already committed to Wi-Fi 6E or a high-density IP security deployment and needs to stop compromising on per-port power. The 2880W aggregate budget across 48 ports at Class 8 is the defining spec here — that's 90W available to every single port simultaneously at rated capacity, which is a meaningful shift from the 30W-per-port budgets most legacy access switches offer.
Technical Highlights:
- Class 8 PoE++ at 90W per port: Powers today's highest-draw PoE endpoints — multi-sensor PTZ cameras with integrated IR heaters, tri-band Wi-Fi 6E APs — over a single Cat6A run, no midspan injectors required.
- MACsec on all 48 downlink ports: Hardware-accelerated layer-2 encryption at line rate means you can enforce encryption policies across the entire access layer without a dedicated appliance or throughput penalty.
- 50G SFP uplinks: Two 10G/25G/50G uplink ports give the aggregation layer real headroom as 5G-capable endpoints push more traffic upward — a 1G uplink would be the bottleneck within a single busy floor segment.
Deployment Considerations:
- PSUs ship separately — budget for JL086A, JL087A, JL670A, or JL758A and spec two for redundancy before the switch ever reaches the rack. Discovering this post-order adds lead time.
- Back-to-front airflow means hot exhaust exits the front bezel. In a traditional front-cold/rear-hot closet layout, this runs opposite to the airflow convention — verify your cabinet layout before mounting.
This switch earns its place in enterprise campus IDF closets and large physical security head-end rooms where the combination of SmartRate flexibility, 90W-per-port power delivery, and hardware MACsec eliminates the need for separate power and encryption infrastructure at the access layer.
