CISCO SB 8-PORT CBS250 FULL POE Gigabit Switch

The Cisco CBS250-8FP-E-4G 8-port full-PoE+ (802.3at/af) smart gigabit switch for the Cisco Business 250 Series is ideal for small to medium businesses looking for solid, secure, and easy-to-use connectivity with power-over-Ethernet support for IP phones, wireless access points, cameras, and other powered devices.

This upgrade is ideal if you require a robust but small network backbone that provides “full PoE”, Gigabit Ethernet, intelligent switch capabilities, and Layer 3 static routing — without the cost and complexity of an all-out enterprise switch.

Key Specifications

Total ports: 8 × 10/100/1000 RJ-45 ports with PoE (all ports support PoE)

Uplink ports: 4 × SFP (Gigabit fiber)

PoE / PoE+ support
802.3at (PoE+) and 802.3af (PoE) on all RJ-45 ports, up to 30 W per port, based on switch budget

PoE budget
Up to 120 W dedicated PoE budget (for “FP” / full PoE model)

Switching capacity & forwarding rate
20 Gbps switching capacity, 14.88 Mpps forwarding (64-byte)

VLANs
Supports up to 255 active VLANs, port-based and 802.1Q tag VLANs

Layer 3 static routing
IPv4 and IPv6 static routing support, 32 static routes

QoS & traffic prioritization
8 hardware queues, scheduling (Strict priority + Weighted Round Robin), classification based on DSCP/CoS, ACL-based policing and shaping

Security features
IEEE 802.1X port security, ACLs up to 512 rules, DoS protection, storm control, secure management (SSH, SSL), port security, MAC locking

Spanning Tree & loop prevention: Supports STP (802.1D), RSTP (802.1w), MSTP (802.1s), Loopback detection, STP guard features

Management & control: Cisco Business Dashboard (embedded probe), Web GUI, CLI, SNMP v1/2c/3, Cisco PnP (plug & play) support, USB Type-A for image/configuration, dual firmware images

Power consumption (Worst case): ~147.5 W (with full PoE load)

Memory/buffer: 512 MB DRAM, 256 MB flash, dynamic shared packet buffer (1.5 MB)

Jumbo frames
Supports 9,000-byte frames

MAC address table
8,000 entries

Supported SFP modules
Standard 1G SFP modules (e.g. single- / multi-mode)

Dimensions & weight
[Note: Cisco datasheet does not give exact physical dimensions & weight in this section — you can perhaps look for mechanical spec sheet or packaging details.

Key Features & Benefits

Full PoE+ on all ports
With a maximum of 30 W per port and a 120 W PoE budget, this switch can power several access points, IP cameras, VoIP phones, or other PoE devices — all on a single Ethernet cable.

Smart, simple deployment & management
Utilize the Cisco Business Dashboard (embedded) or mobile app for easy setup and monitoring. The switch also has zero-touch deployment through Cisco PnP, minimizing onsite configuration effort.

Layer 3 static routing & VLAN partitioning
Divides your network (e.g., by departmental or functional roles) with inter-VLAN routing on the switch — allowing your router/firewall to concentrate on external traffic.

Advanced QoS, ACLs & security
Prioritize voice, video, or mission-critical data first. Secure your network with port-based 802.1X, ACLs, DoS prevention, and port locking.

Solid architecture & failover
Dual-image firmware is a secure upgrade. Loop protection, STP variants, and LACP support ensure more robust networks.

Energy efficient & quiet
Fanless design (in most environments), Energy Efficient Ethernet (IEEE 802.3az), and auto power-off on idle ports save power and noise when operating.

Compact, flexible installation
Ideal for wiring closets, open offices, small branch installations, or wall mounting — it fits in without bulk.

Investment protection & support
Features Cisco’s limited lifetime warranty (return-to-factory replacement) and a complimentary one-year Small Business Support Center subscription.

Deployment Scenarios & Use Cases

Small office/branch networks
For use in organizations that need reliable connectivity for computers, printers, VoIP phones, etc., as well as for powering wireless access points and IP phones.

Wireless access point backhaul
Utilize this switch to deliver data and power Wi-Fi 6 / Wi-Fi 5 access points across the office or floor.

VoIP / unified communications
Prioritize voice traffic and simultaneously power IP handsets or video conferencing endpoints.

IP surveillance/camera installations
Deploy network cameras and power them via PoE — ideal for small to mid-sized buildings, retail stores, or branch offices.

Segmentation via VLANs
Segregate guest, staff, voice, and IoT networks with inter-VLAN routing, without the need for a fully managed core switch.

Technical Tips & Insights

• As the switch has dynamic PoE allocation capability, you can supply devices with varying power needs without per-port configuration.
• Link Aggregation (LACP) is supported in up to 4 groups with up to 8 ports per group — useful for uplink redundancy or added bandwidth.
• The embedded Cisco Business Dashboard probe obviates the requirement for extra hardware to monitor/manage Cisco Business devices.
• Test upgrades securely with dual firmware images — if the upgrade firmware fails, the switch can fall back.
• Schedule time-based PoE or port activation to save power during off-peak hours.
• Use jumbo frame support when you’re working with large data transfers (e.g. backup or file server applications) — up to 9,000 bytes.
• The switch utilizes Cisco’s Secure Core Technology (SCT), which ensures that protocol and management traffic always receives CPU time, even under high load.