Dell PowerSwitch N3248T-ON
The Dell PowerSwitch N3248T-ON is a next-generation 48-port Gigabit Layer 3 access switch featuring four 10GbE SFP+ uplinks and ONIE open networking. Built for dense modern enterprise client deployments, the N3248T-ON combines low power consumption, full dynamic routing (OSPF, BGP, VRRP), and dual hot-swappable power supplies.
Also written as: PowerSwitch N3248T-ON, Dell N3248T-ON, N3248T 48-Port Next-Gen Switch
Specifications
| Brand | Dell |
|---|---|
| Family | PowerSwitch N-Series |
| Form factor | 1U switch |
| Released | Oct 2019 |
| Port configuration | 48x 1GbE RJ45 ports + 4x 10GbE SFP+ uplink ports |
| Switching capacity | 176 Gbps aggregate throughput (132 Mpps forwarding rate) |
| Operating system | ONIE; supports Dell SmartFabric OS6 / OS10 with full Layer 3 routing |
| Power supply | Hot-swappable redundant power supplies with hot-swappable fan trays |
Generations
- Previous 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 N3248T-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 R6515 1U rack
Dell PowerEdge R7515 2U rack
Dell PowerEdge R6525 1U rack
Dell PowerEdge R7525 2U rack
Dell PowerEdge R240 1U rack
Dell PowerEdge R340 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 PowerProtect DD6400 2U appliance
Dell PowerProtect DD6900 2U appliance + shelves
Dell PowerProtect DD9400 2U appliance + shelves
Dell PowerProtect DD9900 2U appliance + shelves
Dell Unity XT 380F 2U rack
Dell Unity XT 380XT 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
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 R6515 1U rack
- Dell PowerEdge R7515 2U rack
- Dell PowerEdge R6525 1U rack
- Dell PowerEdge R7525 2U rack
- Dell PowerEdge R240 1U rack
- Dell PowerEdge R340 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 D560 1U short-depth rack
Dell VxRail D560F 1U short-depth rack
Dell VxRail E560F 1U rack
Dell VxRail G560 2U 4-node chassis
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 N3248T-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 N3248T-ON: what to check
Inspect 48 RJ45 jacks for physical integrity, verify four 10GbE SFP+ uplink ports, check dual power supplies, and test ONIE installation.
FAQ
How many 10GbE uplinks are built into the N3248T-ON?
It includes four dedicated 10GbE SFP+ uplink ports.
Does the N3248T-ON support Virtual Link Trunking (VLT)?
Yes, when running Dell OS10, VLT provides active-active multi-chassis link aggregation without Spanning Tree blocks.
Buying or selling PowerSwitch N3248T-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 N3200-ON Series Spec Sheet, checked 2026-10-27