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100GbE leaf / spine open-networking switch
Dell PowerSwitch S5232F-ON
32 x 100GbE ports in 1U for high-density leaf and spine layers in a modern leaf-spine fabric.
The Dell PowerSwitch S5232F-ON is a 1U, high-density 100GbE switch built for the leaf and spine layers of modern data-center fabrics. With 32 QSFP28 ports, 6.4 Tbps of switching capacity and flexible 4 x 25GbE or 2 x 50GbE breakouts, it connects a large number of 25/100GbE server racks at high speed or aggregates leaf switches at the spine. It is an open-networking platform, so you can run Dell SmartFabric OS10, Enterprise SONiC or a third-party NOS over ONIE, with full Layer-3, VXLAN EVPN and lossless-Ethernet features for cloud, AI and storage workloads.
Key features
High-density 100GbE in 1U
Thirty-two QSFP28 ports deliver dense 100GbE connectivity in a single rack unit, ideal for both leaf and spine roles.
Flexible breakout
Each 100GbE port can break out to 4 x 25GbE or 2 x 50GbE with the appropriate cables, easing migration from 25GbE access.
Leaf or spine deployment
Use it as a high-speed leaf for 100GbE servers and storage or as a spine that aggregates many S5248F-ON leaf switches.
Open networking software
Run Dell SmartFabric OS10, Enterprise SONiC or a third-party ONIE-based network operating system without software lock-in.
Deep buffers and full L3
A large packet buffer plus BGP, OSPF and ECMP routing support demanding, high-volume east-west traffic.
VXLAN EVPN and lossless Ethernet
Hardware VXLAN with BGP EVPN and PFC/ECN support multi-tenant cloud and lossless RoCE for AI and storage.
Typical deployments
Spine switch
Aggregate dozens of 25GbE leaf switches in a non-blocking leaf-spine architecture with predictable latency.
100GbE leaf for high-end racks
Connect 100GbE servers, all-flash storage and AI systems that need more than 25GbE per node.
Cloud and container fabrics
High-bandwidth, ECMP-based IP fabric for large virtualized and Kubernetes environments.
AI / GPU cluster networking
Carry high-volume, lossless RoCE east-west traffic between accelerators with PFC and ECN enabled.
Dell PowerSwitch S5232F-ON specifications
| Ports | 32 x 100GbE QSFP28; 2 x 10/25GbE SFP28; 1 x 10/100/1000BASE-T management; 1 x RJ45 console; USB |
|---|---|
| Switching capacity | 6.4 Tbps full duplex |
| Forwarding rate | Up to 2.0 Bpps |
| Latency | Approximately 1.3 us (cut-through) |
| Packet buffer | 64 MB |
| CPU / memory | Intel Xeon D quad-core; 16 GB SSD; 8 GB system memory |
| Breakout support | 100GbE to 4 x 25GbE or 2 x 50GbE via suitable cables |
| Operating systems | Dell SmartFabric OS10, Enterprise SONiC, third-party NOS via ONIE |
| L2 / L3 features | BGP, OSPF, ECMP, VRRP, VXLAN, BGP EVPN, MLAG, ACLs, QoS, PFC/ECN, sFlow/ERSPAN |
| Form factor | 1U rack mount; front-to-back or back-to-front airflow; redundant hot-swap PSUs and fans |
Configuration options
Hardware & software
• NOS selection (SmartFabric OS10, Enterprise SONiC or third-party ONIE image)
• Role-based configuration as leaf or spine with ECMP and BGP EVPN settings
Optics & delivery
• QSFP28 optics plus breakout and DAC/AOC cable package
• Rack kits, reference configuration file and full documentation
Frequently asked questions
What is the Dell PowerSwitch S5232F-ON?
It is a 1U open-networking switch with 32 x 100GbE QSFP28 ports, used as a high-density leaf or as a spine in leaf-spine data-center networks.
What is its switching capacity?
The S5232F-ON provides 6.4 Tbps of full-duplex switching capacity and a forwarding rate of up to 2.0 billion packets per second.
Can it be used as a spine switch?
Yes. Its 32 high-speed ports and full Layer-3/ECMP feature set make it well suited to aggregating many leaf switches at the spine layer.
Does each port support breakout?
Yes. A 100GbE QSFP28 port can break out to 4 x 25GbE or 2 x 50GbE using the appropriate breakout cables, which we can supply.
Which operating systems are supported?
It supports Dell SmartFabric OS10 and Enterprise SONiC, plus third-party network operating systems installed through ONIE.
How does it differ from the S5248F-ON?
The S5232F-ON focuses on 100GbE density (32 QSFP28 ports) for leaf and spine roles, whereas the S5248F-ON provides 48 x 25GbE server ports with 100/200GbE uplinks.
What is the latency?
Cut-through port-to-port latency is approximately 1.3 microseconds.
Does it support VXLAN and BGP EVPN?
Yes. It provides hardware VXLAN routing and bridging with BGP EVPN for scalable multi-tenant fabrics.
Can the S5232F-ON carry lossless RoCE for GPU clusters?
Yes. PFC and ECN enable lossless Ethernet for GPU cluster and NVMe-oF storage traffic.
What power and cooling does it use?
It is a 1U system with redundant, hot-swappable power supplies and fan modules and selectable front-to-back or back-to-front airflow.
Is the S5232F-ON a genuine, current Dell switch?
Yes. It is a genuine Dell PowerSwitch model supplied with the manufacturer’s standard hardware warranty for the ordered configuration.
Can you pre-configure the S5232F-ON as leaf or spine before delivery?
Yes. We can install your selected NOS and a leaf- or spine-specific reference configuration and supply all optics and cables.
How do I size the S5232F-ON as a spine?
From the number and uplink count of your leaf switches and the desired oversubscription. We calculate the spine port count and ECMP capacity for you.
How can I get an S5232F-ON quotation?
Send your leaf count, uplink speeds and target oversubscription using the contact form and we will prepare a detailed configuration and quotation.
Related networking systems
Request a configuration and quote
Tell us your server and storage count, access speed and fabric design. Our team will prepare a detailed switch, optics and cabling configuration with a competitive quotation.
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