C1-N3K-C3172TQ Cisco ONE Nexus Switch 48 Ports

Product Overview

The Cisco C1-N3K-C3172TQ ONE Nexus Switch is a high-performance, enterprise-grade networking solution designed for modern data centers. Built for scalability, speed, and reliability, this manageable Layer 3 switch delivers exceptional throughput and advanced networking capabilities.

Manufacturer and Model Information

Brand and Identification

• Manufacturer: Cisco Systems, Inc.
• Part Number (SKU): C1-N3K-C3172TQ
• Product Line: Cisco Nexus
• Series: 3000 Series
• Model: 3172TQ
• Product Type: Layer 3 Manageable Network Switch

Interface and Expansion Capabilities

Port Configuration Overview

This Cisco Nexus switch is engineered to support dense network environments, providing multiple high-speed ports for seamless data flow and efficient traffic management.

Network Port Details

• 48 total Ethernet ports for broad connectivity options
• No dedicated uplink port included
• Modular architecture for future upgrades and flexibility
• No stack port support

Port and Expansion Slot Breakdown

• 48 × 10 Gigabit Ethernet ports for high-speed access-layer networking
• 6 × 40 Gigabit Ethernet slots to handle bandwidth-intensive workloads

Performance and Media Specifications

Supported Media Types

The Nexus 3172TQ switch supports multiple media options, enabling versatile deployment across different network infrastructures.

• Twisted Pair cabling for traditional Ethernet connections
• Optical Fiber for long-distance, high-speed data transmission

Ethernet and Network Technologies

Ethernet Standards

• 40 Gigabit Ethernet for ultra-fast data center performance
• 10 Gigabit Ethernet for reliable, high-throughput networking

Network Technology Support

• 40GBase-X for high-bandwidth and low-latency applications
• 10GBase-T for efficient and cost-effective 10Gb networking

I/O Expansion and Slot Information

Expansion Slot Capacity

Designed with growth in mind, this Cisco switch includes multiple expansion slots to support evolving network requirements.

Slot Specifications

• Total expansion slots: 6 available
• Expansion slot type: QSFP+
• Optimized for high-speed data transfer and scalable deployments

Architectural Advantages of the Nexus 3000 Platform

Built on a purpose-built Cisco switching ASIC, the Nexus 3000 series provides a future-proof foundation. This custom silicon enables advanced features like precise traffic monitoring, granular quality of service (QoS), and comprehensive programmability without sacrificing line-rate performance. The architecture is consistently optimized for predictable latency, which is a non-negotiable attribute for financial trading algorithms and real-time data processing workloads.

Key Architectural Pillars

The strength of the platform lies in several interconnected pillars: a non-blocking crossbar switch fabric, deep packet buffers to handle bursty traffic, and an operating system (NX-OS) renowned for its stability and modularity. This combination ensures that the switch can handle the most volatile traffic patterns while providing a carrier-class network operating system with continuous availability and operational simplicity.

Cisco C1-N3K-C3172TQ ONE Nexus 3172TQ 48-Port Switch

At the heart of this category sits the specific model Cisco C1-N3K-C3172TQ ONE, a versatile and high-performance member of the Nexus 3172TQ family. This model is a 1-Rack-Unit (1RU) switch offering 48 fixed 1/10GBASE-T copper ports and six additional 40 Gigabit Ethernet QSFP+ uplink ports, creating an ideal balance of server connectivity and high-bandwidth aggregation.

Unmatched Port Density and Flexibility

The 48 x 1/10GBASE-T RJ-45 ports provide the most common and cost-effective server connectivity using familiar Cat6a/Cat7 cabling. Auto-negotiation and IEEE 802.3az Energy Efficient Ethernet (EEE) support are standard. The six QSFP+ uplink ports offer remarkable flexibility; each can operate as a native 40GbE port or can be broken out into four independent 10GbE ports using a splitter cable, effectively providing up to 24 additional 10GbE connections. This design allows network architects to tailor the switch for pure 10G server access, a hybrid environment, or as a 40G/100G aggregation node.

Performance Specifications at a Glance

Switching Capacity and Throughput

With a total switching capacity of 1.44 Tbps and a forwarding rate of over 1 billion packets per second (Bpps), the 3172TQ is engineered for wire-speed performance on all ports simultaneously. This ensures no bottlenecks exist between server racks and the network core, even under full load.

Latency Performance

The switch delivers consistently low latency, typically in the sub-microsecond range for cut-through switching mode, making it a premier choice for latency-sensitive applications.

Advanced Feature Set for Modern Data Centers

Beyond raw performance, the C1-N3K-C3172TQ is packed with features that address the operational and security challenges of contemporary data centers.

Comprehensive Virtualization Support

The switch offers extensive support for network virtualization technologies. This includes VXLAN bridging and routing, which forms the overlay foundation for modern multi-tenant cloud architectures. Coupled with EVPN (Ethernet VPN) control plane, it enables efficient layer 2 and layer 3 extension across IP networks with optimal forwarding.

Integration with Hypervisors and Orchestrators

Through Cisco Nexus 1000V InterCloud and native integration with VMware vSphere, Microsoft Hyper-V, and Kubernetes via Cisco ACI or open APIs, the switch provides visibility and policy enforcement deep into the virtualized server infrastructure.

Robust Security and QoS

Security is embedded at multiple levels. Features include ACLs (IPv4/IPv6), port security, DHCP snooping, dynamic ARP inspection, IP Source Guard, and Cisco TrustSec® technology for policy enforcement via Security Group Tags (SGTs). QoS mechanisms provide granular traffic management with support for eight queues per port, guaranteeing bandwidth for critical applications and preventing congestion.

Enhanced Monitoring and Automation

Cisco Embedded Event Manager (EEM) and Python scripting capabilities allow for on-box automation and custom alerting. Advanced telemetry features like Cisco Nexus Data Broker and support for streaming telemetry (gRPC) enable real-time network monitoring and analytics, moving beyond traditional SNMP for faster problem identification and resolution.

Ideal Deployment Scenarios and Use Cases

The flexibility of the Cisco 3172TQ makes it suitable for a wide array of deployment models, adapting to the unique needs of various industries.

Top-of-Rack (ToR) in Converged Infrastructure

As a ToR switch, it provides high-density 10GbE connectivity to racks of servers, supporting both traditional and hyper-converged infrastructure (HCI). The 40G uplinks efficiently aggregate traffic to spine switches in a leaf-spine (Clos) fabric, which is the de facto standard for modern data center design. Its support for VXLAN/EVPN makes it an ideal leaf node in underlay or fabric overlay networks.

High-Frequency Trading (HFT) Environments

In financial trading networks, where microseconds equate to millions of dollars, the switch’s ultra-low, predictable latency and micro-burst tolerance are critical. Features like Precision Time Protocol (PTP) for nanosecond-level clock synchronization and cut-through switching are often leveraged in these deployments.

Enterprise Core and Aggregation Layer

For mid-sized enterprises or campus data centers, the 3172TQ can serve as a cost-effective, high-performance core or aggregation switch, providing Layer 3 routing capabilities and connecting multiple access switch blocks with its high-speed uplinks.

Operational Management and Programmability

The Cisco C1-N3K-C3172TQ offers multiple management pathways, from familiar CLI to modern cloud-based tools, catering to diverse operational models.

Cisco NX-OS: A Robust, DevOps-Ready Operating System

At its core is Cisco NX-OS, a mature, secure, and highly available operating system. Its modular design prevents faults in one process from affecting others, ensuring high uptime. It provides a comprehensive CLI, which is consistent with other Cisco Nexus and MDS switches, reducing training overhead.

Reliability, Sustainability, and Smart Licensing

Enterprise deployments demand not just performance but also resilience and operational efficiency.

High Availability Features

The switch is designed with no single point of failure. It features hot-swappable, redundant power supplies and fan trays. In software, NX-OS offers hitless in-service software upgrades (ISSU) and stateful process restart, allowing for maintenance and upgrades without disrupting network services.

Energy Efficiency and Environmental Impact

The 3172TQ incorporates Cisco's EnergyWise technology and supports EEE on its copper ports, dynamically reducing power consumption during periods of low data activity. Its high port density per rack unit also contributes to better power and cooling efficiency compared to older, less dense switches.

Cisco ONE Licensing Simplified

The "C1" in the model name denotes it is part of the Cisco ONE software licensing suite. This simplifies software acquisition by bundling the NX-OS software and a portfolio of premium features (like VXLAN routing) into one SKU. Licensing is often aligned to the physical port capacity of the switch, providing a predictable and streamlined model compared to traditional per-feature licenses.

Comparison Within the Nexus Portfolio

Understanding where the 3172TQ fits relative to its siblings clarifies its ideal use case.

Nexus 3100 vs. 3200 vs. 3500 Series

The Nexus 3100 series (including the 3172TQ) is the value and density leader, offering a wide variety of port media (copper, SFP+, QSFP+) in a fixed form factor. The Nexus 3200 series steps up with higher throughput and fixed 100G uplinks. The Nexus 3500 series introduces the "Cisco Cloud Scale" ASIC with even more advanced telemetry and programmable forwarding pipelines. The 3172TQ sits as the optimal choice for mainstream 10G server access with flexible 40G uplink options.

Choosing Between T, F, and P Variants

Within the 3100 line, suffixes indicate media: "T" denotes 10GBASE-T (copper), "F" denotes SFP+ (fiber), and "P" models offer a programmable pipeline. The 3172TQ, with its copper ports, is ideal for data centers standardized on Cat6a/Cat7 cabling for server connections, eliminating the need for SFP+ transceivers at the server access layer and reducing overall connectivity costs.