The Cisco Nexus 93108TC-EX puts 48 BASE-T access ports on the Nexus 9300-EX platform, each running at 100 Megabit, 1 or 10 Gigabit, alongside six 40 or 100 Gigabit uplinks. Cisco rates the switch at 2.16 Tbps of switching capacity and over 1.6 billion packets per second, in one rack unit. Ordering closed on 9 August 2022 and Cisco support runs to 31 August 2027, under notice EOL14472.
Ports, interfaces and what this switch presents
This is a copper access switch. Cisco publishes the 48 downlink ports as 100 Megabit, 1 or 10 Gigabit BASE-T, which is a three-rate copper port rather than a fixed 10 Gigabit one, and the distinction decides whether an existing cable plant survives a refresh. A building already wired for twisted pair does not need new fibre runs, new patch panels or an optic per port to bring a rack onto this switch; it needs the switch. Six QSFP28 uplinks at 40 or 100 Gigabit carry the aggregate north to the spine, so the copper stays at the access layer where the cost of changing it is highest.
| Downlink ports | 48 x 100M/1/10GBASE-T |
|---|---|
| Uplink ports | 6 x 40/100-Gbps QSFP28 |
| Switching capacity | 2.16 Tbps |
| Forwarding rate | over 1.6 billion packets per second |
| Form-Factor | 1RU |
| Last day to order | 9 August 2022 |
| Last day of support | 31 August 2027 |
| Cisco notice | EOL14472 |
| Cisco's named replacement | N9K-C93108TC-FX3P |
The word "over" in the forwarding-rate row is Cisco's, not ours, and it travels with the number wherever the number goes. Cisco states over 1.6 billion packets per second for this switch; it does not publish a precise ceiling, so neither do we.
The 100 Megabit tier, and why it is on the sheet at all
A three-rate copper port that starts at 100 Megabit looks like a relic until you count what is actually plugged into an access switch in a real building. Out-of-band management interfaces, environmental sensors, badge readers, older storage controllers and a long tail of appliance hardware negotiate at 100 Megabit and will not negotiate higher. On a fixed 10 Gigabit BASE-T port that equipment either does not link or has to be moved to a separate switch. Cisco's own port string for this platform names all three rates, and it is the reason a 93108TC-EX often replaces two devices rather than one.
Switching capacity and forwarding rate
Cisco rates the Nexus 93108TC-EX at 2.16 Tbps of switching capacity and over 1.6 billion packets per second of forwarding. Both figures are lower than the SFP28 member of the same generation, and that is a design decision rather than a defect: 48 ports of 10 Gigabit copper plus six uplinks is a smaller aggregate than 48 ports of 25 Gigabit fibre plus six uplinks, and the fabric is sized to the port face it serves. A buyer sizing this switch should size on the copper, because the copper is the reason to choose it.
These are the figures Cisco publishes for this specific part number. It is worth saying plainly that they are not the SFP28 model's figures, because the two switches sit one letter apart in a catalogue and the numbers do get transposed: this switch is 2.16 Tbps and over 1.6 billion packets per second, and the 48-port SFP28 model is 3.6 Tbps and 2.6 billion.
Support horizon: the two dates Cisco published
Cisco's last day to order the Nexus 93108TC-EX was 9 August 2022, and Cisco's last day of support for it is 31 August 2027, under end-of-life notice EOL14472. That notice covers this switch and the 48-port SFP28 model of the same generation together, on a single set of milestone dates: Cisco's milestone table names both part numbers in its caption and publishes one date column, with no split between them.
That shared table is useful in practice, because a rack built on the 9300-EX generation is usually built on both models at once, copper in some cabinets and fibre in others. Planning against one horizon rather than two is a materially simpler job, and it is Cisco's own structure rather than our simplification of it. The notice also names the platform Cisco points a buyer at next, the N9K-C93108TC-FX3P, which we do not list.
Where the 93108TC-EX sits in the Nexus 9300-EX line
The decision this page exists to settle is copper against fibre inside one generation, on one notice. The other side of it is the Cisco Nexus 93180YC-EX, which we also list.
| Nexus 93108TC-EX | Nexus 93180YC-EX | |
|---|---|---|
| Access media | 48 x 100M/1/10GBASE-T copper | 48 x 1/10/25-Gbps SFP28 fibre |
| Uplinks | 6 x 40/100-Gbps QSFP28 | 6 x 40/100-Gbps QSFP28 |
| Switching capacity | 2.16 Tbps | 3.6 Tbps |
| Forwarding rate | over 1.6 billion packets per second | 2.6 billion packets per second |
| Form-Factor | 1RU | 1RU |
| Last day of support | 31 August 2027 | 31 August 2027 |
| Cisco notice | EOL14472 | EOL14472 |
The honest reading of that table is short. The SFP28 model is the faster of the two on Cisco's published figures, and this one is the model that runs on the copper already in the building. Those are different reasons to buy, not better and worse ones, and the last two rows are identical because Cisco governs both with the same notice on the same dates.
If your access layer is copper but predates this generation, the reference point in our range is the Cisco Nexus 9372TX, an earlier 48-port 10GBASE-T switch. The move from that platform to this one is a fabric and uplink change more than a cabling one, because the copper face is the part that stays the same.
Buying refurbished after Cisco stopped selling it
Same part number, same hardware. Every unit is tested on receipt, then disassembled, cleaned, inventoried, picked, assembled, configured and tested again before it leaves. Whole systems, this switch included, carry a 2-year Enterasource warranty, and delivery is free FedEx Ground to the lower 48 states. No Cisco warranty transfers to a second-hand unit and we do not suggest otherwise.
On a platform whose order book closed in 2022, refurbished is not a discount against a new unit; it is the supply. What a buyer is weighing is a supported switch with a published horizon against a platform change, and on a copper access layer a platform change is the expensive option, because it reaches the cable plant rather than stopping at the rack.
Licenses, subscriptions and what ships with the unit
Software licenses and subscriptions are not included unless the listing states otherwise, and an entitlement bought by the original owner belongs to that owner's account rather than to the chassis. That distinction matters more on a copper access switch than it looks, because the ports are the cheap part of the deployment and the software feature set is where the recurring cost sits. Tell us which features the deployment depends on before you order, and we will confirm in writing what the specific unit we are shipping carries and what you will need to license separately.
Condition, testing and what is in the box
The switch ships tested and configured to the state you ask for. Rails, power supplies, fan modules and any uplink optics are separate line items unless the listing says they are included, and the airflow direction of the fan and the power supply have to match, so we confirm that pair rather than assuming it. If the unit we source differs in any respect from the one quoted, we say so before it ships.
For the rest of the family, see Cisco Nexus 9000, or the wider range at Cisco networking.
Frequently Asked Questions
What does 100M/1/10GBASE-T mean for the cabling I already have?
It means each of the 48 access ports will negotiate at 100 Megabit, 1 Gigabit or 10 Gigabit over twisted pair, so a mixed estate terminates on one switch. Practically, that lets management interfaces, sensors and older appliances that will never link above 100 Megabit share an access switch with servers running at 10 Gigabit, without a second device and without rewiring the cabinet in fibre.
Should I choose the BASE-T model or the SFP28 model in this generation?
Choose on the cable plant, not on the throughput. The BASE-T switch runs on the twisted pair already installed and Cisco rates it at 2.16 Tbps with over 1.6 billion packets per second. The SFP28 model needs an optic per port and is rated higher, at 3.6 Tbps and 2.6 billion. Both share a vendor horizon, so the decision is about what is already in the walls.
What happens after 31 August 2027?
That is Cisco's last day of support for this switch under notice EOL14472. The hardware keeps running after it, but the platform stops being vendor-supported, so most buyers set their replacement plan against that date. Because the order book closed on 9 August 2022, the remaining window is what a refurbished purchase is actually buying, and it should be sized deliberately rather than discovered later.
Does Cisco name a replacement for the 93108TC-EX?
Yes. Cisco's end-of-life notice for this platform names the N9K-C93108TC-FX3P as the replacement product. It is a later-generation copper access switch rather than a like-for-like reissue of this one, and we do not list it, so we would rather tell you what Cisco says than imply the two are interchangeable. If the copper port face is what you need, this switch delivers it on a published horizon.
What condition are these switches in and how do you test them?
Each unit is tested on receipt, then disassembled, cleaned, inventoried, picked, assembled, configured and tested again before shipping. The part number and hardware match what Cisco shipped. Whole systems ship with an Enterasource warranty, stated in full on the listing, and go out on free FedEx Ground to the lower 48 states. We do not publish a burn-in duration or a certification name that we cannot evidence.
How do I get a price and a lead time on this switch?
Ask us for the exact build, including airflow direction, power supply type and any uplink optics you need, and we will come back with availability and a price against that specification. We source these units rather than stocking every variant, so the useful answer on timing arrives with the quote. If what we can source differs from what was asked for, that comes back to you before anything is committed.
