S5860-48XMG PicOS® Switch vs S5850-48T4Q Switch: What's the Difference?
Dec 09, 20241 min read
In modern enterprise network architecture, the choice of switches directly affects overall performance, scalability, and network reliability. For medium to large enterprises, high-performance switches need to support complex network topologies while also ensuring flexibility and security. This article focuses on two popular switch products—the S5860-48XMG PicOS® switch and the S5850-48T4Q switch—aiming to explore their technical specifications, performance characteristics, and differences in application scenarios. Through a comprehensive comparison of these two products, we hope to assist you in understanding their advantages and disadvantages better and in selecting the most suitable solution based on your specific needs.
FS PicOS® S5860-48XMG and S5850-48T4Q Overview
The FS PicOS® S5860-48XMG and S5850-48T4Q are both high-performance L3 multi-gigabit switches, each with distinct product applications and market positioning. The S5860-48XMG is a multi-gigabit switch designed for next-generation network needs. It is equipped with the PicOS® operating system and integrates with the AmpCon™ platform, offering automated deployment and efficient management. This makes it suitable for scenarios that require high availability and flexibility, such as large campus network access and aggregation, SME core networks, and low-density data center top-of-rack aggregation.
In contrast, the S5850-48T4Q focuses on seamless network upgrades and performance optimization, supporting traditional Layer 2 and Layer 3 network protocols. It is backward-compatible with existing Ethernet cabling, making it ideal for core and aggregation layer deployments in data centers, as well as high-density and low-latency environments in enterprise and campus networks.
The following specification comparison will further detail the differences in technical specifications and performance between these two switches.
Ports | 48x 100M/1000M/2.5G/5G/10GBase-T, 4x 25G SFP28 | 2x 40Gb QSFP+ | 48x 100M/1000M/5G/10G Multi-gig RJ45 with 4x 40G QSFP+(split to 4x 10G） |
CPU | ARM A9 Single-Core CPU, 1.25GHz | Freescale PowerPC P1010 533MHz |
Operating System | PicOS® | FSOS |
Switching Capacity | 1.32 Tbps | 1.28 Tbps |
Forwarding Rate | 565 Mpps | 952.3 Mpps |
Jumbo Frame | 9,216 | 9,600 |
DRAM | 2GB | 1GB |
Flash Memory | 1GB | 2GB (NAND) |
Packet Buffer | 4MB | 9MB |
MAC Address | 32768 | 65K |
IPv4/IPv6 Routes | 16K/8K | 8K/1.5K |
Max. Power Consumption | 240W | 250W |
Power Supplies | 2 (1+1 Redundancy) Hot-swappable | 2 (1+1 Redundancy) Hot-swappable |
Fans | 3 (2+1 Redundancy) Hot-swappable, Front-to-Back and Left-to-Back | 4 (2+2 Redundancy) Hot-swappable |
Warranty | 5 Years | 5 Years |
How to Choose From FS S5860-48XMG and S5850-48T4Q
When selecting enterprise network switches, performance is a key factor in determining their suitability. The S5860-48XMG and S5850-48T4Q differ in switching capacity, hardware stability, power supply, and thermal management. Comparing the performance of these two switches, we will delve into their advantages to help users make more informed decisions based on their needs.
Switching Capacity and Forwarding Rate
In terms of switching capacity and forwarding rate, the S5860-48XMG and S5850-48T4Q exhibit different characteristics. The S5860-48XMG is equipped with the Broadcom BCM56170 chip and a 1.25GHz ARM A9 single-core CPU. It has a switching capacity of up to 1.32 Tbps and a forwarding rate of 565 Mpps. In contrast, the S5850-48T4Q utilizes a Freescale PowerPC P1010 processor with a frequency of 533MHz, providing a switching capacity of 1.28 Tbps and a higher forwarding rate of 952.3 Mpps. This indicates that the S5860-48XMG is more suited for network environments with high traffic and throughput demands, while the S5850-48T4Q offers advantages in scenarios requiring high forwarding rates and low latency applications.
Operating System
The S5860-48XMG and S5850-48T4Q switches differ significantly in terms of their operating systems. The S5860-48XMG runs on PicOS®, while the S5850-48T4Q features FSOS.
PicOS® is a designed operating system for modern network environments, offering several notable advantages over FSOS:
Intelligent Monitoring and Fault Recovery: Built-in real-time monitoring and automatic fault recovery enhance network stability.
Future Scalability: PicOS® is constantly evolving, supporting features like stacking and MPLS L3VPN to meet future network requirements.
Automated Management: It integrates with the AmpCon™ platform to enable automated configuration and operations, simplifying management processes.
Customization Capabilities: PicOS® is highly programmable to meet diverse network needs.
PicOS-V Experience Features: Provides free trials, prototype design, and risk-free functionality testing, allowing users to explore advanced features without commitment.
FSOS, on the other hand, is tailored specifically for FS switches. While it may not offer the same level of flexibility in customization as PicOS®, it optimizes compatibility with FS hardware to deliver stable performance, making it suitable for applications where standardization and simplified configuration are needed.
Network Management and Monitoring
Both switches support industry-standard CLI, allowing users to manage them via Console, SSH, and Telnet. They both support SNMP v1/v2/v3 protocols, RMON, and sFlow for traffic monitoring, and provide DHCP server and DHCP relay capabilities. The S5850-48T4Q supports SDN features through RPC-API and adds PFC, ECN, and Data Center TCP features, making it suitable for data centers or enterprise core network environments. In contrast, the S5860-48XMG offers more flexible management capabilities and is equipped with an automated AmpCon™ management platform, featuring the following rich functionalities:
Zero-Touch Provisioning: Simplifies large-scale installation and configuration with a one-click setup.
Centralized Configuration Management: Push updates to individual or groups of switches through a centralized tool.
Automated Ansible Playbooks: Create and schedule automated configurations with easy-to-read reports.
Scheduled Software Upgrades: Effortlessly schedule and upgrade switches to the latest PicOS version.
Backups and Compliance Checks: Automates configuration backups and compliance checks, offering intelligent rollback.
Flexible Deployment: Deployment of virtual machines and physical machines. Supports rapid deployment on nutanix AHV.
Supported Functions
In terms of functionality, both the S5860-48XMG and S5850-48T4Q support various high-availability protocols such as MLAG, LACP, VRRP, BFD, and OSPFv2/v3, ensuring network reliability and redundancy. Additionally, both switches support ERPS and Ethernet OAM features to enhance fault detection and recovery capabilities. However, the S5850-48T4Q offers more comprehensive protocol support, including advanced features like MPLS, VXLAN-BGP-EVPN, and IPFIX. This makes it particularly superior when addressing high scalability and complex network demands. It is especially beneficial for organizations transitioning towards cloud computing, virtualization, and multi-tenant services. In contrast, the S5860-48XMG focuses on enhancing link stability and rapid fault recovery. It supports UDLD and UFD, which improve the network's self-healing capabilities, making it ideal for environments where stability and fault tolerance are critical.
Security Features
Both switches support common authentication and access control features such as IEEE 802.1X authentication, SSH, ACL, and TACACS+, and they also offer basic security mechanisms like DHCP Snooping and CoPP to prevent unauthorized access and malicious attacks. They support ARP inspection, IPv4 source protection, and features to guard against DDoS attacks, ensuring stable and secure network communication. The main differences lie in the additional security enhancements provided by the S5860-48XMG, which include advanced features like MAC authentication, CWA authentication, dynamic ARP inspection, and ARP packet validity checks, offering stronger protective measures for the network. In contrast, the S5850-48T4Q focuses on preventing network loops and uncontrolled topology changes, supporting features such as BPDU Guard, Root Guard, and Loop Guard.
Considering the factors mentioned above, users can determine which switch better fits their specific requirements and use cases. If you're still unsure about whether to choose the S5860-48XMG with PicOS® or the S5850-48T4Q, feel free to visit our website at www.fs.com or reach out to FS technical support for further assistance.