downlink ports on Nexus 9348GC-FXP

[sandevsingh]

Hi, We have the Nexus 9348GC-FXP as our leaf switches in our ACI fabric. It`s documentation says that it has 48 100/1000-Megabit 1GBASE-T downlink ports, 4 10-/25-Gigabit SFP28 downlink ports, and 2 40-/100-Gigabit QSFP28 uplink ports.

Can the 4 x 10G ports which are stated as a downlink be used to connect to other network infrastructure like Switches or Routers? Idea is to use this switch as a border leaf, but this downlink thing is concerning me!

Thnx

[RedNectar · Accepted solution]

Hi Sandev,

The quick answer to your question

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Can the 4 x 10G ports which are stated as a downlink be used to connect to other network infrastructure like Switches or Routers? 

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is Yes.

The default configuration for the 9348GC-FXP is indeed as you described:

• 48 x 100M/1G BASE-T downlinks
• 4 x 10/25-Gbps SFP28 downlinks
• 2 x 40/100-Gbps QSFP28 uplinks

In ACI, Uplinks mean Fabric ports - ie the ports that the Leaf switches use to connect to the Spine switches.  Servers, External Routers, External Switches, Firewalls, ADCs, Hypervisors - everything eles connects to Downlink ports.

I hope this helps

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Don't forget to mark answers as correct if it solves your problem. This helps others find the correct answer if they search for the same problem

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[SIMMN]

I know I am replying an old close thread but wonder if you have a linked doc to show the 4x10Gbps ports on N9348GC-FXP are ACI downlinks? The datasheet from Cisco: 

"... The 48 1GBASE-T downlink ports on the 9348GC-FXP can be configured to work as 100-Mbps, 1-Gbps ports. The 4 ports of SFP28 can be configured as 1/10/25-Gbps and the 2 ports of QSFP28 can be configured as 40- and 100-Gbps ports... "

Also the product specification from the datasheet only shows "100-Mbps and 1-Gbps speeds" Downlink supported speeds for 9348GC-FXP...

[tuanquangnguyen]

Hi,

I managed to find this in the hardware installation guide (Link), which does mention that the VIC 1225 on the APIC supports connection with optical downlink ports on the N9K-C9348GC-FXP.

Also, I have yet seen any fabric port (spine-facing) running at 10Gbps.

Hope this should answer your question.

[SIMMN]

Thanks, that does help. 

10Gbps ports could be used for uplinks on leaf but just no one uses them that way...