Dell PowerSwitch N3048
The Dell PowerSwitch N3048 is an enterprise 48-port Layer 3 campus switch equipped with two 10GbE SFP+ uplinks, two combo ports, and dual hot-swappable power supplies. Engineered for high-density wiring closets requiring advanced routing and non-stop operational availability, the N3048 delivers wire-speed Layer 3 packet switching and 12-switch hardware stacking.
Also written as: PowerSwitch N3048, Dell N3048, N3048 48-Port Layer 3 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 GbE combo ports + 2x dedicated stacking ports |
| Switching capacity | 260 Gbps aggregate throughput (193 Mpps forwarding rate) |
| Operating system | Dell Networking OS6 with full Layer 3 advanced routing (OSPF, BGP, VRRP) |
| Power supply | Hot-swappable redundant 200W AC power supplies with hot-swappable fan tray |
Generations
- Next generation: Dell PowerSwitch N3048ET-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 N3048 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 N3048.
- 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 N3048: what to check
Confirm dual power supply modules are present, inspect all 48 RJ45 jacks, test 10GbE SFP+ optical ports, and verify Layer 3 routing engine in OS6.
FAQ
What is the stacking bandwidth of the N3048?
Dedicated rear stacking ports provide up to 84 Gbps of full-duplex stacking throughput.
Can the N3048 operate on DC power?
Yes, optional hot-swappable -48V DC power supply modules are supported for telecommunications installations.
Buying or selling PowerSwitch N3048?
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 N3000 Series Spec Sheet, checked 2026-10-27