Juniper QFX5120 32-Ports 100GBASE-X QSFP28 Layer 3 Rack-mountable Managed Network Switch with 2-Ports SFP+ – QFX5120-32C-AFO

Juniper QFX5120-32C-AFO 32-Port 100GbE QSFP28 Layer 3 Spine and Leaf Switch

The Juniper QFX5120-32C-AFO is a 32-port 100GBASE-X QSFP28 Layer 3 managed switch with front-to-back (AFO) airflow — the AFO airflow variant of the QFX5120-32C platform, delivering next-generation 100G spine and leaf switching with full EVPN/VXLAN, MACsec, and Juniper Mist cloud management for data center IP fabric deployments.

Key Features

• 32 x 100GbE QSFP28 ports for 3.2 Tbps switching in 1U
• Front-to-back (AFO) airflow for standard hot-aisle/cold-aisle data center rack configurations
• Full EVPN/VXLAN for IP fabric spine and leaf with Junos OS
• MACsec on all 32 QSFP28 ports for link-layer fabric encryption
• Juniper Mist AI-driven wired assurance and Juniper Apstra intent-based automation

Product Specifications

• Part Number: QFX5120-32C-AFO
• Manufacturer: Juniper Networks
• Ports: 32 x 100GbE QSFP28
• Switching Capacity: 3.2 Tbps
• Forwarding Rate: 2,380 Mpps
• Airflow: AFO (Front-to-Back)
• Form Factor: 1U Rack-mountable

Switch & Port Specifications

• MAC Address Table: 288,000 entries
• VLAN Support: 4,094 VLANs
• Breakout: 4x25GbE or 4x10GbE per QSFP28 port (up to 128x25G)
• Jumbo Frames: 9,216 bytes
• Redundancy: Dual redundant hot-swap PSUs
• Airflow: AFO (Front-to-Back / Airflow Out)

Network & Protocol Specifications

• Routing: OSPFv2/v3, BGP, IS-IS, VRRP, ECMP, SR-MPLS
• EVPN/VXLAN: Full EVPN Type 2/3/5, IRB, VXLAN routing gateway
• Multicast: PIM SM/SSM, IGMP, multicast VPN
• Security: ACLs, MACsec (IEEE 802.1AE) on all ports, DHCP snooping
• Management: Junos OS, NETCONF, gRPC, OpenConfig, Juniper Mist, Juniper Apstra

Use Cases

• 100GbE spine switch in Juniper IP fabric with EVPN/VXLAN and AFO airflow
• Next-generation leaf switch for 25G server breakout via QSFP28 fan-out
• Juniper Apstra intent-based data center fabric with QFX5120 spine or leaf role
• AFO-airflow replacement or complement to QFX5200-32C-AFO in existing fabric

Compatibility

• Standard QSFP28 100G optics and DAC/AOC cables on all ports
• EVPN/VXLAN interoperable with EX4650, QFX5110, QFX5200 in Juniper IP fabric
• AFO airflow — match with AFO PSUs and fan trays for thermal consistency
• Managed via Juniper Mist, Juniper Apstra, and Junos OS CLI/NETCONF

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the difference between QFX5120-32C-AFO and QFX5120-32C-AFI?

Both are identical 32-port 100GbE QSFP28 QFX5120 switches differing only in airflow direction. The AFO model uses front-to-back airflow (hot-aisle exhaust), while the AFI model uses back-to-front airflow (cold-aisle intake). Select based on your rack”s hot-aisle/cold-aisle configuration.

Can QFX5120-32C-AFO and QFX5120-32C-AFI be mixed in the same IP fabric?

Yes — both models are functionally identical and can coexist in the same IP fabric. They should be installed in appropriately oriented rack positions to maintain proper thermal management, but will operate identically from a network protocol perspective.

Does the QFX5120-32C-AFO support Juniper Apstra?

Yes — the QFX5120 series is fully supported by Juniper Apstra for intent-based data center fabric automation, closed-loop validation, and multi-vendor interoperability in IP fabric deployments.

The Juniper QFX5120-32C-AFO delivers 3.2 Tbps of 100GbE switching with EVPN/VXLAN, MACsec, SR-MPLS, and Juniper Mist/Apstra cloud management in AFO airflow — providing the next-generation spine and leaf platform for Juniper IP fabric data center architectures requiring front-to-back thermal management.