Cisco N2K-C2348UPQ — Nexus 2348UPQ Fabric Extender, 48x 1/10G SFP+ Unified + 6x QSFP+ Uplinks
Technical Identity
The Cisco N2K-C2348UPQ is the Cisco Nexus 2348UPQ, a Nexus 2300-platform fabric extender (FEX) with 48 unified 1/10 Gigabit SFP+ host ports and up to six 40 Gigabit QSFP+ fabric uplinks to a parent Cisco Nexus switch. Fabric capacity is 240 Gbps in each direction (480 Gbps full duplex), with a hardware forwarding rate of 1440 Gbps. A fabric extender is not a standalone switch — it operates only as a remote line card of a supported Nexus parent switch. Condition: Refurbished. Note on stock labels: units carry the chassis marking NEXUS2348UPQ; the Cisco orderable PID is N2K-C2348UPQ — same device, and this listing covers that label variant.
Specifications

Brand: Cisco
Model / MPN: N2K-C2348UPQ (Nexus 2348UPQ)
Series: Cisco Nexus 2300 platform fabric extenders
Product type: Fabric extender (FEX) — remote line card, not a standalone switch
Host ports: 48x unified 1/10G SFP+ (SFP/SFP+ required)
Fabric uplinks: up to 6x 40G QSFP+ to the parent switch; 40G BiDi optics supported
Fabric capacity: 240 Gbps each direction (480 Gbps full duplex)
Forwarding rate: 1440 Gbps hardware forwarding
Management: configured and managed entirely from the parent Nexus switch (no local NX-OS management plane)
Power / cooling: 2 power supplies, 3 fan modules
Stock labels: chassis marking NEXUS2348UPQ = PID N2K-C2348UPQ
Condition: Refurbished

Engineering Context
The Nexus 2300 platform is the successor generation to the widely deployed Nexus 2200 fabric extenders. A FEX architecture concentrates configuration and policy on the parent switch: the 2348UPQ's 48 host ports appear as ports of the parent, which simplifies operations across large server-access estates. The unified host ports target general-purpose 1/10G workloads such as large databases, distributed storage, and video editing, and the 40G QSFP+ uplinks allow high-bandwidth, low-cable-count connection to the parent — including over existing multimode plant with BiDi optics.
Use Cases

Scaling 1/10G server access under existing Nexus parent switches without added management points
Unified-fabric server access in Nexus 5000/6000-era data centers
Sparing and expansion of installed Nexus 2300 FEX estates
Lab replication of FEX-based production topologies

What This Is NOT

NOT a standalone switch. A fabric extender has no local control plane and cannot forward traffic without a supported Cisco Nexus parent switch.
NOT compatible with arbitrary parents. It works only with Nexus parent switches listed in Cisco's FEX compatibility matrix for the 2348UPQ — verify your parent model and NX-OS release.
NOT a Nexus 2348TQ. The 2348TQ is the 10GBASE-T copper variant; this 2348UPQ uses SFP+ unified ports.
NOT a 25G platform. Host ports are 1/10G SFP+; SFP28 25G operation is not supported.
NOT a Catalyst or standalone-managed device. There is no standalone CLI; all configuration lives on the parent.
NOT supplied with SFP/SFP+/QSFP+ optics, fabric cables, or rail kits unless explicitly stated.

Compatibility & Hard Constraints

Parent switch: a supported Cisco Nexus parent per Cisco's FEX compatibility matrix is mandatory; verify parent model and NX-OS release before purchase.
Uplink cabling: 40G QSFP+ optics/DAC/AOC to the parent; 40G BiDi optics supported for reuse of existing duplex multimode fiber.
Host connectivity: 1/10G SFP/SFP+ optics and DAC per Cisco compatibility documentation.
Unified port features: storage protocol capability (FCoE/Fibre Channel) depends on the parent switch, software release, and licensing — verify against Cisco's Nexus 2300 documentation before designing storage access.
Pre-deployment verification: confirm FEX support, uplink mode (static pinning vs. port channel), and optics on the parent switch.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
Q. What is the Cisco N2K-C2348UPQ?
It is the Cisco Nexus 2348UPQ fabric extender: 48x unified 1/10G SFP+ host ports with up to 6x 40G QSFP+ uplinks (240 Gbps per direction) to a parent Cisco Nexus switch.
Q. Can the N2K-C2348UPQ operate as a standalone switch?
No. A fabric extender is a remote line card. Without a supported Cisco Nexus parent switch it cannot be configured or forward traffic.
Q. Which parent switches work with the 2348UPQ?
Only Cisco Nexus parents listed in Cisco's FEX compatibility matrix for the Nexus 2300 platform, on a supported NX-OS release. Verify your exact parent model and software version before deployment.
Q. What uplinks does the N2K-C2348UPQ use?
Up to six 40G QSFP+ fabric uplinks, providing 240 Gbps in each direction; 40G BiDi optics are supported for existing cable plants.
Q. Why is the unit labeled NEXUS2348UPQ?
Cisco prints the marketing model (Nexus 2348UPQ) on the chassis; the orderable PID is N2K-C2348UPQ. Both identify the same fabric extender.
Q. What condition is supplied by T.E.S IT-SOLUTIONS?
Refurbished. Each unit is inspected and tested where test topology is available, cleaned, and shipped in professional protective packaging from EU stock. Two units are available.
Why T.E.S IT-SOLUTIONS
Every N2K-C2348UPQ unit ships with: (1) functional verification where test topology is available, (2) inspection and cleaning, (3) full cosmetic check, (4) professional protective packaging, (5) global B2B shipping from EU stock, (6) technical consultation for data center access design at no extra cost.
Condition: Refurbished. No optics, cables, rails, software licenses, or vendor support entitlements are included unless explicitly stated.