Tripp Lite SmartRack 12U Wall-Mount Rack Enclosure vs Cisco Catalyst 1200-24T-4G 24-Port Gigabit Managed Switch

What separates them

These two differ on 2 recorded specifications. The Cisco Catalyst 1200-24T-4G 24-Port Gigabit Managed Switch is $200.00 dearer. They are different kinds of product — wall-mount rack enclosure against managed switch — so read the table as two spec sheets rather than a like-for-like.

Tripp Lite SmartRack 12U Wall-Mount Rack Enclosure vs Cisco Catalyst 1200-24T-4G 24-Port Gigabit Managed Switch

Tripp Lite

Tripp Lite SmartRack 12U Wall-Mount Rack Enclosure

$349.00

The useful number is not 12U but the 20.5 inch mounting depth -- most 1U servers are deeper than that, so this holds switches, patch panels and a small UPS, not servers.

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Cisco

Cisco Catalyst 1200-24T-4G 24-Port Gigabit Managed Switch

$549.00

The 24T in the model number means twenty-four data ports and no PoE at all -- the PoE variants are the 24P and 24FP, and buying this one for access points is the common and expensive mistake.

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Who the Tripp Lite SmartRack 12U Wall-Mount Rack Enclosure is for

Buy it if: Network closets holding switches, patch panels and a rack UPS where no floor space exists.

Avoid it if: Anyone racking servers, which need a deeper enclosure and usually a floor-standing one.

Who the Cisco Catalyst 1200-24T-4G 24-Port Gigabit Managed Switch is for

Buy it if: Sites aggregating several access switches over fiber and wanting Cisco management without licensing.

Avoid it if: Anyone powering access points or cameras, who needs a 24P or 24FP instead.

Specifications, side by side

2 of 17 rows differ. Differences first.

SpecificationTripp Lite SmartRack 12U Wall-Mount Rack EnclosureCisco Catalyst 1200-24T-4G 24-Port Gigabit Managed Switch
Price$349.00$549.00
Rack units12U1U
Warranty5-year limited warrantyLimited lifetime hardware warranty
Annual energy use not publishedAbout 166 kWh a year running continuously, roughly $28 at $0.17 per kWh
Cooling not publishedFan cooled
Door typeLockable acrylic front, hinged back section not published
Forwarding rate not published41.66 Mpps
Layer 3 features not publishedStatic routing and inter-VLAN routing
Load capacity200 lb not published
Management not publishedWeb UI, CLI and Cisco Business Dashboard
Mounting depth20.5 in usable not published
Mounting standardEIA-310 19 inch not published
PoE budget not publishedNone -- see the 24P and 24FP variants
Port count not published24 x Gigabit Ethernet plus 4 x SFP
Rated power not publishedAbout 19 W typical
Side panelsRemovable not published
Switching capacity not published56 Gbps
VentilationPassive, with optional fan kit not published

Every row is a figure one or both products record. A blank is a figure the catalogue does not hold, not a zero.

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