N5K-C5596UP-FA Cisco Nexus 48 Port L3 Managed Switch with SFP+

Cisco Nexus 5596UP Layer 3 Managed Switch Overview

Discover the high-performance Cisco N5K-C5596UP-FA, a 48-port Layer 3 managed switch designed for enterprise-grade networking. Engineered for reliability and scalability, this Nexus series switch ensures seamless data flow and advanced network management.

Manufacturer and Product Details

• Brand: Cisco
• Model Number: N5K-C5596UP-FA
• Product Category: Network Switch
• Sub-Type: 48-Port Managed Switch

Technical Features and Series

• Product Line: Nexus
• Series: 5000
• Chassis Model: 5596UP

Switch Chassis Specifications

• Product Name: Nexus 5596UP Switch Chassis
• Chassis Type: Switch Chassis

Interfaces and Connectivity

• USB Support: Yes
• Total Ports: 48

Expansion and Scalability

• Total Expansion Slots: 6

Network Capabilities

• Layer Support: Layer 3 routing
• Advanced Network Management: VLAN, QoS, MIB

Management and Protocols

• Remote and Local Management: CLI, Telnet, SNMP v1/v2/v3, RMON
• Network Services: DHCP, Syslog

Power and Reliability

• Input Voltage: 110V AC / 220V AC
• Power Source: Built-in Power Supply
• Redundant Power Supply: Yes, for uninterrupted operation

Cisco N5K-C5596UP-FA Nexus 48 Port Layer 3 Managed Switch

The Cisco N5K-C5596UP-FA Nexus series represents a high-performance, data center-grade Layer 3 managed switch designed to meet the demands of modern enterprise and cloud network environments. With 48 high-speed ports supporting SFP+ connectivity, the N5K-C5596UP-FA provides robust network throughput, scalability, and advanced management features suitable for mission-critical applications. Its architecture is optimized for low-latency, high-density, and energy-efficient operation, making it ideal for enterprise campuses, data centers, and service provider networks.

High-Performance Layer 3 Switching

The Nexus 5596UP-FA delivers powerful Layer 3 routing capabilities, allowing seamless integration of multiple network segments with minimal latency. The switch supports advanced routing protocols, including OSPF, BGP, and EIGRP, ensuring dynamic and reliable routing for complex network topologies. Its hardware-based forwarding engine accelerates packet processing, resulting in high throughput and low latency even under heavy network loads.

48 SFP+ Ports for Maximum Connectivity

Equipped with 48 SFP+ ports, the Cisco N5K-C5596UP-FA provides flexible and high-density connectivity options. These ports support both short-range and long-range fiber transceivers, making it adaptable for a wide range of network deployment scenarios. The SFP+ interface ensures 10 Gigabit Ethernet speeds, allowing for seamless high-bandwidth communication between servers, storage devices, and other network infrastructure components.

Uplink Flexibility and Expansion Options

The switch includes multiple uplink ports capable of 40/100 Gigabit Ethernet, facilitating high-speed interconnects with other switches or core network devices. This uplink flexibility ensures that the N5K-C5596UP-FA can support network growth and traffic bursts without bottlenecks, providing enterprises with a scalable and future-proof solution. Expansion modules and hot-swappable components further enhance the adaptability of the switch for evolving network demands.

Advanced Network Management and Automation

Cisco Nexus switches are renowned for their comprehensive management and automation capabilities. The N5K-C5596UP-FA supports Cisco NX-OS, a feature-rich operating system designed for operational efficiency and simplified network management. NX-OS allows administrators to automate repetitive tasks, deploy consistent configurations, and monitor network health in real-time.

Programmability and API Support

The Nexus 5596UP-FA supports Python scripting, REST APIs, and Cisco’s Data Center Network Manager (DCNM) integration. These programmable interfaces enable IT teams to implement automation workflows, perform bulk configuration changes, and integrate network monitoring with third-party systems. Network automation reduces human error, improves operational efficiency, and accelerates service provisioning.

Enterprise-Grade Security Features

Security is a core component of the Cisco N5K-C5596UP-FA architecture. The switch offers advanced Layer 2 and Layer 3 security mechanisms, including access control lists (ACLs), port security, dynamic ARP inspection, and IP source guard. These features protect against unauthorized access, network attacks, and data breaches, ensuring a secure operational environment for critical business applications.

Segmentation and Policy Enforcement

VLAN segmentation, VRFs (Virtual Routing and Forwarding), and policy-based routing allow network administrators to implement strict traffic separation and enforce organizational policies across the network. This segmentation enhances both performance and security by isolating sensitive workloads and optimizing traffic flows. Policy enforcement ensures compliance with internal security standards and external regulatory requirements.

Integrated Threat Detection and Mitigation

The Nexus 5596UP-FA supports advanced threat detection mechanisms such as Cisco TrustSec and dynamic segmentation. These capabilities allow the network to identify and mitigate potential threats in real-time, providing an additional layer of protection against intrusions and cyberattacks. Integration with Cisco Identity Services Engine (ISE) enables context-aware access control and simplifies network-wide policy management.

High Availability and Reliability

Designed for mission-critical environments, the Cisco N5K-C5596UP-FA ensures high availability and minimal downtime. The switch supports redundant power supplies, fans, and supervisor modules, allowing for seamless failover and continuous operation. In addition, features like vPC (Virtual Port Channel) and ISSU (In-Service Software Upgrade) enable uninterrupted network service during maintenance or upgrade activities.

Redundant Architecture for Maximum Uptime

The dual supervisor engine and modular power design provide hardware-level redundancy, minimizing the risk of network outages. If a primary component fails, the secondary module takes over immediately, ensuring continuous network operations. This level of resilience is critical for data centers, financial institutions, and cloud providers that require consistent, reliable connectivity.

Virtual Port Channel (vPC) Technology

vPC technology allows two Nexus switches to appear as a single logical switch to connected devices. This simplifies network design, increases bandwidth availability, and eliminates single points of failure. The N5K-C5596UP-FA supports vPC with cross-chassis configurations, providing robust redundancy and load balancing for critical data center applications.

Energy Efficiency and Environmental Considerations

The Cisco Nexus 5596UP-FA is engineered with energy efficiency in mind, employing intelligent power management features and low-power components. Energy-efficient Ethernet (EEE) and adaptive cooling technologies reduce power consumption and operational costs, without compromising performance or reliability. These features support enterprise sustainability goals while maintaining high operational efficiency.

Fan and Cooling Optimization

Advanced thermal management ensures optimal cooling across the chassis, preventing overheating and extending the lifespan of hardware components. The switch automatically adjusts fan speed based on environmental conditions and workload demands, reducing noise and energy usage while maintaining a stable operating temperature.

Reduced Carbon Footprint

By optimizing power usage and employing environmentally friendly components, the Nexus 5596UP-FA contributes to a lower carbon footprint. Enterprises can leverage these energy-efficient features to achieve corporate sustainability objectives while maintaining a high-performance network infrastructure.

Deployment Scenarios and Use Cases

The Cisco N5K-C5596UP-FA is versatile and can be deployed in multiple network architectures. Its high port density, Layer 3 capabilities, and advanced features make it suitable for data center aggregation, campus core switching, and service provider networks.

Data Center Aggregation Switch

As an aggregation switch, the Nexus 5596UP-FA consolidates traffic from multiple access switches, providing high-speed uplinks to the core network. Its 10Gbps SFP+ ports and 40/100Gbps uplinks ensure that bandwidth-intensive workloads, such as virtualization and high-performance computing, operate efficiently without network congestion.

Campus Core Switching

In a campus environment, the switch serves as a high-performance core, connecting distribution and access layer switches. Its advanced Layer 3 routing, QoS (Quality of Service) capabilities, and policy enforcement ensure seamless communication across multiple buildings, supporting critical applications like VoIP, video conferencing, and cloud-based services.

Service Provider Networks

For service providers, the Nexus 5596UP-FA offers scalable bandwidth, multi-tenant segmentation, and high reliability. It supports dense multi-gigabit connections for enterprise customers, data centers, and cloud providers. Its programmability and automation features allow service providers to offer dynamic provisioning and rapid service deployment.

Quality of Service (QoS) and Traffic Management

Efficient traffic management is essential in modern networks, and the Cisco Nexus 5596UP-FA excels in this domain. With advanced QoS features, administrators can prioritize mission-critical applications, control bandwidth allocation, and minimize latency for real-time services like video and voice.

Traffic Classification and Prioritization

The switch can classify traffic based on Layer 2–Layer 4 headers, VLANs, IP precedence, or DSCP values. Administrators can define QoS policies to prioritize specific traffic types, ensuring consistent performance for latency-sensitive applications. These capabilities are particularly valuable for VoIP, streaming media, and financial transaction networks.

Congestion Management

With queue management and congestion avoidance mechanisms, the Nexus 5596UP-FA prevents network bottlenecks and packet loss. Weighted Fair Queuing (WFQ) and low-latency queuing ensure that high-priority traffic is delivered reliably, even during peak network usage periods.

Integration with Cisco Ecosystem

The Cisco N5K-C5596UP-FA seamlessly integrates with other Cisco solutions, including UCS (Unified Computing System), ACI (Application Centric Infrastructure), and Meraki. This integration allows organizations to implement end-to-end network solutions that are centrally managed, automated, and optimized for performance and security.

Cisco ACI Integration

With Cisco ACI, the Nexus 5596UP-FA participates in a policy-driven data center fabric. Administrators can automate network provisioning, enforce security policies, and achieve network segmentation dynamically. ACI integration enhances operational agility and reduces manual configuration errors.

UCS and Server Connectivity

The switch provides high-speed connectivity for Cisco UCS servers, enabling efficient storage and compute traffic flow. Its low-latency, high-throughput design ensures that server-to-server and server-to-storage communications are optimized for performance-sensitive workloads, including virtualization, big data analytics, and cloud applications.

Storage Area Network (SAN) Support

The Nexus 5596UP-FA also supports converged SAN environments, allowing Ethernet and Fibre Channel traffic to coexist. With unified fabric capabilities, enterprises can reduce cabling complexity, simplify management, and enhance storage network performance.