Dell PowerSwitch S5232F-ON
The Dell PowerSwitch S5232F-ON is a high-density 1U open networking switch engineered for spine interconnects, high-throughput leaf aggregation, and 100GbE storage backplanes. Featuring thirty-two 100GbE QSFP28 ports and two 10GbE SFP+ management/interconnect ports, it provides 3.2 Tbps of non-blocking switching throughput. With breakout cable support, all 32 ports can be split to deliver up to 128 distinct 25GbE or 10GbE server connections. Supporting ONIE, Dell SmartFabric OS10, and Enterprise SONiC, it serves as a flexible fabric core for all-NVMe storage arrays and AI training clusters. Buyers should verify installed OS licensing and airflow direction.
Also written as: PowerSwitch S5232F-ON, Dell S5232F-ON, S5232F 100GbE Switch
Specifications
| Brand | Dell |
|---|---|
| Family | PowerSwitch |
| Form factor | 1U rack |
| Released | Jun 2019 |
| Ports | 32x 100GbE QSFP28 + 2x 10GbE SFP+ ports (ports break out to 128x 25GbE / 10GbE) |
| Switching capacity | 3.2 Tbps (6.4 Tbps full duplex) |
| Power supply | Dual redundant hot-plug 750W AC/DC power supplies |
Works together
How the Dell PowerSwitch S5232F-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 R760 2U rack
Dell PowerEdge XE8545 4U rack
Dell PowerEdge XE8640 4U rack
Dell PowerEdge XE9640 2U rack
Dell PowerEdge XE9680 6U rack
Dell PowerEdge R6515 1U rack
Adapters for the server
540-BDBX Dell NVIDIA Mellanox ConnectX-6 Dx Dual Port 100GbE QSFP56 PCIe Adapter
540-BDCF Dell Intel E810-CQDA2 Dual Port 100GbE QSFP28 PCIe Gen4 Adapter
540-BDCP Dell Broadcom 57508 Dual Port 100GbE QSFP56 PCIe Gen4 Adapter
540-BDCQ Dell Broadcom 57508 Dual Port 100GbE QSFP56 OCP 3.0 Adapter
Storage
Dell PowerStore 5000T 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
Dell Unity XT 680F 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 R760 2U rack
- Dell PowerEdge XE8545 4U rack
- Dell PowerEdge XE8640 4U rack
- Dell PowerEdge XE9640 2U rack
- Dell PowerEdge XE9680 6U rack
- Dell PowerEdge R6515 1U rack
Adapters for the server
- 540-BDBX Dell NVIDIA Mellanox ConnectX-6 Dx Dual Port 100GbE QSFP56 PCIe Adapter
- 540-BDCF Dell Intel E810-CQDA2 Dual Port 100GbE QSFP28 PCIe Gen4 Adapter
- 540-BDCP Dell Broadcom 57508 Dual Port 100GbE QSFP56 PCIe Gen4 Adapter
- 540-BDCQ Dell Broadcom 57508 Dual Port 100GbE QSFP56 OCP 3.0 Adapter
Storage
Dell PowerScale F200 1U rack
Dell PowerScale F600 1U rack- Dell PowerStore 5000T 2U rack
Dell PowerScale A300 4U
Dell PowerScale F900 2U rack
Dell PowerScale H700 4U
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 E Series E560 1U rack (1 node)
HPE SimpliVity 325 Gen10 1U rack
HPE SimpliVity 380 Gen10 G 2U rack
Adapters for the server
- 540-BDBX Dell NVIDIA Mellanox ConnectX-6 Dx Dual Port 100GbE QSFP56 PCIe Adapter
- 540-BDCF Dell Intel E810-CQDA2 Dual Port 100GbE QSFP28 PCIe Gen4 Adapter
- 540-BDCP Dell Broadcom 57508 Dual Port 100GbE QSFP56 PCIe Gen4 Adapter
- 540-BDCQ Dell Broadcom 57508 Dual Port 100GbE QSFP56 OCP 3.0 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 S5232F-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 S5232F-ON: what to check
Confirm airflow orientation (Standard IO-to-PSU vs Reverse PSU-to-IO). Verify that both hot-swap 750W PSUs are functional and test QSFP28 optical cages with test optics or DAC cables.
FAQ
Can QSFP28 ports on the S5232F-ON be broken out to 25GbE?
Yes, each 100GbE QSFP28 port can be configured via software to break out into four 25GbE or four 10GbE ports using appropriate breakout cabling.
Does the S5232F-ON support RoCE for NVMe-oF and storage traffic?
Yes, the S5232F-ON supports RoCEv2, Priority Flow Control (PFC), and Explicit Congestion Notification (ECN) for lossless storage networks.
Buying or selling S5232F-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 S5232F-ON Spec Sheet, checked 2026-10-27