Dell PowerSwitch S4048-ON
The Dell PowerSwitch S4048-ON was the industry-defining 1U open networking top-of-rack leaf switch featuring 48 10GbE SFP+ ports and six 40GbE QSFP+ uplinks. Pioneering the Open Network Install Environment (ONIE) ecosystem, the S4048-ON allowed enterprise customers to decouple switch hardware from proprietary network operating systems, running Cumulus Linux, Dell OS9, or OS10.
Also written as: PowerSwitch S4048-ON, Dell S4048-ON, S4048 10GbE Leaf Switch
Specifications
| Brand | Dell |
|---|---|
| Family | PowerSwitch S-Series |
| Form factor | 1U switch |
| Released | May 2015 |
| End of sale | Jan 2021 |
| End of support | Jan 2026 |
| Port configuration | 48x 10GbE SFP+ ports + 6x 40GbE QSFP+ uplink ports |
| Switching capacity | 1.44 Tbps aggregate throughput (1071 Mpps forwarding rate) |
| Operating system | ONIE; supports Dell OS9, OS10, Cumulus Linux, and Big Switch |
| Airflow options | Normal (I/O to PSU) or Reverse (PSU to I/O) airflow |
| Power supply | Dual redundant hot-plug 460W AC or DC power supplies |
Generations
- Next generation: Dell PowerSwitch S4148FE-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 S4048-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 C4130 1U rack
Dell PowerEdge R230 1U rack
Dell PowerEdge R330 1U rack
Dell PowerEdge R930 4U rack
Dell PowerEdge R220 1U rack
Dell PowerEdge R430 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 DD Data Domain DD9500 2U controller + shelves
Dell PowerProtect DD Data Domain DD2200 2U appliance
Dell PowerProtect DD Data Domain DD6300 2U appliance
Dell PowerProtect DD Data Domain DD6800 2U controller + shelves
Dell PowerProtect DD Data Domain DD9300 2U controller + shelves
Dell PowerProtect DD Data Domain DD9800 2U controller + shelves
Optics
407-BBOU Dell 10GbE SFP+ SR Optical Transceiver (850nm, 300m MMF)- 407-BCBF Dell 25GbE SFP28 SR Optical Transceiver (850nm, 100m MMF)
QSFP-40G-LR4-AR Arista 40GBASE-LR4 QSFP+ 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 C4130 1U rack
- Dell PowerEdge R230 1U rack
- Dell PowerEdge R330 1U rack
- Dell PowerEdge R930 4U rack
- Dell PowerEdge R220 1U rack
- Dell PowerEdge R430 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 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)
- QSFP-40G-LR4-AR Arista 40GBASE-LR4 QSFP+ 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 P Series P570F 2U rack (1 node)
Dell VxRail P570 2U rack
Dell VxRail S570 2U rack
Dell VxRail V570 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)
- QSFP-40G-LR4-AR Arista 40GBASE-LR4 QSFP+ 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 S4048-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 S4048-ON: what to check
Verify ONIE boot loader integrity, test all 48 SFP+ ports with 10GbE optics, inspect fan modules and power supply airflow orientation, and confirm console port communication.
FAQ
Can the six 40GbE QSFP+ ports break out into 10GbE?
Yes, each 40GbE port can break out into 4x 10GbE SFP+ connections, giving a maximum of 72 10GbE ports.
What third-party network operating systems run on the S4048-ON?
Cumulus Linux, SONiC, Big Switch Big Cloud Fabric, and Pluribus Netvisor run seamlessly via ONIE.
Buying or selling PowerSwitch S4048-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 S4048-ON Spec Sheet, checked 2026-10-27