Dell PowerSwitch S5048F-ON
The Dell PowerSwitch S5048F-ON was Dell's pioneering 1U 25GbE top-of-rack open networking switch, configured with 48 25GbE SFP28 server ports and six 100GbE QSFP28 spine uplinks. Designed to break 10GbE network bottlenecks for 25GbE-ready PowerEdge server fleets and all-flash storage clusters, the S5048F-ON delivered 3.6 Tbps of line-rate forwarding and low-latency switching.
Also written as: PowerSwitch S5048F-ON, Dell S5048F-ON, S5048F 25GbE Leaf Switch
Specifications
| Brand | Dell |
|---|---|
| Family | PowerSwitch S-Series |
| Form factor | 1U switch |
| Released | Apr 2017 |
| End of sale | Jan 2022 |
| End of support | Jan 2027 |
| Port configuration | 48x 25GbE SFP28 ports + 6x 100GbE QSFP28 uplink ports |
| Switching capacity | 3.6 Tbps aggregate throughput (2000 Mpps forwarding rate) |
| Operating system | ONIE; supports Dell SmartFabric OS10 and 3rd-party open NOS |
| Airflow options | Normal (I/O to PSU) or Reverse (PSU to I/O) airflow |
| Power supply | Dual redundant hot-plug 750W power supplies with hot-swappable fan trays |
Generations
- Next generation: Dell PowerSwitch S5248F-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)
Rail kits
770-BCKW Dell ReadyRails II Sliding Rails for 2U PowerEdge Servers (B6)
Works together
How the Dell PowerSwitch S5048F-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 C4140 1U rack
Dell PowerEdge R440 1U rack
Dell PowerEdge R540 2U rack
Dell PowerEdge R640 1U rack
Dell PowerEdge R740 2U rack
Dell PowerEdge R740xd 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
Storage
Dell Isilon A2000 4U 4-node chassis
Dell Isilon F800 4U 4-node chassis
Dell Isilon H400 4U 4-node chassis
Dell Isilon H500 4U 4-node chassis
Dell Unity 350F 2U rack
Dell Unity 450F 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 C4140 1U rack
- Dell PowerEdge R440 1U rack
- Dell PowerEdge R540 2U rack
- Dell PowerEdge R640 1U rack
- Dell PowerEdge R740 2U rack
- Dell PowerEdge R740xd 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
Storage
Dell Isilon A200 4U 4-node chassis- Dell Isilon F800 4U 4-node chassis
- Dell Isilon H400 4U 4-node chassis
- Dell Isilon H500 4U 4-node chassis
- Dell Unity 350F 2U rack
- Dell Unity 450F 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 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
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 S5048F-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 S5048F-ON: what to check
Test SFP28 ports at both 25GbE and 10GbE speeds, confirm 100GbE QSFP28 uplink recognition, verify fan tray airflow direction, and test ONIE / OS10 installation.
FAQ
Can the 25GbE SFP28 ports accept standard 10GbE SFP+ optics?
Yes, SFP28 ports are backward-compatible with 10GbE optical and DAC transceiver modules.
Does the S5048F-ON support Virtual Link Trunking (VLT)?
Yes, VLT connects two S5048F switches into an active-active high-availability leaf pair.
Buying or selling PowerSwitch S5048F-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 S5048F-ON Spec Sheet, checked 2026-10-27