ICX7850-48F Ruckus 48 Ports 1/10gbe SFP+ And 8x 40/100 QSFP28 Ports Managed Switch

Ruckus ICX7850-48F Managed Rack-Mount Switch Outline

The Ruckus ICX7850-48F is a high-density, enterprise-grade managed switch engineered for modern data centers, aggregation layers, and campus core deployments. Designed to deliver ultra-fast throughput, flexible stacking capabilities, and scalable connectivity, this rack-mountable switch provides exceptional reliability and advanced Layer 2/Layer 3 networking features for demanding IT infrastructures.

General Information of the Ruckus ICX7850-48F

• Manufacturer: Ruckus
• Model Number: ICX7850-48F
• Product Category: Managed Ethernet Switch
• Form Factor: Rack-Mountable
• Deployment Type: Data Center, Core, Aggregation, Enterprise Campus

Performance and Switching Capacity

• Switching Capacity: 4.0 Tbps
• Forwarding Rate: 2.0 Billion Packets Per Second (Bpps)
• Average Latency: 0.8 Microseconds
• Packet Buffer: 32 MB
• MAC Address Table: 32,000 Entries
• VLAN Support: Up to 4095 VLANs

High-Speed Port Configuration and Connectivity

Key Benefits of SFP28 Interfaces

• Supports 1G, 10G, and 25G Ethernet speeds
• Ideal for server aggregation and high-density environments
• Low-latency switching for mission-critical applications
• Optimized for cloud and virtualized infrastructures

QSFP28 Port Capabilities

• Native 40GbE or 100GbE support
• Breakout capability to 4x10GbE or 4x25GbE
• Up to 8 QSFP28 ports configurable for stacking
• Supports standard optics and direct attach cables

Stacking Highlights

• Up to 12 units per stack
• Aggregate stacking bandwidth up to 9.6 Tbps
• Utilizes standard optics or cables for stacking connections
• Single logical switch management for simplified operations

High-Capacity DRAM and Flash Storage

• DRAM: 4 GB
• Flash Memory (NVRAM): 32 GB

Expansion and Management Interfaces

• 1x Out-of-Band Management RJ45 Port
• 1x Console Management USB Port
• 1x USB Type-A Port

Supported Power Supply Units (PSUs)

• RPS19-E (Front-to-Back Airflow)
• RPS19-I (Back-to-Front Airflow)

Advanced Cooling and Airflow Design

Supported Fan Modules

• ICX-FAN12-E (Front-to-Back Airflow)
• ICX-FAN12-I (Back-to-Front Airflow)

Flexible Airflow Direction

• Front-to-Back Cooling
• Back-to-Front Cooling

Ideal Use Cases for the Ruckus ICX7850-48F

• Campus core switching
• High-speed server aggregation
• Virtualization platforms
• Storage networking
• Large-scale VLAN segmentation

Key Advantages

• High-density 1/10/25GbE access ports
• Scalable 40/100GbE uplink flexibility
• Massive 9.6 Tbps stacking bandwidth
• Ultra-low latency switching
• Redundant, hot-swappable power and fans
• Advanced VLAN and MAC table scalability
• Enterprise-grade reliability and performance

Ruckus ICX7850-48F Overview

The Ruckus ICX7850-48F is a high-performance, enterprise-grade managed rack-mountable switch designed to meet the demands of modern data centers, campus networks, and large-scale enterprise environments. With 48 ports of 1/10GbE SFP+ and 8x 40/100GbE QSFP28 uplink ports, this switch delivers exceptional scalability, flexibility, and throughput for organizations requiring robust connectivity and advanced management features.

Port Configuration and Connectivity

48x 1/10GbE SFP+ Ports

The switch provides forty-eight SFP+ ports that support both 1GbE and 10GbE speeds. This dual-speed capability ensures seamless integration with legacy systems while offering high-speed connectivity for modern workloads. These ports are ideal for connecting servers, storage devices, and aggregation switches.

8x 40/100GbE QSFP28 Ports

The inclusion of eight QSFP28 uplink ports allows for ultra-high-speed backbone connections. These ports support both 40GbE and 100GbE, enabling enterprises to scale their networks efficiently. They are particularly useful for inter-switch links, data center spine-leaf architectures, and high-bandwidth applications.

Performance and Scalability

High Bandwidth Capacity

With support for up to 100GbE uplinks, the ICX7850-48F ensures that enterprises can handle massive amounts of data traffic without bottlenecks. This makes it suitable for environments with heavy virtualization, cloud workloads, and large-scale data transfers.

Flexible Deployment Options

The switch can be deployed in various topologies, including spine-leaf, core-distribution, and aggregation layers. Its modular design allows organizations to adapt to evolving network requirements without costly hardware replacements.

Advanced Management Features

Comprehensive Layer 2 and Layer 3 Capabilities

The ICX7850-48F supports advanced Layer 2 and Layer 3 protocols, including VLANs, link aggregation, OSPF, BGP, and VRRP. These features enable efficient traffic segmentation, redundancy, and routing across complex enterprise networks.

Automation and Programmability

With support for automation frameworks and APIs, the switch integrates seamlessly into modern network orchestration platforms. This reduces manual configuration tasks and enhances operational efficiency.

Security and Reliability

Robust Security Features

The ICX7850-48F includes advanced security mechanisms such as ACLs, port security, and 802.1X authentication. These features protect against unauthorized access and mitigate potential threats within enterprise environments.

High Availability

Redundant power supplies and hot-swappable fans ensure continuous operation even in the event of hardware failures. The switch also supports protocols like VRRP and MLAG for network-level redundancy.

Use Cases

Data Center Applications

In data centers, the ICX7850-48F serves as a powerful aggregation or core switch, connecting servers and storage systems with high-speed uplinks to spine switches. Its scalability supports cloud workloads and virtualization environments.

Campus Networks

For large campus deployments, the switch provides reliable backbone connectivity, ensuring seamless communication between different buildings and departments. Its high port density supports thousands of users and devices.

Enterprise Edge

At the enterprise edge, the ICX7850-48F delivers secure and high-speed connectivity for branch offices, ensuring consistent performance across geographically distributed locations.

Energy Efficiency

Optimized Power Consumption

The ICX7850-48F is designed with energy efficiency in mind, reducing operational costs while maintaining high performance. Intelligent power management ensures that unused ports consume minimal energy.

Cooling Efficiency

Hot-swappable fans and optimized airflow design contribute to effective cooling, prolonging hardware lifespan and ensuring consistent performance under heavy workloads.

Future-Proof Design

Support for Emerging Technologies

With 100GbE uplinks and advanced programmability, the ICX7850-48F is ready to support emerging technologies such as AI-driven workloads, IoT deployments, and next-generation cloud applications.

Scalable Architecture

The switch’s modular and scalable architecture ensures that enterprises can expand their networks without disruptive upgrades, making it a long-term investment for growing organizations.

Competitive Advantages

High Port Density

Compared to many competitors, the ICX7850-48F offers a higher port density in a compact form factor, maximizing rack space utilization and reducing infrastructure costs.

Cost-Effective Scalability

The ability to scale from 1GbE to 100GbE within a single platform reduces the need for multiple devices, lowering total cost of ownership while simplifying network management.

Deployment Scenarios

Spine-Leaf Architecture

In modern data centers, the ICX7850-48F can function as a leaf switch connecting servers or as a spine switch providing high-speed interconnectivity. Its QSFP28 uplinks make it ideal for spine-leaf deployments.

Aggregation Layer

The switch excels in aggregation layers, consolidating traffic from multiple access switches and forwarding it to the core. This ensures efficient traffic flow and reduced latency.

Core Layer

As a core switch, the ICX7850-48F provides high-speed routing and switching capabilities, ensuring reliable connectivity across the enterprise network backbone.

Quality of Service (QoS)

Traffic Prioritization

QoS features allow administrators to prioritize mission-critical applications, ensuring consistent performance for voice, video, and data services even during peak traffic periods.

Bandwidth Management

The switch supports granular bandwidth allocation, enabling enterprises to optimize resource usage and prevent congestion across the network.

Integration with Ruckus Ecosystem

Seamless Wireless Integration

The ICX7850-48F integrates seamlessly with Ruckus wireless solutions, providing unified management and enhanced performance for wired and wireless networks.

Centralized Management

Through Ruckus management platforms, administrators can monitor, configure, and optimize the switch alongside other Ruckus devices, simplifying network operations.

Redundant Design

Redundant components ensure that the switch continues to operate even in the event of hardware failures, making it suitable for mission-critical applications such as healthcare, finance, and government networks.

Consistent Performance

The ICX7850-48F delivers consistent performance under heavy workloads, ensuring that enterprises can rely on it for demanding applications without interruptions.