Description
The Cisco N5K-C5696Q is a high-performance, 10/40 Gigabit Ethernet switch designed to deliver low-latency, high-density connectivity for data center and enterprise environments. With a compact 2RU form factor, it supports up to 96 10-Gigabit Ethernet ports or 48 40-Gigabit Ethernet ports through breakout cables, making it a versatile choice for scalable deployments. Built on the Nexus 5000 Series architecture, it offers unified fabric capabilities that consolidate LAN and SAN traffic, reducing infrastructure complexity. Its modular design includes two power supply slots and three fan modules for redundancy and efficient cooling.
This switch is equipped with a powerful Layer 2 and Layer 3 feature set, supporting Virtual Port Channels (vPC), FabricPath, and FCoE, making it suitable for modern data center topologies. The N5K-C5696Q provides up to 7.68 Tbps of switching capacity and up to 5.76 billion packets per second (Bpps) of throughput, ensuring reliable performance under heavy workloads. It includes dual supervisor modules and hot-swappable components, enhancing serviceability and uptime. Ideal for buyers seeking robust used network hardware, this model offers enterprise-grade reliability with the flexibility to adapt to evolving infrastructure needs.

