/mcpData sheet Cisco public © 2025 Cisco and/or its affiliates. All rights reserved. Software requirements Cisco Catalyst and Cisco DNA Software for Access Switching is available for the Cisco Catalyst 9300 Series. Meraki software for cloud management is also available for certain models. Cisco Catalyst and Cisco DNA Software for Access Switching offers comprehensive solutions for the enterprise campus and branch offices. Cisco Catalyst and Cisco DNA for Access Switching introduces a simpler and more economical way to deploy access, aggregation, and core switches across enterprise campus and branch locations. The Cisco Catalyst and Cisco DNA Subscription for Switching offer delivers an unbound network on an open and extensible architecture to help you navigate the digital journey. This subscription offer simplifies the buying process and includes lower initiation costs and flexible terms. It includes Cisco Catalyst and Cisco DNA Advantage Software with full Cisco DNA capabilities and SD-Access, bundled with ISE Base, ISE Plus, and Secure Network Analytics. For ordering information for Cisco Catalyst and Cisco DNA Software for the Cisco Catalyst 9300 Series, go to https://www.cisco.com/c/en/us/products/software/one-access/switching-part-numbers.html. Cisco Catalyst 9300 Series Switches run on Cisco IOS XE Release 16.5.1a or later with the following exceptions. Catalyst 9300 Series 1G fiber models (C9300-xxS SKUs) are supported on Cisco IOS XE Release 16.11.1a or later. Catalyst 9300 Series fixed uplink models (C9300L SKUs) are supported on Cisco IOS XE Release 16.11.1b or later. These software releases include all the features listed earlier in the Platform Benefits section. The Meraki software option combines the simplicity of the Meraki dashboard with power of Catalyst 9000 switching hardware. To satisfy high-bandwidth applications and the deployment of high-speed 802.11ax/ Wi-Fi 6/6E access points, the Meraki software option provides Multigigabit ports, 480G stacking, and modular 10G/40G uplinks. Catalyst 9300 Series models with the Meraki software option deliver resiliency with fast stack convergence and StackPower. They provide Adaptive Policy using an over-the-wire tag that segments traffic into security groups to deliver scalable security. The Catalyst 9300 models integrated under the Meraki dashboard provide a simple, powerful solution to the most demanding wired access applications. Catalyst 9300 Series Switches come with Adaptive Policy to provide simple and scalable security policies to segment traffic using security groups in Meraki dashboard. Security groups are created in the dashboard using natural language such as “IoT device” and “Guest.” The security policy intent (for example, Permit or Deny) is then simply provisioned between security groups, which results in the segmentation of each group’s traffic. By making security policy management intuitive and scalable relative to legacy IP address-based ACLs, Adaptive Policy empowers operators to confidently secure their network traffic independent of future network changes. Catalyst 9300 Series Switches can be ordered directly or migrated to the Meraki software option. For model compatibility and more information, please see Getting started: Cisco Catalyst 9300 Management with Meraki Dashboard. You can also refer to Meraki data sheets that provide details on the models orderable with the Meraki software option (Catalyst C9300-M data sheet, Catalyst C9300X-M data sheet, Catalyst C9300L-M data sheet) as well as supported optics and accessories.