Cisco N9K-C93128TX-FA-L3 | Nexus 9300 96-Port 10GBASE-T Switch, 8x 40G QSFP+, Layer 3

Q: What is the difference between the FA airflow model and standard models?
A: The FA designation indicates port-side exhaust airflow (front-to-back), meaning the switch draws air in from the power supply side and exhausts hot air from the port side. This is designed for hot aisle deployments where ports face the hot aisle. Standard models have port-side intake airflow for cold aisle configurations.

Q: Does this switch support Cisco ACI fabric deployment?
A: Yes, the N9K-C93128TX is fully compatible with Cisco Application Centric Infrastructure and can function as a leaf switch in ACI environments, providing high-density server connectivity with seamless integration to spine switches via the 40G uplinks.

Q: What cabling is required for 10G operation on the copper ports?
A: For full 10Gbps performance at 100-meter distances, Category 6a or Category 7 cabling is required. Standard Cat6 cable may support 10G speeds at shorter distances (up to 37-55 meters). The ports are auto-sensing and also support 100M and 1G speeds.

Q: Can I add additional 40G or 100G uplinks to this switch?
A: Yes, the switch includes a modular uplink slot that supports various expansion modules including the N9K-M6PQ (6x 40G QSFP+), N9K-M12PQ (12x 40G QSFP+), and other compatible modules. This is in addition to the 8 fixed 40G QSFP+ ports.

Q: What software features are included with the Enhanced L3 license?
A: The Enhanced L3 license provides advanced Layer 3 routing capabilities including BGP, OSPF, EIGRP, policy-based routing, multicast routing protocols, and comprehensive security features. It enables the switch to function as a full Layer 3 device in traditional NX-OS mode or ACI fabric mode.