N9K-C93180YC-FX3 Cisco 48 Ports Layer 3 Ethernet Switch

Cisco N9K-C93180YC-FX3 Nexus 93180YC-FX3 Managed Switch Overview

The Cisco N9K-C93180YC-FX3 is a high-performance, 48-port managed switch designed for modern data centers. Engineered by Cisco, this switch offers exceptional reliability, scalability, and advanced Layer 3 routing capabilities, making it ideal for enterprise and cloud network environments.

Key Features of Cisco N9K-C93180YC-FX3

• Manufacturer: Cisco
• Model/SKU: N9K-C93180YC-FX3
• Product Type: Managed Switch
• Port Count: 48 Ethernet Ports
• Rack-Mountable Design for Space Efficiency
• High Bandwidth Capacity of 3.6 Tbps

Technical Specifications

Device Type & Connectivity

• Switch Type: 48-Port Managed Layer 3 Switch
• Ethernet Speeds: 1G, 10G, 25G, 40G, 100G
• Interface Options:
  • 48 x 1/10/25G SFP+ Ports
  • 6 x 40/100G QSFP28 Ports
  • 1 x Management RJ-45 Port
  • 1 x USB Port
  • 1 x TOD RJ-45 Port
  • 1 x Serial RS-232 Port

Routing & Network Protocols

• Supports OSPF, RIP-2, BGP, EIGRP
• HSRP for network redundancy and failover
• PIM-SM, PIM-SSM, MSDP for multicast routing
• ECMP, MPLS, RSVP for efficient traffic management

Standards & Compliance

• IEEE 802.1AE for secure Ethernet communication
• ITU-T G.8275.1 for precise time synchronization

Performance & Scalability

• Total Bandwidth: 3.6 Tbps
• Optimized for high-density network deployments
• Supports advanced Layer 3 routing and multicast

Power & Redundancy Features

• Internal Hot-Plug Power Supply
• Maximum Supported Power Units: 2
• Redundancy: Optional N+1 Scheme
• Operational Power Consumption: 375 Watts

Cisco N9K-C93180YC-FX3 Nexus 93180YC-FX3 Switch

The Cisco N9K-C93180YC-FX3 Nexus 93180YC-FX3 Switch is a high-performance, enterprise-grade Layer 3 network switch designed to deliver unparalleled reliability and scalability for modern data center environments. With 48 high-speed ports and advanced programmability features, this switch is engineered to handle intensive workloads, virtualization, and cloud-scale networking with low latency and high throughput. Ideal for enterprises, service providers, and cloud operators, it integrates seamlessly into Cisco's Nexus 9000 Series architecture.

Port Density and Performance

This switch features 48 fixed 1/10/25-Gigabit Ethernet ports, with additional uplink flexibility through 6 dedicated 40/100-Gigabit QSFP28 ports. The combination of high port density and versatile uplinks ensures that network administrators can support high-throughput applications and data-intensive workloads without compromising on performance or scalability. Each port supports advanced features such as VXLAN, Ethernet VPN (EVPN), and Data Center Interconnect (DCI), providing a flexible foundation for a modern data center network.

High-Speed Connectivity

The Cisco Nexus 93180YC-FX3 Switch provides line-rate 1/10/25-Gigabit Ethernet connectivity across all ports, ensuring predictable and consistent performance even under peak network loads. Its 100-Gigabit uplinks allow aggregation of multiple traffic streams with minimal latency, making it suitable for spine-leaf architectures and high-performance computing environments. The switch is designed to handle demanding workloads such as virtualization, containerized applications, and cloud-based services, offering both deterministic performance and reliability.

Low Latency Switching

With cutting-edge ASICs and optimized forwarding paths, the N9K-C93180YC-FX3 delivers ultra-low latency switching, which is critical for high-frequency trading, real-time analytics, and latency-sensitive applications. The switch provides microsecond-level latency across all ports and supports deep packet buffers, allowing bursty traffic to be handled efficiently without packet drops or congestion.

Advanced Layer 3 Capabilities

The Cisco Nexus 93180YC-FX3 Switch offers robust Layer 3 routing features including OSPF, BGP, IS-IS, and static routing. Its comprehensive support for IPv4 and IPv6 ensures seamless integration into dual-stack networks. The switch also supports advanced routing techniques such as Equal-Cost Multi-Path (ECMP) for load balancing, VRF-lite for network segmentation, and route redistribution between protocols, enabling high flexibility for enterprise and service provider deployments.

Multicast and High Availability

For large-scale network deployments, the Nexus 93180YC-FX3 supports PIM-SM, PIM-SSM, and MSDP for scalable multicast routing. In addition, features like Virtual Port Channel (vPC), Cisco FabricPath, and Non-Stop Forwarding (NSF) provide network resilience and redundancy. These technologies enable active-active data paths, fast convergence in case of failures, and uninterrupted service for mission-critical applications.

Programmability and Automation

The Cisco Nexus 93180YC-FX3 is built for modern programmable data centers. It supports Cisco NX-OS software with extensive automation capabilities using Python, Ansible, and REST APIs. Network operators can automate configuration, monitoring, and troubleshooting tasks, reducing manual errors and operational overhead. The switch also supports model-driven programmability and streaming telemetry for real-time network insights.

Integration with Cisco ACI and SDN

This switch is fully compatible with Cisco Application Centric Infrastructure (ACI), enabling policy-driven automation and application-level network segmentation. Integration with software-defined networking (SDN) solutions allows centralized management, dynamic traffic engineering, and optimized resource utilization across the data center. These features empower organizations to build agile, scalable, and highly secure networks.

Power Efficiency and Reliability

The Nexus 93180YC-FX3 is engineered for energy efficiency and operational reliability. With redundant, hot-swappable power supplies and fans, it ensures uninterrupted operation and easy maintenance. The switch supports Energy Efficient Ethernet (EEE) and advanced cooling technologies to minimize power consumption while maintaining high-performance switching. Its modular design also allows for straightforward upgrades and future-proofing of data center investments.

Security and Access Control

Security is a critical aspect of modern network design, and the Cisco Nexus 93180YC-FX3 provides comprehensive mechanisms for network protection. Features include role-based access control (RBAC), port security, DHCP snooping, Dynamic ARP Inspection (DAI), and control plane policing (CoPP). These security measures protect the network from unauthorized access, spoofing attacks, and denial-of-service scenarios, ensuring safe and reliable operations.