Arista DCS-7020R4-48TX-4QC-F | 7020R4 48-Port 10G RJ45 Switch, 4x 100G QSFP

Q: What is the primary use case for the DCS-7020R4-48TX-4QC-F?
A: This switch is ideal for data center leaf-spine architectures, service provider access networks, and high-performance edge deployments where mixed 1G/10G copper access and 100G uplinks are required. The deep buffer VOQ architecture makes it particularly well-suited for environments with congestion and large flows such as big data, storage networks, and media streaming applications.

Q: Does this model support Layer 3 routing and advanced protocols?
A: Yes, the 7020R4 Series runs Arista EOS and supports comprehensive Layer 2 and Layer 3 features including MLAG, ECMP, EVPN-VXLAN overlay networking, MPLS, Segment Routing, IPv4/IPv6 routing with FlexRoute scaling to over 2.5M routes, and precision timing with PTP. The flexible forwarding pipeline enables a wide variety of network roles.

Q: What is the difference between the DCS-7020R4-48TX-4QC-F and the M variant?
A: The standard 7020R4-48TX-4QC-F model does not include hardware-based encryption. The 7020R4M-48TX-4QC variant adds TunnelSec wire-speed encryption at Layer 2 and Layer 3, providing MACsec, IPsec, and VXLANsec capabilities for environments requiring enhanced data security without performance impact.

Q: Can this switch be used in existing Arista deployments?
A: Absolutely. The 7020R4 Series is part of the 7th generation R-Series architecture and runs the same Arista EOS software as all Arista platforms, ensuring seamless integration, consistent feature sets, and simplified management across mixed environments. It supports standard Arista automation, telemetry, and CloudVision orchestration.

Q: What airflow direction does the F suffix indicate?
A: The F suffix denotes front-to-rear airflow, meaning air is drawn in from the front of the chassis and exhausted out the rear. This is suitable for data centers with hot-aisle/cold-aisle configurations where cold air is supplied at the front of the rack. The switch also supports redundant hot-swappable fans and power supplies for high availability.