NVIDIA Mellanox MSN3700-CS2RC Spectrum-2-Based 100GbE Open Ethernet Switch with Cumulus Linux: This is a 1U Open Ethernet switch with 32 QSFP28 ports, factory pre-loaded with Cumulus Linux. Built on the Mellanox Spectrum-2 ASIC. This is the Cumulus-loaded refurbished SKU; for an Onyx-loaded variant of the same hardware family pick MSN3700-CS2RO, and for ONIE-only pick MSN3700-CS2R. This is a refurbished unit, fully tested.
Engineering Context
The MSN3700-CS2RC delivers 6.4 Tb/s of non-blocking switching across 32 QSFP28 ports at 100GbE per port. Each QSFP28 port supports 2x50GbE or 4x25GbE / 4x10GbE breakouts, giving up to 128 SFP-equivalent ports of 25GbE in a single 1U chassis. The unit ships with C2P (Connector-to-Power) airflow, dual hot-swappable AC PSUs, and an x86 control-plane CPU. Spectrum-2 adds wider buffering, deeper VXLAN scaling, and richer telemetry compared with the original Spectrum.
Deployment & Use Cases
Designed for spine and leaf positions in 100GbE / 25GbE spine-leaf fabrics, large data-center pods, AI / ML compute aggregation with RoCEv2, NVMe-over-Fabrics aggregation, hyperscaler-style EVPN VXLAN overlays, and HPC interconnect aggregation. Cumulus Linux on Spectrum-2 brings native Linux networking, NetQ telemetry, FRR (BGP / OSPF), VXLAN EVPN, MLAG via clag, and full Ansible / NAPALM / Salt automation hooks.
Technical Specifications
- Switching ASIC: Mellanox Spectrum-2 (SN3000 family)
- Throughput: 6.4 Tb/s non-blocking
- Port-to-port latency: ~300 ns (cut-through)
- Ports: 32x QSFP28 at 100GbE per port
- Breakout: 2x50GbE or 4x25GbE / 4x10GbE per port (up to 128 SFP-equivalent)
- Form factor: 1U, standard depth
- Airflow: C2P (Connector-to-Power)
- Power supplies: 2x hot-swappable AC, redundant
- Pre-loaded OS: Cumulus Linux
- Note: Spectrum-2 supports 200GbE on QSFP56 platforms (e.g. SN3700C); this 32x QSFP28 variant tops out at 100GbE per port
- NVIDIA part family: 920-9N301 series (MSN3700-CS2RC)
Compatibility & Constraints
Pairs with NVIDIA Mellanox QSFP28 100GbE optics, DACs (MCP1600 series), AOCs (MFA1A00 series), and 4x25GbE breakout cables (MCP7H00 series). Operates with ConnectX-4 / -5 / -6 / -7 adapters end-host. The 'CS2RC' suffix denotes Cumulus Linux pre-loaded on the Spectrum-2 platform; if Onyx is required pick MSN3700-CS2RO, and for ONIE-only pick MSN3700-CS2R. A current Cumulus subscription is required for production beyond the trial entitlement; verify license terms with NVIDIA. This SKU is a 32x QSFP28 variant; if 200GbE QSFP56 ports are required on Spectrum-2 choose MSN3700C-S models. Rail kit is sold separately. Power redundancy requires both PSUs populated on independent feeds.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
Q. What is the Data Rate of the MSN3700-CS2RC?
The data rate of the MSN3700-CS2RC is 100GbE.
Q. Is the MSN3700-CS2RC supplied new or refurbished, and who supplies it?
The MSN3700-CS2RC is supplied refurbished by T.E.S IT-SOLUTIONS, lab-tested before dispatch and shipped from EU stock with 1-3 business day handling. Full listing and current pricing at tes-itsolutions.com.
Why TES
T.E.S IT-SOLUTIONS ships this switch professionally refurbished and tested, with port diagnostics and firmware verified. Handling time is 1–3 business days; worldwide shipping is available. For multi-unit pricing, integration support, or compatibility questions, contact us before ordering.