NVIDIA Mellanox MSN2010-CB2R Spectrum 25/100GbE 1U Open Ethernet Switch (18x SFP28 + 4x QSFP28): This is a standalone 1U half-width Open Ethernet switch built on the Mellanox Spectrum ASIC, not a passive interconnect or NIC. It exposes 18 dedicated SFP28 downlinks at 25GbE plus 4 QSFP28 uplinks at 100GbE, with dual AC redundant PSUs and reverse (C2P) airflow. This is a refurbished unit.
Engineering Context
The MSN2010-CB2R is the dual-PSU, reverse-airflow variant of the MSN2010 family, intended for racks where the connector face sits in the cold aisle. Its 18+4 port mix is engineered for the 25GbE-to-server, 100GbE-to-spine transition that replaces 10G/40G access layers. The Spectrum ASIC delivers deterministic forwarding and zero-packet-loss behavior, which matters most for storage and HCI workloads where flow collisions translate directly into IOPS loss. The chassis is 1U half-width with short depth, allowing two switches per rack unit when paired with a sled. Mellanox Onyx is the standard NOS, but the platform is ONIE-installable and supports Cumulus Linux and other Open Ethernet NOS images.
Deployment & Use Cases
Hyperconverged Infrastructure (HCI) leaf switching for Nutanix or VMware vSAN clusters with 25GbE-attached nodes and 100GbE spine uplinks. NVMe-over-Fabrics (NVMe-oF) storage clusters where deterministic latency matters more than peak burst throughput. Top-of-Rack aggregation for racks of up to 18 servers with 25GbE NICs. Compact remote-office or edge deployments needing redundant power and Open Ethernet flexibility.
Technical Specifications
OEM: NVIDIA Mellanox
Part Number: MSN2010-CB2R
Switching ASIC: Mellanox Spectrum
Port Configuration: 18x SFP28 (25GbE) + 4x QSFP28 (100GbE)
Form Factor: 1U, half-width, short-depth
Power Supplies: Dual AC, hot-swappable, 1+1 redundant
Airflow: Reverse (C2P / Connector-side intake, Power-side exhaust)
Operating System: Mellanox Onyx (ONIE-installable, supports Cumulus Linux)
Protocol: Ethernet only (10/25GbE on SFP28, 40/100GbE on QSFP28)
Condition: Refurbished — Tested by T.E.S IT-SOLUTIONS
Compatibility & Constraints
Accepts MSA-compliant SFP28 (10/25GbE) and QSFP28 (40/100GbE) optical transceivers, AOCs, and DAC assemblies. Runs Mellanox Onyx, Cumulus Linux, and any ONIE-installable Open Ethernet NOS. Not an InfiniBand switch — does not run native HDR, EDR, or FDR fabrics, even though the QSFP28 form factor is shared. Airflow is fixed reverse (C2P); installing this unit in a rack engineered for forward-airflow (P2C) switches will recirculate exhaust and may trigger thermal shutdown. The 4 QSFP28 ports are uplink-class and designed to feed a spine, not 4-to-1 breakout into 16x SFP28 (breakout is supported but reduces uplink count accordingly).
Why Choose T.E.S IT-SOLUTIONS
T.E.S IT-SOLUTIONS bench-tests every Spectrum switch for per-port link, PSU redundancy, and fan tray operation before shipment. Visit https://www.tes-itsolutions.com for current inventory. Handling time is 1-3 business days with international shipping and a comprehensive warranty.