Dell PowerSwitch N3248TE-ON
The Dell PowerSwitch N3248TE-ON is an advanced 1U campus access switch equipped with 48 Gigabit Ethernet RJ45 ports, two 10GbE SFP+ ports, and two 100GbE QSFP28 uplink ports. Providing a massive 100GbE uplink pipe directly from the access tier into core datacenter spines, the N3248TE-ON eliminates edge oversubscription bottlenecks in bandwidth-intensive campus environments.
Also written as: PowerSwitch N3248TE-ON, Dell N3248TE-ON, N3248TE 48-Port 100GbE Uplink Switch
Specifications
| Brand | Dell |
|---|---|
| Family | PowerSwitch N-Series |
| Form factor | 1U switch |
| Released | Apr 2021 |
| Port configuration | 48x 1GbE RJ45 ports + 2x 10GbE SFP+ ports + 2x 100GbE QSFP28 uplink ports |
| Switching capacity | 536 Gbps aggregate throughput (398 Mpps forwarding rate) |
| Operating system | ONIE; supports Dell SmartFabric OS10 with full Layer 3 routing |
| Power supply | Hot-swappable redundant 550W AC power supplies with hot-swappable fan trays |
Generations
- Previous generation: Dell PowerSwitch N3048ET-ON
Compatible parts
Transceivers
407-BCBI Dell 32Gb Short Wave SFP28 Fibre Channel Optical Transceiver
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 N3248TE-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 R250 1U rack
Dell PowerEdge R350 1U rack
Dell PowerEdge R450 1U rack
Dell PowerEdge R550 2U rack
Dell PowerEdge R650 1U rack
Dell PowerEdge R650xs 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 PowerStore 500T 2U rack
Dell PowerMax 2500 4U multi-node rack
Dell PowerMax 8500 system bay multi-enclosure
Dell PowerStore 1000T 2U rack
Dell PowerStore 1000X 2U rack
Dell PowerStore 1200T 2U rack
Optics
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 R250 1U rack
- Dell PowerEdge R350 1U rack
- Dell PowerEdge R450 1U rack
- Dell PowerEdge R550 2U rack
- Dell PowerEdge R650 1U rack
- Dell PowerEdge R650xs 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 PowerScale A300 4U
Dell PowerScale A3000 4U 4-node chassis
Dell PowerScale F900 2U rack
Dell PowerScale H700 4U
Dell PowerScale H7000 4U 4-node chassis- Dell PowerStore 500T 2U rack
Optics
Hyperconverged cluster
Plan at least two 25GbE ports per node to two switches; all-NVMe clusters often move to 100GbE.
HCI nodes
Dell VxRail E660 1U rack
Dell VxRail E660F 1U rack
Dell VxRail E660N 1U rack
Dell VxRail P670F 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
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 N3248TE-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 N3248TE-ON: what to check
Inspect 48 RJ45 ports, verify 100GbE QSFP28 optic detection, test hot-swappable dual power supplies, and check Dell OS10 firmware installation.
FAQ
What is the benefit of 100GbE uplinks on a 1GbE access switch?
Direct 100GbE uplinks eliminate oversubscription bottlenecks when aggregating dense 48-port Gigabit traffic to core switches.
Can the 100GbE ports accept 40GbE optics?
Yes, QSFP28 cages backward-negotiate with standard 40GbE QSFP+ optics.
Buying or selling PowerSwitch N3248TE-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