Dell PowerSwitch N3048ET-ON
The Dell PowerSwitch N3048ET-ON is a 1U 48-port Gigabit Layer 3 access switch featuring ONIE open networking support, two 10GbE SFP+ uplinks, and dual hot-swappable power supplies. Engineered for high-density campus wiring closets, the N3048ET-ON combines wire-speed dynamic routing with the freedom to deploy open-source or commercial network operating systems.
Also written as: PowerSwitch N3048ET-ON, Dell N3048ET-ON, N3048ET 48-Port L3 Open Switch
Specifications
| Brand | Dell |
|---|---|
| Family | PowerSwitch N-Series |
| Form factor | 1U switch |
| Released | May 2018 |
| Port configuration | 48x 1GbE RJ45 ports + 2x 10GbE SFP+ uplink ports + 2x GbE combo ports |
| Switching capacity | 260 Gbps aggregate throughput (193 Mpps forwarding rate) |
| Operating system | ONIE; supports Dell OS6, OS10, and open NOS |
| Power supply | Hot-swappable redundant 200W AC power supplies |
Generations
- Previous generation: Dell PowerSwitch N3048
- 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 N3048ET-ON 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 R240 1U rack
Dell PowerEdge R340 1U rack
Dell PowerEdge R740xd2 2U rack
Dell PowerEdge R840 2U rack
Dell PowerEdge R940xa 4U rack
Dell PowerEdge R6515 1U 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 PowerMax 2000 system bay / standard rack
Dell PowerMax 8000 system bay multi-cabinet
Dell PowerProtect DD3300 2U appliance
Dell PowerVault ME4012 2U rack
Dell PowerVault ME4024 2U rack
Dell PowerProtect DD6400 2U appliance
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 R240 1U rack
- Dell PowerEdge R340 1U rack
- Dell PowerEdge R740xd2 2U rack
- Dell PowerEdge R840 2U rack
- Dell PowerEdge R940xa 4U rack
- Dell PowerEdge R6515 1U 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 XT 380F 2U rack
Dell Unity XT 380XT 2U rack
Dell Unity XT 480F 2U rack
Dell Unity XT 480XT 2U rack
Dell Unity XT 680F 2U rack
Dell Unity XT 680XT 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 E560F 1U rack
Dell VxRail G560 2U 4-node chassis
Dell VxRail G560F 2U 4-node chassis
Dell VxRail P Series P570F 2U rack (1 node)
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 N3048ET-ON.
- 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 N3048ET-ON: what to check
Inspect all 48 RJ45 ports for damage, test hot-swapping dual 200W power supplies, check 10GbE SFP+ optical links, and test ONIE boot loader.
FAQ
Does the N3048ET-ON support dual redundant power supplies?
Yes, dual hot-swappable power supplies provide 1+1 hardware power redundancy.
Can the N3048ET-ON run standard open-source SONiC?
Yes, community and enterprise SONiC distributions are supported via ONIE.
Buying or selling PowerSwitch N3048ET-ON?
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 N3000E Series Spec Sheet, checked 2026-10-27