The Cisco N3K-C3548P-10GX is a high-performance, 48-port Gigabit Ethernet (1GbE) switch from Cisco’s Nexus 3000 Series, designed to deliver efficient and scalable networking for data centers, enterprise networks, and cloud environments. It also provides 10 Gigabit Ethernet (10GbE) uplink ports, making it suitable for environments that require high-density, high-performance connectivity and low-latency data transmission. With its support for Layer 2 and Layer 3 functionality, the N3K-C3548P-10GX is optimized for demanding applications and can handle large volumes of traffic while maintaining network stability.
Key Features and Benefits:
1. High-Density 1GbE Ports:
- The N3K-C3548P-10GX is equipped with 48 Gigabit Ethernet (1GbE) ports, providing connectivity for a wide variety of devices, such as servers, storage, and workstations. This makes it an ideal choice for high-density environments where numerous devices need to be interconnected.
2. 10GbE Uplink Ports:
- The switch comes with 4 x 10GbE SFP+ uplink ports, offering high-speed uplink connectivity for fast communication between switches, servers, or other network segments. This enables high-bandwidth data transfers and efficient network aggregation in large-scale environments, such as data centers or enterprise campus networks.
3. Layer 2 and Layer 3 Switching:
- The N3K-C3548P-10GX supports Layer 2 features like VLANs, Spanning Tree Protocol (STP), and Link Aggregation Control Protocol (LACP), which enable network redundancy, efficient traffic management, and fault tolerance.
- For Layer 3 routing, it supports static routing, IP routing, and RIP (Routing Information Protocol), enabling seamless data flow between network segments and across subnets. These features are essential for routing and managing traffic in complex networks.
4. Advanced Security Features:
- The N3K-C3548P-10GX provides robust security capabilities to protect the network from unauthorized access and malicious attacks. This includes Access Control Lists (ACLs), 802.1X port-based authentication, and MAC address filtering.
- Additionally, the switch offers DHCP Snooping, IP Source Guard, and Dynamic ARP Inspection (DAI), which help protect against common network attacks such as IP spoofing, MAC address attacks, and denial-of-service (DoS).
5. Optimized for Low Latency:
- With low-latency performance, the N3K-C3548P-10GX is specifically designed to handle the demands of high-performance applications, such as real-time data transfer and high-throughput workloads, making it well-suited for high-frequency trading, cloud applications, and big data processing.
6. Scalability and Flexibility:
- The N3K-C3548P-10GX is built for scalability, providing the flexibility to expand your network as needs grow. The 48 1GbE ports support a wide range of endpoints, while the 4 x 10GbE uplink ports ensure high-speed connections to other switches or network devices.
- The switch is highly adaptable, supporting a mix of fiber and copper connections with SFP+ modules and Ethernet interfaces, allowing for flexible deployment in various network configurations.
7. Energy Efficiency:
- The N3K-C3548P-10GX is designed with energy efficiency in mind, helping reduce operational costs while maintaining high performance. The switch supports Energy Efficient Ethernet (EEE), which reduces power consumption during low network activity, making it an environmentally friendly option for data centers and enterprises.
8. Centralized Management:
- The N3K-C3548P-10GX is compatible with Cisco’s Data Center Network Manager (DCNM) for centralized management and monitoring of the switch. DCNM offers real-time visibility, network performance monitoring, and configuration management, enabling network administrators to easily manage and troubleshoot the network infrastructure.
- The switch can also be managed via CLI, SNMP, or web-based GUI, providing flexible options for network configuration and maintenance.
9. Modular and Redundant Design:
- The N3K-C3548P-10GX is designed for high availability with redundant power supplies and fans to ensure continuous operation, even in the event of hardware failure. This feature is critical for mission-critical environments where downtime is not an option.
Use Cases:
- Data Centers: The N3K-C3548P-10GX is ideal for data center environments where high-density and low-latency connectivity are crucial for connecting servers, storage systems, and network devices. The 10GbE uplinks ensure fast and efficient aggregation of traffic across the data center.
- Enterprise Networks: This switch is well-suited for enterprise campuses, offering reliable and scalable networking to support office networks, corporate applications, and interconnecting branch offices.
- Cloud Environments: For cloud-based infrastructure, the N3K-C3548P-10GX provides high-speed connections between various cloud components, such as virtual machines, storage, and load balancers, ensuring efficient and fast data flow.
- High-Performance Applications: The low-latency design of the N3K-C3548P-10GX makes it an excellent choice for environments where real-time data processing, high-frequency trading, or other time-sensitive applications are required.
Summary:
The Cisco N3K-C3548P-10GX is a high-performance, scalable switch designed for data centers, enterprise networks, and cloud environments. With its 48 Gigabit Ethernet ports, 10GbE uplink ports, and Layer 2 and Layer 3 switching capabilities, the switch provides robust security, low-latency performance, and advanced traffic management. It’s ideal for environments that demand high-density connectivity, efficient data handling, and high-speed communication. The switch’s energy-efficient design and centralized management options make it an ideal solution for modern network infrastructures, ensuring reliability, performance, and scalability.
