Cisco Nexus 9300 Series 14-Ports 40/50GBASE-X QSFP+ and 18-Ports 100GbE QSFP28 Layer 3 Rack-mountable Network Switch – N9K-C93180LC-EX

Cisco Nexus 93180LC-EX 14-Port 40/50GbE + 18-Port 100GbE Layer 3 Switch — N9K-C93180LC-EX

The Cisco Nexus N9K-C93180LC-EX is a high-density data center switch featuring 14x 40/50GbE QSFP+ ports and 18x 100GbE QSFP28 ports in a 1U rack-mountable form factor. Part of Cisco”s Nexus 9300 series, it runs Cisco NX-OS and supports Cisco ACI (Application Centric Infrastructure) for software-defined networking — delivering flexible 40G/50G/100G connectivity for data center spine and leaf deployments requiring mixed-speed port configurations.

Key Features

• 14x 40/50GbE QSFP+ Ports: Flexible 40G and 50G connectivity
• 18x 100GbE QSFP28 Ports: High-bandwidth 100G for spine and high-speed leaf
• Cisco ACI Support: Software-defined networking with policy-based automation
• Cisco NX-OS: Enterprise data center operating system
• 1U Form Factor: High density in minimal rack space
• Mixed Speed: Flexible 40G/50G/100G port configuration

Technical Specifications

• Part Number: N9K-C93180LC-EX
• 40/50GbE Ports: 14x QSFP+
• 100GbE Ports: 18x QSFP28
• Switch Type: Layer 3 Managed
• OS: Cisco NX-OS / ACI
• Form Factor: 1U rack-mountable

Use Cases

• Data Center Spine: 100GbE spine connectivity in Cisco ACI or NX-OS fabrics
• Mixed-Speed Leaf: 40G/50G/100G leaf for mixed-speed server environments
• Cisco ACI Fabric: ACI leaf or spine node in software-defined data center
• Cloud Infrastructure: High-bandwidth switching for cloud server deployments

Compatibility Notes

• Compatible with Cisco ACI (APIC controller) for software-defined networking
• Runs Cisco NX-OS in standalone mode without ACI
• Compatible with 40GbE QSFP+, 50GbE QSFP28, and 100GbE QSFP28 DAC/optical transceivers
• Managed via Cisco NX-OS CLI, SNMP, and Cisco APIC (ACI mode)

Frequently Asked Questions

Can the N9K-C93180LC-EX be used without Cisco ACI?

Yes — the switch runs Cisco NX-OS in standalone mode without requiring ACI. ACI mode requires a Cisco APIC controller.

What is the difference between 40GbE and 50GbE on the QSFP+ ports?

The QSFP+ ports support both 40GbE (4x10G) and 50GbE (2x25G) speeds — providing flexibility for connecting both 40G and 50G devices.

Does this switch support breakout cables?

Yes — QSFP28 100GbE ports can be broken out to 4x25GbE using breakout cables, and QSFP+ ports can be broken out to 4x10GbE.

Product Details

• Part Number: N9K-C93180LC-EX
• Manufacturer: Cisco Systems
• Model: Nexus 93180LC-EX
• Product Type: 40/50/100GbE Data Center Switch

Whether you are building a Cisco ACI software-defined data center, deploying mixed-speed 40G/50G/100G switching, or expanding a Nexus 9000 fabric, the Cisco N9K-C93180LC-EX delivers the port flexibility, NX-OS/ACI intelligence, and Cisco data center reliability your infrastructure demands.