The Cisco Nexus 5548UP is a 1RU rack-mount switch with 32 unified ports and one expansion slot, scaling to 48 ports and up to 960 Gbps of switching capacity. Unified ports are the defining feature: each one can be configured as Ethernet, as Fibre Channel over Ethernet or as native Fibre Channel, which is what allows a single switch to carry both fabrics.
Unified ports and what they replace
Unified ports are the reason this platform exists. A conventional design needs an Ethernet switch and a separate Fibre Channel fabric switch at the top of a rack; a 5548UP presents 32 ports that can be assigned to either role and expanded to 48 with the expansion module. Consolidating those two fabrics onto one device removes a whole class of cabling, a second management domain and a second set of spares from the rack.
| Specification | Nexus 5548UP |
|---|---|
| Rack height | 1RU |
| Unified ports | 32 |
| Maximum ports | Up to 48 with the expansion module |
| Expansion slots | 1 |
| Switching capacity | Up to 960 Gbps |
| Layer 2 performance | 960 Gbps, 714.24 mpps |
| Layer 3 performance | 160 Gbps, 240 mpps |
| MAC address table | 32,000 entries |
| Weight | 35 lb |
Layer 2 and Layer 3 are not the same switch
Performance on this platform splits sharply by layer and the difference is large enough to change a design. Layer 2 forwarding runs at 960 Gbps and 714.24 million packets per second. Layer 3 forwarding runs at 160 Gbps and 240 million packets per second, roughly a sixth of the Layer 2 figure. A topology that routes heavily between VLANs on the switch itself will meet the Layer 3 ceiling long before it meets the Layer 2 one, and the MAC address table holds 32,000 entries.
Airflow: the BA suffix, and the two parts it depends on
Airflow direction on this bundle is back-to-front, which follows Cisco's own suffix convention on the platform: the FA bundle is documented as front-to-back, and the spare power supply and fan tray carrying a B suffix are both documented as back-to-front airflow. Getting that direction right is not a preference, it is whether the switch survives in the rack it is going into.
Two constraints belong on the record. Back-to-front airflow requires both the B power supply and the B fan module fitted together; one without the other does not deliver it. And Cisco states the back-to-front option is available on the Nexus 5548UP only, not on the 5548P. Note also that the literal order code with the BA suffix does not appear in Cisco's published ordering table, so the airflow direction is established by the suffix convention rather than by a Cisco-listed bundle part number. Confirm the fitted supply and fan against the actual unit rather than against the code on the invoice.
Scaling past 48 ports without adding managed switches
Port count on the chassis itself tops out at 48 with the expansion module fitted, and the platform is designed to grow past that through fabric extenders rather than through additional switches. Each extender attached to the 5548UP presents its ports as though they were on the parent, so a design can reach several hundred access ports while keeping one configuration, one image and one device in the change process.
That architecture is the reason the 5500 platform stayed in service long after its own port density stopped being remarkable. The decision a buyer faces is not how many ports the chassis has, but how many racks the parent is expected to serve and whether the fabric links between them are sized for the traffic those racks will generate.
Where the 5548UP sits in a Nexus design
The 5500 platform is a parent switch for Nexus fabric extenders, which is how a 5548UP scales past its own port count without adding managed devices. Cisco lists the Nexus 5500 platform as a supported parent for the 2348UPQ fabric extender at a minimum release of 7.0(3)N1(1), and the 5600 generation is the only parent that unlocks native Fibre Channel on that extender.
Where a design needs unified Ethernet and storage ports in one box, this is the platform. Where it needs pure high-density Ethernet at 10 or 25 Gigabit, a leaf switch such as the Nexus 93180YC-EX is the better fit, and the Nexus 2348UPQ extends either of them into additional racks. The wider catalogue is on the Cisco networking hardware page.
Condition, testing and what ships
Units are refurbished enterprise hardware carrying the original Cisco part number. Each switch is tested on receipt, then disassembled, cleaned, inventoried, picked, assembled, configured and tested again on the bench before despatch. Whole systems including this switch carry the 2-year Enterasource warranty, and delivery is free FedEx Ground to the lower 48 states.
Power supply and fan airflow direction is confirmed against your rack orientation at the time of quotation rather than inferred from a part number suffix. Expansion modules, transceivers and cables are quoted separately, and Cisco software entitlement does not transfer with used hardware.
Frequently Asked Questions
What does a unified port on a Nexus 5548UP do?
Each unified port can be assigned to Ethernet, to Fibre Channel over Ethernet or to native Fibre Channel, so one switch serves both the data network and the storage fabric at the top of a rack. The base chassis provides 32 unified ports and the single expansion slot takes the switch to a maximum of 48 ports, at up to 960 Gbps of switching capacity.
Which way does a back-to-front Nexus 5548UP blow air?
Air is drawn in at the rear and exhausted at the port side, following Cisco's convention where the FA bundle is front-to-back and the B suffix on the spare power supply and fan tray denotes back-to-front. Delivering that direction requires both the B supply and the B fan tray fitted together, and Cisco documents the option as available on the 5548UP but not on the 5548P.
How does Layer 3 performance compare with Layer 2 on this switch?
Layer 2 forwarding reaches 960 Gbps at 714.24 million packets per second, while Layer 3 forwarding reaches 160 Gbps at 240 million packets per second. That is a substantial step down, so any design that routes a large share of its traffic on the switch rather than bridging it should be sized against the Layer 3 figure. The MAC address table holds 32,000 entries.
Can a Nexus 5548UP act as a parent for a fabric extender?
Yes. Cisco lists the Nexus 5500 platform among the supported parent switches for the Nexus 2300 platform fabric extenders, with a minimum software release of 7.0(3)N1(1). One qualification matters for storage designs: unified ports and native Fibre Channel on the 2348UPQ extender are unlocked only by a Nexus 5600 parent on release 7.3 or later, not by a 5500.
How many ports can a Nexus 5548UP reach in total?
Forty-eight on the chassis itself, made up of 32 unified ports plus the single expansion slot. Beyond that the platform scales through fabric extenders rather than through additional switches, so a design needing several hundred access ports attaches extenders to this parent and keeps one configuration and one managed device rather than adding another switch per rack.
What condition are your refurbished Nexus 5500 switches in?
Each unit is bench tested on arrival, then stripped, cleaned and inventoried before it enters stock. On order it is reassembled to the requested port, supply and airflow specification, configured and tested a second time immediately before packing. Any physical defect identified in either pass is recorded against that chassis and disclosed on its listing.
