The Cisco N9200 platform is a family of fixed-configuration data center switches providing line-rate Layer 2 and Layer 3 switching, flexible 1/10/25/40/50/100-Gbps interfaces, and compact 1RU or 2RU form factors for enterprise, service provider, hosting, and cloud environments.
Product positioning and deployment role
The platform is based on Cisco Cloud Scale technology and runs Cisco NX-OS. It is intended for top-of-rack, leaf, aggregation, spine, management, big data, storage, and high-density interconnect deployments.
The product family spans:
- Copper access with 100-Mbps, 1-Gbps, and 10-Mbps support.
- High-density 1/10/25-Gbps SFP+ and SFP28 server-facing ports.
- 40-Gbps QSFP+ connectivity.
- 40/100-Gbps QSFP28 uplinks and fabric interfaces.
- Port breakout for selected high-density models.
- Native line-rate VXLAN routing on all listed models except the N92348GC-X and N92348GC-FX3.
- BGP EVPN control-plane support for scalable multitenancy and host mobility.
- 64-way ECMP on most platform configurations, with up to 128-way ECMP on the higher-scale forwarding configuration.
- Hot-swappable power supplies and fans with N+1 redundancy.
- Programmability through NX-OS, NX-API, Python, Bash, Linux containers, POAP, Puppet, Chef, and Ansible integration.
No PoE capability or PoE power budget is specified in the datasheet. These switches should therefore be positioned as data center Ethernet platforms rather than access switches for directly powering endpoints.
Model selection
| Model | Port configuration | Switching capacity and forwarding rate | Best For |
|---|---|---|---|
| N9K-C92348GC-X | 48 x 100M/1G Base-T, 4 x 1/10/25G SFP28, 2 x 40/100G QSFP28 | 0.696 Tbps, over 517 mpps | Gigabit ToR, management networks, big data environments requiring local switching |
| N9K-C92348GC-FX3 | 48 x 10M/100M/1G Base-T, 4 x 1/10/25G SFP28, 2 x 40/100G QSFP28 | 0.696 Tbps, over 517 mpps | Mixed-speed copper access where 10-Mbps compatibility is required |
| N9K-C92160YC-X | 48 x 1/10/25G SFP+ and 6 x QSFP+; 4 QSFP+ ports support 100G | 3.2 Tbps, over 2.5 bpps | Flexible server access, 25G migration, compact leaf deployments |
| N9K-C9272Q | 72 x 40G QSFP+ | 5.76 Tbps, over 4.5 bpps | High-density 40G aggregation and fabric connectivity |
| N9K-C92304QC | 56 x 40G QSFP+ and 8 x 40/100G QSFP28 | 6.1 Tbps, over 4.8 bpps | High-density 40G aggregation with 100G uplink capability |
| N9K-C9236C | 36 x 40/100G QSFP28 | 7.2 Tbps, over 5.3 bpps | Spine and aggregation networks requiring flexible 100G port use |
| N9K-C92300YC | 48 x 1/10/25G SFP28 and 18 x 40/100G QSFP28 | 6.0 Tbps, over 4.75 bpps | 25G server access and 1:1 subscription leaf networks |
Port configuration considerations
The N92348GC-X supports 100-Mbps and 1-Gbps operation on its copper ports. Its four SFP28 ports support 1, 10, and 25 Gbps, while its two QSFP28 ports support 40 and 100 Gbps.
The N92348GC-FX3 adds 10-Mbps support to the copper interfaces. This distinction is material when replacing legacy access or management switching equipment.
The N92160YC-X supports 1/10/25-Gbps operation on all 48 SFP+ downlinks. Its uplink group supports combinations of 10-, 25-, 40-, and 100-Gbps connectivity. Up to four 100-Gbps ports or six 40-Gbps ports can be used, subject to the supported port configuration. FC-FEC is enabled for 25-Gbps operation, and DAC connectivity up to 3 meters is supported.
The N9272Q provides 72 fixed 40-Gbps QSFP+ ports. Up to 35 ports can be converted into as many as 140 x 10-Gbps ports through breakout.
The N92304QC supports up to 64 x 10-Gbps breakout ports from selected 40-Gbps interfaces, while retaining eight 40/100-Gbps QSFP28 ports.
The N9236C provides per-port configuration flexibility. Each QSFP28 port can be configured as:
- 1 x 100 Gbps
- 1 x 40 Gbps
- 4 x 10 Gbps
- 4 x 25 Gbps
- 2 x 50 Gbps
- 1 x 1/10 Gbps using a QSA adapter
The N92300YC combines 48 x 1/10/25-Gbps downlinks with 18 x 40/100-Gbps uplinks. It is designed for 25G server access and 1:1 subscription designs. FC-FEC is enabled for 25-Gbps operation, and DAC connectivity up to 3 meters is supported.
Switching, buffering, and resiliency
The platform supports wire-rate Layer 2 and Layer 3 switching across all ports. Shared system buffer capacity ranges from 20 MB to 40 MB, depending on model. Buffer allocation can be tuned for non-drop queues, making the platform applicable to IP storage and burst-sensitive workloads.
Hardware and software availability functions include:
- Hot-swappable power supplies.
- Hot-swappable fans.
- N+1 power and fan redundancy.
- 64-way ECMP routing on the standard forwarding configurations.
- Up to 128-way ECMP on the higher-scale forwarding configuration.
- Up to 32 links in a port channel.
- Up to 512 port channels.
- Patching designed to support nondisruptive upgrades in most cases.
- Modular process architecture that isolates routing protocol failures.
- Process restart without loss of state.
- Hot and cold patching.
- Online diagnostics.
Presales sizing should account for more than aggregate bandwidth. Validate the required port speed mix, oversubscription ratio, breakout layout, expected multicast scale, ACL usage, route table size, and buffer behavior. A switch with sufficient total throughput may still be unsuitable if the required number of 100G ports, routing entries, or breakout interfaces is not available in the selected model.
VXLAN, EVPN, and routing
Native line-rate VXLAN routing is supported on the platform except for the N92348GC-X and N92348GC-FX3. BGP EVPN provides the control plane for multitenancy and host mobility.
The NX-OS feature set includes:
- BGP
- OSPF
- EIGRP
- RIPv2
- PIM Sparse Mode
- Source-Specific Multicast
- MSDP
- Segment routing
- MPLS packet forwarding
- Traffic engineering without RSVP-TE
- NAT
- HSRP
- RPVST and MST
- SPAN
- ACL filtering
- VRF segmentation
The default system software includes Layer 2 security and management features. Additional licensing is required for advanced Layer 3 IP unicast, IP multicast routing, and Cisco Nexus Data Broker functions. The listed software options include N93-LAN1K9, NX-OS Essential, and NX-OS Advantage.
NX-OS operations and automation
NX-OS uses a single binary image across the Cisco N9000 Series, simplifying software image management. Operational functions include:
- POAP for automated first-boot provisioning, image installation, and configuration loading.
- NX-API for RPC-based management over HTTP or HTTPS using JSON or XML.
- Python scripting.
- Bash shell access.
- Linux container support.
- Puppet, Chef, and Ansible integration.
- Advanced buffer monitoring by port and queue.
- Cisco Nexus Data Broker for SPAN and TAP aggregation.
- Line-rate VXLAN bridging and routing.
The N92348GC-X and N92348GC-FX3 provide telemetry support through software, while the N92160YC-X provides telemetry support as indicated in the platform characteristics table. The N92348GC-X and N92160YC-X can collect line-rate Cisco Tetration Analytics telemetry from the ASIC without adding packet latency or reducing switch performance. Telemetry is exported every 100 milliseconds by default and includes flow information, interpacket variation, and context information such as buffer utilization and packet drops.
Hardware resources and management interfaces
| Model | CPU | System memory | SSD | Shared buffer | Management interfaces |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| N92348GC-X | 4 cores | 8 GB | 16 GB | 40 MB | 1 RJ-45 and 1 SFP management port |
| N92348GC-FX3 | 4 cores | 32 GB | 128 GB | 40 MB | 1 RJ-45 and 1 SFP management port |
| N92160YC-X | 2 cores | 16 GB | 64 GB | 20 MB | 1 RJ-45 and 1 SFP management port |
| N9272Q | 4 cores | 16 GB | 64 GB | 30 MB | 1 RJ-45 and 1 SFP management port |
| N92304QC | 4 cores | 16 GB | 64 GB | 30 MB | 3 RJ-45 ports |
| N9236C | 4 cores | 16 GB | 64 GB | 30 MB | 3 RJ-45 ports |
| N92300YC | 2 cores | 16 GB | 128 GB | 30 MB | 1 RJ-45 and 1 SFP management port |
Every model includes one USB port and one RS-232 serial port.
Scalability and forwarding limits
The platform supports up to 4096 VLANs, with 127 VLANs reserved. Standard values include:
- Up to 32 links per port channel.
- Up to 256 ECMP groups.
- Up to 64,000 ECMP members.
- Up to 512 port channels.
- Four active SPAN sessions.
- 3967 RPVST instances.
- 490 HSRP groups.
- 64 MST instances.
- 1023 NAT entries.
- 1000 VRF instances at shipping scale on most models.
- Up to 16,000 VRF instances on the higher-scale configuration.
- Up to 32,000 multicast routes on applicable configurations.
- Up to 128,000 multicast routes on the highest-scale configuration.
- Up to 512,000 MAC address entries on the highest-scale configuration.
Route, host, MAC, multicast, IGMP, ACL, and VRF values must be checked against the specific software release and validated scalability documentation before final design approval.
Power, airflow, and physical planning
All models accept 100 to 240 VAC input and 50 to 60 Hz operation. HVAC input support is 200 to 277 VAC. DC input is -40 to -72 VDC, with -48 to -60 VDC nominal operation. HVDC input is 240 to 380 VDC for most models. The N92348GC-X specifies 192 to 400 VDC and 90 to 295 VAC for HVDC operation.
The N9272Q does not support PSU redundancy when operated at 110 VAC.
| Model | Typical AC power | Maximum AC power | Fans | Dimensions H x W x D |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| N92348GC-X | 150 W | 245 W | 3 | 1.72 x 17.3 x 18.5 in |
| N92348GC-FX3 | 226 W | 242 W | 3 | 1.72 x 17.3 x 19.7 in |
| N92160YC-X | 150 W at 10G; 170 W at 25G | 475 W | 4 | 1.72 x 17.3 x 22.5 in |
| N9272Q | 310 W | 975 W | 2 | 3.5 x 17.4 x 24.5 in |
| N92304QC | 305 W | 720 W | 2 | 3.5 x 17.5 x 22.5 in |
| N9236C | 275 W | 640 W | 4 | 1.72 x 17.3 x 22.5 in |
| N92300YC | 216 W at 10G; 260 W at 25G | 603 W | 4 | 2.00 x 17.2 x 22.3 in |
All listed configurations use port-side intake and exhaust airflow options. Airflow direction must be matched to the rack row design and adjacent equipment. Do not mix intake and exhaust configurations without confirming the rack thermal design.
Operating conditions are:
- Operating temperature: 0 to 40 degrees C.
- Storage temperature: -40 to 70 degrees C.
- Relative humidity: 5 to 85 percent, noncondensing.
- Operating altitude: 0 to 4000 meters.
Reported MTBF values are:
| Model | MTBF |
|---|---|
| N92348GC-X | 474,571 hours |
| N92348GC-FX3 | 283,670 hours |
| N92160YC-X | 379,400 hours |
| N9272Q | 397,090 hours |
| N92304QC | 401,060 hours |
| N9236C | 399,300 hours |
| N92300YC | 365,610 hours |
Acoustic output varies by fan speed. The N92348GC-X is specified at 71.6 dBA at 50 percent fan speed, 75.7 dBA at 70 percent, and 81.0 dBA at full speed. The N92348GC-FX3 is specified at 60.7, 71.9, and 81.6 dBA for port-side exhaust at 40, 70, and 100 percent fan speed. Its port-side intake values are 66.1, 73.2, and 79.6 dBA.
The remaining models are specified as follows:
- N92160YC-X: 51.9, 56.2, and 66.0 dBA at 40, 70, and 100 percent fan speed.
- N9272Q: 61.2, 69.6, and 78.2 dBA at 50, 70, and 100 percent fan speed.
- N92304QC: 57.9, 72.3, and 75.5 dBA at 40, 70, and 100 percent fan speed.
- N9236C: 58.8 dBA at 40 percent, 65.3 dBA at 70 percent, and 69.6 dBA at full speed.
- N92300YC: 52.1 dBA at 40 percent, 62.0 dBA at 70 percent, and 71.5 dBA at full speed.
Warranty and service
The platform includes a one-year limited hardware warranty. Hardware replacement is provided with a ten-day turnaround from receipt of an approved Return Materials Authorization.
Available service offerings include:
- Data Center Quick Start Service for deployment consulting and technical assistance.
- Data Center Accelerated Deployment Service covering planning, design, implementation, high-level architecture, and operational readiness.
- Migration Service for migration from Cisco Catalyst 6000 Series environments.
- Product Support available globally around the clock for Cisco software, hardware, and associated technologies.
- Solution support options for Cisco Application Centric deployments.
Service selection should be aligned with the project risk profile, migration complexity, required operational handoff, and support response requirements.
Ordering matrix
Base switches
| Part number | Description | Best For |
|---|---|---|
| N9K-C92348GC-X | 48 x 100M/1G Base-T, 4 x 1/10/25G SFP28, 2 x 40/100G QSFP28 | Copper ToR and management |
| N9K-C92348GC-FX3 | 48 x 10M/100M/1G Base-T, 4 x 10/25G SFP28, 2 x 40/100G QSFP28 | Legacy and mixed-speed copper |
| N9K-C92160YC-X | 48 x 1/10/25G SFP+, 6 x 40G QSFP or 4 x 100G QSFP28 | Flexible 25G leaf access |
| N9K-C9272Q | 72 x 40G QSFP+ | Dense 40G fabric |
| N9K-C92304QC | 56 x 40G QSFP+ and 8 x 100G QSFP28 | 40G aggregation with 100G uplinks |
| N9K-C9236C | 36 x 40/100G QSFP28 | Spine and aggregation |
| N9K-C92300YC | 48 x 10/25G and 18 x 100G ports | 25G server access and 1:1 subscription |
Power, fans, software, and accessories
Power supply options include NXA-PAC-650W-PI, NXA-PAC-650W-PE, NXA-PAC-1200W-PI, NXA-PAC-1200W-PE, N2200-PAC-400W, N2200-PAC-400W-B, N2200-PDC-400W, N2200-PDC-350W-B, UCSC-PSU-930WDC, UCS-PSU-6332-DC, N9K-PUV-1200W, NXA-PHV-350W-PI, NXA-PHV-350W-PE, NXA-PAC-350W-PE2, NXA-PAC-350W-PI2, NXA-PDC-440W-PI, and NXA-PDC-440W-PE.
Fan options include N9K-C9300-FAN3, N9K-C9300-FAN3-B, NXA-FAN-30CFM-F, NXA-FAN-30CFM-B, NXA-FAN-35CFM-PE, NXA-FAN-35CFM-PI, NXA-SFAN-30CFM-PE, and NXA-SFAN-30CFM-PI.
Software ordering options are:
- N93-LAN1K9: Enhanced Layer 3 with full OSPF, EIGRP, and BGP.
- NX-OS-ES-XF: NX-OS Essential license for 10/25/40G and higher Nexus leaf deployments.
- NX-OS-AD-XF: NX-OS Advantage license for 10/25/40G and higher Nexus leaf deployments.
Rack and installation accessories include NXK-ACC-KIT-1RU, N3K-C3064-ACC-KIT, N9K-C9300-ACK, and N9K-C9300-RMK. Regional and rack power cords are selected separately, including CAB-9K10A-AU, CAB-9K10A-EU, CAB-9K10A-IT, CAB-9K10A-SW, CAB-9K10A-UK, CAB-9K12A-NA, CAB-AC-L620-C13, CAB-C13-C14-2M, CAB-C13-CBN, CAB-IND-10A, CAB-N5K6A-NA, CAB-HVAC-SD-0.6M, and CAB-HVAC-RT-0.6M.
For final quoting, validate optic compatibility, minimum software release, PSU airflow direction, fan direction, rack depth, circuit capacity, breakout requirements, and advanced feature licensing against the selected model.