N2K-C2348TQ Cisco Nexus 2348TQ 48 Ports Expansion Module

The Cisco N2K-C2348TQ 48-Port FEX Expansion Module

The Cisco N2K-C2348TQ Nexus 2348TQ Expansion Module is an enterprise-grade Cisco Nexus Fabric Extender (FEX) designed to deliver high-density 10 Gigabit Ethernet connectivity for modern data centers. Featuring forty-eight 100M/1G/10GBASE-T host interfaces and six high-speed 40 Gigabit Ethernet QSFP+ uplink ports, this expansion module offers outstanding bandwidth, ultra-low latency, and centralized management through compatible Cisco Nexus parent switches. Its scalable architecture, redundant power system, and hot-swappable cooling components make it an ideal networking solution for virtualization, cloud computing, enterprise storage, and mission-critical server infrastructures.

General Information

• Manufacturer: Cisco
• Part Number: N2K-C2348TQ
• Series: Cisco Nexus 2300 Series
• Product Type: Expansion Module
• Interface: Nexus 2348TQ 48-Port Fabric Extender

Technical Specifications

• Device Type: Fabric Extender Expansion Module
• Architecture: Cisco Nexus Fabric Extender (FEX)
• Form Factor: 1RU Rack-Mountable Chassis
• Deployment: Enterprise, Cloud, and High-Density Data Centers

Host Network Interfaces

• Host Ports: 48 × 100M/1G/10GBASE-T Ethernet Ports
• Connector Type: RJ-45
• Supported Ethernet Speeds: 100 Mbps, 1 Gigabit, and 10 Gigabit Ethernet
• Purpose: Server, storage, and enterprise network connectivity

Fabric Uplink Interfaces

• Uplink Ports: 6 × 40 Gigabit Ethernet QSFP+
• Media Type: QSFP+ Optical Transceivers and Compatible Cables
• Function: High-bandwidth uplinks to Cisco Nexus parent switches

Performance Specifications

• Fabric Speed: Up to 240 Gbps in Each Direction (480 Gbps Full Duplex)
• Hardware Forwarding: Up to 1,440 Gbps
• Latency: Ultra-Low Latency (Less Than 1.5 Microseconds for 10GbE)
• Jumbo Frame Support: Up to 9,216 Bytes on All Ports

Fibre Channel over Ethernet (FCoE)

• FCoE Support: Supported
• Cable Compatibility: Category 6a and Category 7 Copper Cables
• Maximum Distance: Up to 30 Meters
• Benefit: Converged Storage and Ethernet Networking

Quality of Service (QoS)

• Traffic Prioritization: Strict Priority Queuing
• Queue Management: Weighted Round Robin (WRR)
• Purpose: Optimized Performance for Critical Applications

Parent Switch Compatibility

• Supported Platforms: Cisco Nexus 5500 Series
• Supported Platforms: Cisco Nexus 5600 Series
• Supported Platforms: Cisco Nexus 6000 Series
• Supported Platforms: Cisco Nexus 7000 Series

Power Features

• Power Supplies: Dual Redundant Hot-Swappable AC/DC Power Supplies
• Power Availability: Enterprise-Class Redundancy
• Maintenance: Tool-Free Replacement During Operation

Cooling System

• Cooling Fans: 3 Hot-Swappable Fan Modules
• Airflow Options: Front-to-Back or Back-to-Front
• Cooling Design: Optimized for Data Center Rack Deployment

Physical Specifications

• Height: 1.7 Inches (4.37 cm)
• Width: 17.3 Inches (43.94 cm)
• Depth: 17.06 Inches (43.36 cm)
• Rack Compatibility: Standard 19-Inch Rack Installation

Business Advantages

• 48 high-density 10GBASE-T host interfaces
• 6 high-performance 40GbE QSFP+ uplink ports
• 480 Gbps full-duplex fabric bandwidth
• 1,440 Gbps hardware forwarding performance
• Ultra-low latency for demanding workloads
• Support for jumbo Ethernet frames
• FCoE-enabled converged networking
• Advanced QoS with WRR scheduling
• Dual redundant hot-swappable power supplies
• Three redundant hot-swappable cooling fans

Cisco N2K-C2348TQ Nexus 2348TQ Expansion Module Overview

The Cisco N2K-C2348TQ Nexus 2348TQ 48 Ports Expansion Module is engineered to deliver enterprise-class networking performance with a design tailored for Cisco Nexus architectures. Built on Cisco’s advanced fabric extender technology, this module ensures scalable throughput, reliable integration, and seamless deployment in structured infrastructures. Its design supports modern workloads, delivering consistent bandwidth, optimized traffic management, and enhanced flexibility for mission-critical applications across diverse industries.

48x10GE Connectivity for Enterprise Networks

The Cisco N2K-C2348TQ provides forty-eight 10GE ports, ensuring efficient communication across enterprise environments. With support for fiber-based connections, it delivers stable coverage and improved throughput. Enterprises benefit from reduced latency, enhanced responsiveness, and reliable performance for servers, storage systems, and applications operating simultaneously in demanding conditions.

High-Speed QSFP+ Uplink Expansion

The module integrates QSFP+ uplink capability, enabling high-speed 40 Gigabit connections that support aggregation of multiple 10GE links. This ensures enterprises can scale bandwidth efficiently, delivering robust throughput for data-intensive workloads. The QSFP+ design provides flexibility for future growth, ensuring compatibility with evolving standards and high-performance applications.

Integration with Cisco Nexus Series Switches

The expansion module integrates seamlessly with Cisco Nexus switches, offering flexible expansion options. This integration supports advanced traffic management, virtualization features, and high availability. Enterprises benefit from streamlined deployment, reduced complexity, and scalable solutions that adapt to evolving networking requirements across enterprise and data center environments with minimal disruption.

Advanced Security Architecture for Critical Data

The Cisco N2K-C2348TQ incorporates advanced security mechanisms to safeguard enterprise networks. Features such as secure boot, hardware root of trust, and encryption support protect against unauthorized access and cyber threats. Enterprises achieve compliance with industry standards, ensuring reliable protection for sensitive data and mission-critical applications with minimal risk exposure and enhanced resilience.

Optimized Performance for Virtualization Workloads

With support for SR-IOV and virtualization offloads, the Cisco N2K-C2348TQ enables versatile communication across enterprise networks. Its architecture ensures consistent bandwidth for diverse applications. Enterprises benefit from optimized traffic flow, reduced latency, and improved scalability in virtualization-centric environments where performance consistency is essential for mission-critical workloads and distributed infrastructures.

Traffic Management and QoS Capabilities

Quality of Service features allow administrators to prioritize critical applications such as storage traffic, voice, and video. The Cisco N2K-C2348TQ ensures that latency-sensitive workloads receive dedicated bandwidth, reducing jitter and packet loss. Enterprises achieve improved user experiences, optimized performance, and reliable communication across diverse applications with enhanced control over traffic distribution and prioritization.

Energy Efficiency and Thermal Design

Energy-efficient design minimizes power consumption while maintaining high performance. The extender’s optimized thermal design ensures simplified deployment without overheating risks. Enterprises benefit from reduced cooling requirements, improved sustainability, and extended hardware lifespan in high-density environments where efficiency and reliability are critical for long-term operations.

Scalability for Enterprise Growth

The Cisco N2K-C2348TQ provides scalability to meet growing enterprise demands. With forty-eight 10GE ports and QSFP+ uplinks, businesses can expand their networks without significant infrastructure changes. Enterprises achieve cost-effective scaling, ensuring that networking capabilities evolve alongside organizational growth with minimal disruption and consistent performance across diverse workloads.

Reliability for Mission-Critical Workloads

Reliability is a cornerstone of the Cisco N2K-C2348TQ design. Redundant architecture and robust connectivity ensure continuous operation even during hardware failures. Enterprises benefit from minimized downtime, consistent service availability, and enhanced resilience for mission-critical workloads requiring uninterrupted connectivity across distributed environments and global deployments.

Deployment Flexibility Across Environments

The Cisco N2K-C2348TQ offers deployment flexibility across diverse environments. Its compatibility with Cisco modular platforms allows seamless integration into enterprise, campus, and branch networks. Enterprises can tailor configurations for redundancy, scalability, or performance optimization, ensuring adaptability to evolving business needs with simplified management and streamlined workflows.

Support for High-Density Applications

High-density applications such as virtualization clusters and storage backbones benefit from the Cisco N2K-C2348TQ’s forty-eight port design and QSFP+ expansion capabilities. Enterprises achieve simplified cabling, reduced infrastructure costs, and improved manageability in environments requiring large-scale device connectivity with consistent performance delivery and reliable throughput across critical workloads.

Future-Proof Networking Solution

The Cisco N2K-C2348TQ is designed as a future-proof solution, meeting evolving enterprise needs. Its compatibility, scalability, and advanced features ensure relevance as technology advances. Businesses can invest confidently, knowing the extender will support networking requirements for years to come across diverse industries with minimal upgrade requirements and enhanced adaptability.

Enhanced Performance for Storage Networking

Storage networking platforms benefit from the Cisco N2K-C2348TQ’s QoS and port support. Storage traffic receives prioritized bandwidth, ensuring clear communication and reduced latency. Enterprises achieve improved collaboration between storage systems, optimized performance, and reliable connectivity for mission-critical storage networks across global deployments with consistent quality and seamless integration.

Cloud and Edge Deployments

Cloud and edge deployments require reliable connectivity and scalability. The Cisco N2K-C2348TQ provides secure integration for high-speed cloud adoption and edge device connectivity. Enterprises benefit from seamless cloud adoption, reduced latency, and improved efficiency in distributed environments with consistent throughput and reliable performance across diverse workloads.

Comprehensive Manageability Features

Manageability features such as centralized monitoring, configuration management, and diagnostics simplify administration. The Cisco N2K-C2348TQ ensures that IT teams can efficiently manage large-scale deployments. Enterprises achieve reduced operational overhead, improved visibility, and enhanced control over network infrastructures with streamlined workflows and simplified management processes across complex environments.

Support for Emerging Technologies

The Cisco N2K-C2348TQ supports emerging technologies such as NVMe over Fabrics and advanced storage protocols. Its forty-eight port design ensures reliable connectivity, while advanced traffic management provides high-speed performance. Enterprises benefit from future-ready infrastructure, enabling seamless adoption of new technologies without significant upgrades or disruptions across diverse industries and global deployments.

Resilient Architecture for Enterprise Networks

The resilient architecture of the Cisco N2K-C2348TQ ensures consistent performance under demanding conditions. Redundant connectivity and advanced traffic management features safeguard enterprise networks. Enterprises achieve improved uptime, reduced risk, and enhanced reliability for mission-critical applications requiring continuous availability and consistent performance across distributed infrastructures.

Performance Optimization for Data-Intensive Workloads

Data-intensive workloads such as analytics and cloud applications benefit from the Cisco N2K-C2348TQ’s connectivity and QoS features. Enterprises achieve optimized performance, reduced latency, and improved scalability for workloads requiring consistent bandwidth and reliable communication across distributed environments and mission-critical infrastructures.

Enterprise-Class Reliability and Uptime

Reliability is a key advantage of the Cisco N2K-C2348TQ. Its robust architecture ensures continuous operation even during hardware failures. Enterprises benefit from minimized downtime, consistent service availability, and enhanced resilience for mission-critical workloads requiring uninterrupted connectivity across diverse environments and global deployments with consistent performance.

Enhanced Monitoring Capabilities

The Cisco N2K-C2348TQ enhances monitoring by providing real-time visibility into network performance. Administrators can track device health, traffic patterns, and application usage, ensuring proactive management. Enterprises achieve improved efficiency, reduced risk, and enhanced reliability across diverse deployment scenarios with simplified troubleshooting and proactive alerts.

Secure Role-Based Access Control

The extender’s role-based access control ensures that only authorized personnel can configure or manage devices. Enterprises achieve improved security, reduced risk of misconfiguration, and enhanced compliance with industry standards across diverse environments with consistent enforcement of access policies.

Universal Device Compatibility

The Cisco N2K-C2348TQ is compatible with a wide range of Cisco Nexus platforms, ensuring seamless integration into diverse infrastructures. Enterprises benefit from deployment flexibility, reduced complexity, and enhanced scalability across enterprise and campus networks with simplified device onboarding and configuration.

Optimized for Enterprise Growth

The Cisco N2K-C2348TQ provides scalability to meet growing enterprise demands. With its universal design, businesses can expand their networks without requiring significant infrastructure changes. Enterprises achieve cost-effective scaling, ensuring that extender solutions evolve alongside organizational growth with minimal disruption and consistent performance across diverse workloads.