FS N-Series Bare Metal Switches: A Comprehensive Guide for Open Network Deployment
Feb 22, 20241 min read
In the rapidly advancing landscape of modern networking, open network switches—also known as bare metal switches or white box switches—have become essential building blocks for scalable, software-defined infrastructures.
This article provides a detailed technical overview of the FS N-Series bare metal switch portfolio, including the N5850, N8550, N9550, N9600, N8650, N8610, N8520, and N5570 series. Delving into their hardware and software features, comparing their differences, and offering guidance on selecting the right product for different applications, along with the services provided by our company.
FS N-Series Bare Metal Switches at a Glance
The table below shows all the N-series bare metal switches and FS provides. Each of them supports the PicOS® and SONiC network operating systems. Moreover, FS also provides optional PicOS® License & Service.
Type | Product | Port | Switching Capacity | Airflow | Forwarding Rate | Power Supplies | Fan | Management |
N9600 Series | 64x 800G OSFP | 51.2 Tbps | Front-to-Back | 21,200 Mpps | 2 (1+1 Redundancy) | 4 (3+1 Redundancy) | ||
N8650 Series | 32x 800G OSFP | 25.6 Tbps | Front-to-Back | / | 2 (1+1 Redundancy) | 7 (6+1 Redundancy) | ||
N8610 Series | 64x 400G QSFP-DD | 25.6 Tbps | Front-to-Back | 1,0420 Mpps | 2 (1+1 Redundancy) | 4 (3+1 Redundancy) | ||
32x 400G QSFP-DD | 12.8 Tbps | Front-to-Back | 5,079 Mpps | 2 (1+1 Redundancy) | 6 (5+1 Redundancy) | |||
N9550 Series | 64x 400G QSFP-DD | 25.6 Tbps | Front-to-Back | 10,300 Mpps | 4 (3+1 Redundancy) | 6 (5+1 Redundancy) | ||
32x 400G QSFP-DD | 12.8 Tbps | Front-to-Back | 5,210 Mpps | 2 (1+1 Redundancy) | 6 (5+1 Redundancy) | |||
N8520 Series | 32x 400G QSFP-DD | 12.8 Tbps | Front-to-Back | 5,330 Mpps | 2 (1+1 Redundancy) | 6 (5+1 Redundancy) | ||
N8550 Series | 48x 25G SFP28 2x 10Gb SFP+ 8x 100G QSFP28 | 2 Tbps | Back-to-Front | 2,900 Mpps | 2 (1+1 Redundancy) | 6 (5+1 Redundancy) | ||
32x 100G QSFP28 2x 10Gb SFP+ | 3.2Tbps | Back-to-Front | 4,700 Mpps | 2 (1+1 Redundancy) | 6 (5+1 Redundancy) | |||
24x 200G QSFP56 8x 400G QSFP-DD | 8.0 Tbps | Front-to-Back | 5,350 Mpps | 2 (1+1 Redundancy) | 6 (5+1 Redundancy) | |||
64x 100G QSFP28 | 6.4 Tbps | Front-to-Back | 4.2 bpps | 2 (1+1 Redundancy) | 4(3+1 Redundancy) | |||
N5850 Series | 48x 10G SFP+ 6x 40G QSFP+ | 0.72 Tbps | Back-to-Front | 1,000 Mpps | 2 (1+1 Redundancy) | 5 (4+1 Redundancy) | ||
48x 10G RJ-45 6x 100G QSFP28 | 1.08 Tbps | Front-to-Back | 964.28 Mpps | 2 (1+1 Redundancy) | 5(4+1 Redundancy) | |||
N5570 Series | 48x 10G SFP+ 6x 100G QSFP28 | 1.08 Tbps | Front-to-Back | 964.28 Mpps | 2 (1+1 Redundancy) | 5 (4+1 Redundancy) |
Comparative Analysis of N-Series Switches
FS N-Series bare metal switches are designed to meet diverse data center demands, ranging from high-performance core networks to scalable edge deployments. Each series offers optimized port configurations, switching capacity, and interface flexibility to align with specific spine-leaf architectures.
N9600 & N8650 Series: These flagship spine switches are built for hyperscale and high-performance environments. The N9600 Series, equipped with 64x 800G OSFP ports and up to 51.2 Tbps switching capacity, delivers ultra-high throughput for the most demanding core aggregation roles. The N8650 Series, supporting 32x 800G ports, offers a more compact option for high-density spine or leaf roles with 25.6 Tbps capacity.
N9550 Series: Positioned as core spine switches for cloud-scale and large enterprise networks, the N9550 Series features 400G QSFP-DD interfaces (Except N9550-32D, each QSFP-DD port also supports 1x 100GbE, or via breakout cables4x 100GbE or 4x 25GbE). Backed by Broadcom TH3/4 chipsets, redundant power and fan modules, and support for advanced protocols like EVPN-VXLAN and MLAG, they ensure high availability and scalability at the aggregation layer.
N8610 & N8520 Series: These 400G-capable switches are tailored for high-throughput leaf or spine roles in distributed and modular data centers. The N8610 Series offers higher port density and forwarding rate, while the N8520 Series provides balanced performance with simplified deployment in mid-sized fabrics.
N8550 Switches: N8550 open network switches are ideal for small and medium data centers and large enterprise networks. They are TOR (Top-of-Rack) or leaf switches with 100Gb QSFP28. Each QSFP port is capable of 40Gb or 100Gb for high-density availability and uplink options, or via breakout cables 4x 25G or 4x 10G (Except N8550-24CD8D, which features 24x 200Gb QSFP56 and 8x 400Gb QSFP-DD).
N5850 Switches: N5850 White Box switches are TOR (Top-of-Rack) or leaf switches with flexible 10/100GbE interface speeds (Except N5850-48S6Q, which features 48x 10Gb SFP+ and 6x 40Gb QSFP+). They are well-suited for campus aggregation or smaller-scale deployments prioritizing cost-efficiency and versatility.
N5570 Series: As a compact and power-efficient ToR solution, the N5570 Series offers 10G/100G port speeds for small-scale data centers, test labs, or edge nodes. It supports open network OS like PicOS® and SONiC.
FS N-Series Bare Metal Switches | Speed | Throughout | Type | Application |
800GbE interface speeds | Ultra-high throughput (51.2 Tbps) | Spine Switches | Core aggregation in hyperscale and high-performance data centers | |
25/100/400GbE interface speeds | Mid-to-high throughput (up to 25.6 Tbps) | Spine switches | Enterprise and cloud data centers requiring high-capacity aggregation | |
800GbE interface speeds | High throughput (25.6 Tbps) | Spine/Leaf Switches | High-density aggregation or spine roles in large-scale data centers | |
400GbE interface speeds | Mid-to-high throughput (up to 25.6 Tbps) | Leaf Switches | High-performance leaf switches for cloud-scale or distributed networks | |
10/25/40/100/200/400GbE interface speeds | Versatile throughput (up to 8.0 Tbps) | TOR (Top-of-Rack) or leaf switches | Suited for mid-size enterprise networks and scalable leaf roles | |
400GbE interface speeds | Balanced throughput (12.8 Tbps) | ToR / Leaf Switches | Optimized for TOR with 400G uplink capabilities | |
10/40/100GbE interface speeds | Entry-level throughput (up to 1.08 Tbps) | TOR (Top-of-Rack) or leaf switches | Designed for small-scale data centers or high-density edge switching | |
10/100GbE interface speeds | Entry-level throughput (1.08 Tbps) | ToR / Leaf Switches | Ideal for small data centers, labs, or edge network deployments |
Guidance on Product Selection for Different Applications
The deployment of bare metal switches—also referred to as open network switches—is primarily concentrated in cloud and modern enterprise data centers. These switches typically assume three key roles within the data center fabric: Spine, Server Leaf, and Gateway Leaf, each handling different traffic directions (east-west or north-south) and requiring corresponding hardware resources.
For Spine deployments, high-throughput models such as the N9600, N8650, and N9550 Series deliver 400G to 800G switching capacity, ideal for leaf-to-leaf communication and scalable multi-tenant architectures.
Server Leaf switches like the N8610, N8520, and N8550 Series are designed to aggregate compute node traffic, offering flexible port configurations and breakout support (e.g., 100G QSFP28, 200G QSFP56).
For Gateway Leaf scenarios—handling external connectivity and border routing—the N5850 and N5570 Series offer cost-effective access, programmability, and robust L2/L3 capabilities when loaded with network OS such as PicOS® or SONiC.
These FS bare metal switch solutions deliver flexible, scalable, and software-defined network architectures across spine, leaf, and gateway roles—meeting the demands of modern data centers with performance and openness at their core.
FS Services Ensure Long-Term Superior Performance
FS N-Series bare metal switches are backed by an industry-leading 5-year limited lifetime warranty and a 30-day return policy covering defects in materials or workmanship. To support long-term deployment and ease of integration into open networking environments, FS offers a comprehensive suite of free and paid services.
Professional Lab Testing: Every switch undergoes rigorous testing with advanced lab infrastructure to ensure performance and compatibility.
Free Technical Support: Tailored solution consulting and deployment guidance from experienced network engineers.
80% Same-Day Shipping: Fast delivery for most in-stock items to accelerate deployment schedules.
Rapid Expert Response: Direct access to technical professionals for prompt assistance.
In addition to these reliability-focused services, FS also offers optional PicOS® Standard Maintenance & Support Service for customers deploying PicOS® software on FS white box switches. This paid service includes:
Configuration and operational support for PicOS®
Timely bug fixes, software updates, and feature upgrades
Access to extended network technology services during the maintenance term
With this enhanced support package, customers gain peace of mind when deploying open network software, ensuring smooth operation and maximizing the long-term value of their bare metal infrastructure.
Conclusion
It's important to note that the specific performance characteristics may vary depending on the exact models within each series and the configurations chosen. It is recommended to consult the detailed specifications and performance data provided by FS for a more precise understanding of the performance differences between the N-series bare metal switches.
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