Dell PowerSwitch S4148F-ON
The Dell PowerSwitch S4148F-ON is one of the most widely deployed 1U open networking Top-of-Rack data center switches in enterprise computing. Providing forty-eight 10GbE SFP+ ports, four 100GbE QSFP28 uplinks, and two 40GbE QSFP+ ports, the S4148F-ON delivers 1.76 Tbps of line-rate switching throughput. It supports ONIE for disaggregated networking, running Dell OS10, Enterprise SONiC, or third-party operating systems. Extremely common in enterprise server racks, SAN storage clusters (iSCSI), and hyperconverged infrastructure, the S4148F-ON is heavily traded on the secondary market. Buyers should confirm airflow direction and verify OS10 license keys.
Also written as: PowerSwitch S4148F-ON, Dell S4148F-ON, S4148F 10GbE Switch
Specifications
| Brand | Dell |
|---|---|
| Family | PowerSwitch |
| Form factor | 1U rack |
| Released | Jun 2017 |
| Ports | 48x 10GbE SFP+ + 4x 100GbE QSFP28 + 2x 40GbE QSFP+ ports |
| Switching capacity | 1.76 Tbps (3.52 Tbps full duplex) |
| Power supply | Dual redundant hot-plug 450W AC or DC power supplies, normal or reverse airflow |
Generations
- Previous generation: Dell Networking S4048 On
- Next generation: Dell PowerSwitch S5248F-ON
Compatible parts
Transceivers
407-BBOU Dell 10GbE SFP+ SR Optical Transceiver (850nm, 300m MMF)
Cables
470-AATH Dell Networking Cable SFP+ to SFP+ 10GbE Passive Direct Attach Copper 1m
470-AATI Dell Networking Cable SFP+ to SFP+ 10GbE Passive Direct Attach Copper 3m
470-AATJ Dell Networking Cable SFP+ to SFP+ 10GbE Passive Direct Attach Copper 5m
470-AATO Dell Networking Cable QSFP+ to QSFP+ 40GbE Passive Direct Attach Copper 1m
470-AATP Dell Networking Cable QSFP+ to QSFP+ 40GbE Passive Direct Attach Copper 3m
Works together
How the Dell PowerSwitch S4148F-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 R740 2U rack
Dell PowerEdge R730 2U rack
Dell PowerEdge T640 tower
Dell PowerEdge MX840c blade
Dell PowerEdge T630 tower
Dell PowerEdge MX750c blade
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 PowerVault ME4012 2U rack
Dell PowerVault ME4024 2U rack
Dell Unity XT Unity 300 2U rack
Dell Unity XT Unity 400 2U rack
Dell Unity XT 380F 2U rack
Dell Unity XT 380XT 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 R740 2U rack
- Dell PowerEdge R730 2U rack
- Dell PowerEdge T640 tower
- Dell PowerEdge MX840c blade
- Dell PowerEdge T630 tower
- Dell PowerEdge MX750c blade
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 Unity 300 2U rack
- Dell Unity XT Unity 400 2U rack
- Dell Unity XT 380F 2U rack
- Dell Unity XT 380XT 2U rack
Dell Unity XT 480F 2U rack
Dell Unity XT 480XT 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
Lenovo ThinkAgile HX3320 1U rack
Lenovo ThinkAgile VX650 V2 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
Equivalent models from other brands
- Cisco Nexus 93180YC Ex
- Arista 7050SX2 48YC6
Buying a used S4148F-ON: what to check
Check airflow direction (I/O to PSU vs PSU to I/O) on fan modules and dual 450W power supplies. Verify whether Dell OS10 Enterprise license is active or ONIE prompt is displayed.
FAQ
What ports are on the S4148F-ON?
Forty-eight 10GbE SFP+ ports, four 100GbE QSFP28 uplink ports, and two 40GbE QSFP+ ports in 1U.
Does the S4148F-ON support hardware VXLAN?
Yes, it supports hardware VXLAN Layer 2 and Layer 3 gateway routing.
Buying or selling S4148F-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 S4148F-ON Spec Sheet, checked 2026-10-27