Dell PowerSwitch S6010-ON
The Dell PowerSwitch S6010-ON is a high-density 1U 40GbE open networking spine and leaf switch featuring 32 40GbE QSFP+ ports. Delivering wire-speed 2.56 Tbps switching capacity and sub-microsecond latency, the S6010-ON was widely deployed as a leaf aggregation switch and spine director in mid-sized cloud and high-performance computing (HPC) data centers.
Also written as: PowerSwitch S6010-ON, Dell S6010-ON, S6010 32x 40GbE Spine Switch
Specifications
| Brand | Dell |
|---|---|
| Family | PowerSwitch S-Series |
| Form factor | 1U switch |
| Released | Aug 2015 |
| End of sale | Jan 2020 |
| End of support | Jan 2025 |
| Port configuration | 32x 40GbE QSFP+ ports (or up to 96x 10GbE + 8x 40GbE via breakout cables) |
| Switching capacity | 2.56 Tbps aggregate throughput (1440 Mpps forwarding rate) |
| Operating system | ONIE; supports Dell OS9, OS10, Cumulus Linux, and OpenSwitch |
| Airflow options | Normal (I/O to PSU) or Reverse (PSU to I/O) airflow |
| Power supply | Dual redundant hot-plug power supplies with hot-swappable fans |
Generations
- Next generation: Dell PowerSwitch Z9100-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 S6010-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 R220 1U rack
Dell PowerEdge R920 4U rack
Dell PowerEdge C4140 1U rack
Dell PowerEdge R320 1U rack
Dell PowerEdge R420 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 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 Isilon H600 4U 4-node chassis
Dell Isilon F810 4U 4-node chassis
Optics
QSFP-40G-LR4-AR Arista 40GBASE-LR4 QSFP+ Optical Transceiver Module
QSFP-40G-SR4-AR Arista 40GBASE-SR4 QSFP+ Optical Transceiver Module
QSFP-40G-LR4 Cisco 40GBASE-LR4 QSFP+ Optical Transceiver
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 R220 1U rack
- Dell PowerEdge R920 4U rack
- Dell PowerEdge C4140 1U rack
- Dell PowerEdge R320 1U rack
- Dell PowerEdge R420 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 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 Isilon F810 4U 4-node chassis
Dell Isilon H5600 4U 4-node chassis
Optics
- QSFP-40G-LR4-AR Arista 40GBASE-LR4 QSFP+ Optical Transceiver Module
- QSFP-40G-SR4-AR Arista 40GBASE-SR4 QSFP+ Optical Transceiver Module
- QSFP-40G-LR4 Cisco 40GBASE-LR4 QSFP+ Optical Transceiver
Hyperconverged cluster
Plan at least two 25GbE ports per node to two switches; all-NVMe clusters often move to 100GbE.
HCI nodes
Dell VxRail E665 1U rack
Cisco HyperFlex HX220c M5 1U rack
Cisco HyperFlex HX240c M5 2U rack
HPE SimpliVity 380 Gen10 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
- QSFP-40G-LR4-AR Arista 40GBASE-LR4 QSFP+ Optical Transceiver Module
- QSFP-40G-SR4-AR Arista 40GBASE-SR4 QSFP+ Optical Transceiver Module
- QSFP-40G-LR4 Cisco 40GBASE-LR4 QSFP+ Optical Transceiver
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 S6010-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 S6010-ON: what to check
Test QSFP+ port links with 40GbE transceivers and breakout DAC cables, verify airflow match between power supplies and fan trays, test ONIE boot menu, and inspect redundant power supplies.
FAQ
How many 10GbE ports can the S6010-ON provide via breakout cables?
Up to 96x 10GbE ports while retaining two 40GbE ports for spine uplinks.
Does the S6010-ON support BGP EVPN with VXLAN?
Yes, with compatible versions of Dell OS10 or Cumulus Linux, hardware VXLAN routing is supported.
Buying or selling PowerSwitch S6010-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 S6010-ON Spec Sheet, checked 2026-10-27