JC618A HPE A10500 48-port Gig-T SE Interface Module

Performance and protocols

• Line-rate switching on all 48 ports with support for jumbo frames and standard L2/L3 forwarding (depending on chassis configuration and firmware).
• Compatibility with enterprise switching features available on the A10500 platform, including VLANs, trunking, ACLs and QoS policy enforcement when managed by the chassis control plane.

Use cases 

Campus access aggregation

The JC618A is ideal for campus wiring-closet aggregation where a high number of copper gigabit drops are needed. Typical deployments include:

• Access layer ports for desktop/VOIP phone connections and wireless access point uplinks.
• Edge aggregation where multiple 1GbE server or NAS connections terminate on a high-capacity chassis for centralized management.
• Migration paths for customers consolidating smaller access switches into a unified 10500 fabric for simplified operations and policy enforcement.

Operational features and software behavior

Software / firmware interaction

The module’s behavior (feature set available on each port) depends on the A10500 chassis software image and licensing. Management and advanced services (routing, ACLs, QoS, monitoring) are typically handled at the chassis control plane, with the I/O module acting as the line card delivering hardware forwarding performance. Administrators should ensure the chassis has the appropriate software/feature licenses to fully utilize advanced L3 and security capabilities.

Power, thermal and mechanical considerations

Power & PoE considerations

The JC618A itself is primarily a copper gigabit I/O module. Whether PoE is supported on a specific slot/module combination should be validated for each chassis and deployment: some product listings and resellers mention IEEE 802.3af/at support in context of 10500 configurations while other documentation emphasizes the module as a non-transceiver copper interface. If Power over Ethernet (PoE) is a requirement, confirm the chassis power capacity, installed power supplies, and the exact module variant and firmware that control PoE provisioning before purchase or deployment. Always consult the chassis QuickSpecs and power planning guides for supported PoE capacities and per-port power budgets. 

Heat dissipation and airflow

• Install modules following chassis airflow guidelines. The 10500 chassis uses front intake / rear exhaust or manufacturer-specified airflow patterns; mixing incompatible modules in a slot can alter expected thermal performance.
• Keep adequate rack spacing for ventilation and follow HPE service guidance on fan tray and PSU population for the target module count.

Advanced integration & architecting

High-availability design patterns

Use dual-fabric, redundant chassis and redundant supervisor/management modules where supported to achieve N+1 resiliency. Distribute JC618A modules across multiple chassis slots (per manufacturer guidelines) to avoid placing critical access blocks on a single I/O domain. Combine with LACP/port-channeling and multi-chassis link aggregation for active/active resiliency where supported.

Interoperability with modern fabrics

When integrating a JC618A-equipped A10500 chassis into modern campus architectures, terminate uplinks to core/distribution switches using the recommended media (10Gb SFP+ or higher) to preserve aggregated bandwidth. Consider filtering, traffic steering, and micro-segmentation techniques to leverage the chassis’ central policy capabilities while allowing the JC618A to focus on high-density 1Gb access.