Fortinet FortiSwitch 248E-POE Secured Access PoE+ Switch (FS-248E-POE)

The right number of PoE ports is not always 48. Many branch offices have a mix of endpoints: wired workstations and servers that draw AC power and a separate set of APs, cameras, and phones that need PoE. The FortiSwitch 248E-POE addresses that split cleanly — 48 access ports total, with 24 delivering PoE+ at up to 370 W, and all 48 managed through FortiLink as a logical extension of the FortiGate firewall.

Hardware at a Glance

The Case for Half-Port PoE on a 48-Port Switch

A standard medium-sized office floor often has 30–40 workstations on AC power, a handful of ceiling APs, and maybe 10–12 IP phones or security cameras that need PoE. Buying a full 48-port PoE+ switch for that mix means paying for 48 ports worth of PoE electronics when 24 ports of PoE does the job. The 248E-POE matches that budget by putting PoE+ on exactly half the ports and leaving the other half as standard Ethernet — with all 48 ports still running at wire speed under unified FortiLink management.

The 370 W budget supports 24 simultaneously active PoE+ devices at average draw. For a deployment of 12 indoor APs at 15 W each and 12 IP phones at 5 W each, total draw is around 240 W — well within headroom and leaving room to add more devices later.

Hardware Only vs. FortiCare

The FS-248E-POE ships as hardware with no mandatory subscription for basic switching or FortiLink operation. For production deployments, the FortiCare Premium support contract (FC-10-WP248-247-02-12) adds 24×7 TAC support and advance hardware replacement from Fortinet. The optional FRPS-740 external redundant PSU protects against PSU failure in environments where downtime would disrupt PoE-powered devices such as cameras or access control.

Who Deploys the 248E-POE

Network administrators building out a Fortinet SD-Branch deployment reach for the 248E-POE when the access-layer design calls for one switch per floor with APs and phones included. Medium-size law firms, accounting offices, and healthcare clinics with a regulated mix of wired workstations and wireless infrastructure are typical buyers. The 34.2 dBA noise rating is quiet enough for open server rooms and wiring closets adjacent to office space.

Moving Up: The FS-448E-POE

When uplink throughput becomes the constraint — typically when aggregated wireless traffic from multiple APs regularly saturates the 1 GE SFP uplinks — the FortiSwitch 448E-POE (Campus series) adds 10GE SFP+ uplinks while maintaining 48 access ports and 24 PoE+ ports under the same FortiLink model. DataCenter360.ca stocks it for comparison.

Buying from DataCenter360.ca

The FS-248E-POE ships free across Canada from DataCenter360.ca’s local stock. As an authorized Fortinet Select Partner, we source it alongside FortiCare contracts, SFP transceivers, DAC cables, and compatible FortiGate appliances in a single purchase order. Fortinet-certified staff are available before and after the sale for configuration guidance, sizing questions, and support contract setup.