Dell PowerSwitch N2048
The Dell PowerSwitch N2048 is a 1U 48-port Gigabit Ethernet campus switch featuring two 10GbE SFP+ uplinks and dedicated rear stacking. Offering high endpoint density for enterprise wiring closets, the N2048 supports MLAG, Link Aggregation, and 12-switch stacking to streamline campus network operations and provide resilient network access.
Also written as: PowerSwitch N2048, Dell N2048, N2048 48-Port Switch
Specifications
| Brand | Dell |
|---|---|
| Family | PowerSwitch N-Series |
| Form factor | 1U switch |
| Released | Apr 2014 |
| End of sale | Jan 2021 |
| End of support | Jan 2026 |
| Port configuration | 48x 1GbE RJ45 ports + 2x 10GbE SFP+ ports + 2x dedicated 10GbE stacking ports |
| Switching capacity | 220 Gbps aggregate throughput (164 Mpps forwarding rate) |
| Operating system | Dell Networking OS6 with Layer 2+ enterprise feature set |
| Stacking | Dedicated mini-SAS stacking ports supporting up to 12 switches |
| Power supply | Integrated 100W AC power supply with optional external redundant supply |
Generations
- Next generation: Dell PowerSwitch N3248T-ON
Compatible parts
Transceivers
407-BCBF Dell 25GbE SFP28 SR Optical Transceiver (850nm, 100m MMF)
407-BBOG Dell 16Gb Short Wave SFP+ Fibre Channel Optical Transceiver
Rail kits
770-BCKW Dell ReadyRails II Sliding Rails for 2U PowerEdge Servers (B6)
Works together
How the Dell PowerSwitch N2048 connects to servers, storage and the network: 3 ways, with the parts and products on each path.
iSCSI and NVMe/TCP over Ethernet
Keep the speed the same at all three points: a 25GbE server, a 25GbE switch port and a 25GbE array port. Mixed speeds work but the slowest link sets the pace.
Servers
Dell PowerEdge R220 1U rack
Dell PowerEdge R430 1U rack
Dell PowerEdge R530 2U rack
Dell PowerEdge R630 1U rack
Dell PowerEdge R730 2U rack
Dell PowerEdge R730xd 2U rack
Adapters for the server
540-BBGN Dell Broadcom 57412 Dual Port 10GbE SFP+ PCIe Adapter
540-BBGO Dell Broadcom 57416 Dual Port 10GBASE-T RJ45 PCIe Adapter
540-BBGP Dell Broadcom 57416 Dual Port 10GBASE-T RJ45 OCP 3.0 Adapter
540-BBGY Dell Broadcom 57414 Dual Port 10/25GbE SFP28 PCIe Low Profile Network Adapter
Storage
Dell PowerProtect DD Data Domain DD2200 2U appliance
Dell PowerVault MD3800i 2U rack
Dell PowerVault MD3820i 2U rack
Dell PowerVault MD3860i 4U rack
Dell VMAX 100K system bay rack
Dell VMAX 200K system bay multi-rack
Optics
407-BBOU Dell 10GbE SFP+ SR Optical Transceiver (850nm, 300m MMF)- 407-BCBF Dell 25GbE SFP28 SR Optical Transceiver (850nm, 100m MMF)
SFP-10G-LR-AR Arista 10GBASE-LR SFP+ Optical Transceiver Module
File storage (NFS and SMB)
Front-end ports face the clients; back-end ports (on scale-out systems) connect the nodes to each other and need their own switch pair.
Servers
- Dell PowerEdge R220 1U rack
- Dell PowerEdge R430 1U rack
- Dell PowerEdge R530 2U rack
- Dell PowerEdge R630 1U rack
- Dell PowerEdge R730 2U rack
- Dell PowerEdge R730xd 2U rack
Adapters for the server
- 540-BBGN Dell Broadcom 57412 Dual Port 10GbE SFP+ PCIe Adapter
- 540-BBGO Dell Broadcom 57416 Dual Port 10GBASE-T RJ45 PCIe Adapter
- 540-BBGP Dell Broadcom 57416 Dual Port 10GBASE-T RJ45 OCP 3.0 Adapter
- 540-BBGY Dell Broadcom 57414 Dual Port 10/25GbE SFP28 PCIe Low Profile Network Adapter
Storage
Dell Unity 300 2U rack
Dell Unity 300F 2U rack
Dell Unity 400 2U rack
Dell Unity 400F 2U rack
Dell Unity 500 2U rack
Dell Unity 500F 2U rack
Optics
- 407-BBOU Dell 10GbE SFP+ SR Optical Transceiver (850nm, 300m MMF)
- 407-BCBF Dell 25GbE SFP28 SR Optical Transceiver (850nm, 100m MMF)
- SFP-10G-LR-AR Arista 10GBASE-LR SFP+ Optical Transceiver Module
Hyperconverged cluster
Plan at least two 25GbE ports per node to two switches; all-NVMe clusters often move to 100GbE.
HCI nodes
Dell VxRail E665 1U rack
Dell VxRail P Series P570F 2U rack (1 node)
Dell VxRail P570 2U rack
Dell VxRail S570 2U rack
Adapters for the server
- 540-BBGN Dell Broadcom 57412 Dual Port 10GbE SFP+ PCIe Adapter
- 540-BBGO Dell Broadcom 57416 Dual Port 10GBASE-T RJ45 PCIe Adapter
- 540-BBGP Dell Broadcom 57416 Dual Port 10GBASE-T RJ45 OCP 3.0 Adapter
- 540-BBGY Dell Broadcom 57414 Dual Port 10/25GbE SFP28 PCIe Low Profile Network Adapter
Optics
- 407-BBOU Dell 10GbE SFP+ SR Optical Transceiver (850nm, 300m MMF)
- 407-BCBF Dell 25GbE SFP28 SR Optical Transceiver (850nm, 100m MMF)
- SFP-10G-LR-AR Arista 10GBASE-LR SFP+ Optical Transceiver Module
Plan and size it
- Draw this setup in the topology planner mrplanb.com
- Add up rack power and space rack-density.com
- iSCSI explained mrplanb.com
- Virtualization storage Ledger: scored storage platforms mrplanb.com
- Network monitoring tools compared mrplanb.com
- Dell E-Lab Navigator (Dell interoperability) dell.com
Check compatibility with Dell
Before you buy, confirm the exact configuration against the vendor's own lists: firmware levels, operating systems, adapters and optics that Dell has tested with the Dell PowerSwitch N2048.
- Compatibility Dell E-Lab Navigator (storage and SAN interoperability) (free vendor sign-in)
- Support Dell Support: drivers, manuals and service tag lookup
Equivalent models from other brands
Buying a used PowerSwitch N2048: what to check
Inspect 48 RJ45 ports for damage, test rear stacking interfaces, check 10GbE optical transceiver compatibility, and verify OS6 boot stability.
FAQ
Can N2048 and N2024 switches be stacked together?
Yes, any models within the N2000 series can be stacked together up to a total of 12 units.
What features are included in Dell OS6 on the N2048?
VLANs, Spanning Tree (STP/RSTP/MSTP), Link Aggregation (LACP), IGMP snooping, and static Layer 3 routing.
Buying or selling PowerSwitch N2048?
New, refurbished or used. Tell us the quantity and condition and we connect you with a vetted reseller in your region, usually within one working day.
Sources
- Dell PowerSwitch N2000 Series Spec Sheet, checked 2026-10-27