Every WhaleyComm unit is professionally tested, reset to factory defaults, and certified by our in-house engineers — the same standard trusted by 5,000+ organisations across 25 years. Not a refurb marketplace. A certified lifecycle partner.
Professionally tested and reset to factory defaults. Backed by 25+ years of enterprise trust.
This refurbished Cisco N3K-C3172TQ-10GT is a 1RU Nexus 3172TQ top-of-rack switch featuring 48 10GBase-T RJ-45 ports and 6 QSFP+ ports, each capable of native 40-Gbps or 4 x 10-Gbps breakout operation. Every unit ships professionally tested and reset to factory defaults, ensuring it arrives ready for immediate deployment. As a member of Cisco's Nexus 3100 platform, this switch runs Cisco NX-OS Software and is purpose-built for mission-critical data center environments.
The Nexus 3172TQ delivers Layer 2 and Layer 3 switching at up to 1.4 Tbps and up to 1 billion packets per second in a compact 1RU footprint. Its 10GBase-T copper architecture makes it ideal for organizations migrating from 1-Gbps to 10-Gbps server connectivity without redeploying cabling infrastructure. The switch supports virtual port-channel (vPC) technology for Layer 2 multipathing, 64-way ECMP for Layer 3 fat-tree designs, In-Service Software Upgrade (ISSU), and both port-side exhaust and port-side intake airflow schemes with AC and DC power inputs.
This refurbished unit represents exceptional value for data center managers, network engineers, and IT procurement teams who need proven 10GBase-T top-of-rack performance without the cost of new hardware. WhaleyComm is ISO 9001, R2v3, and e-Stewards certified, and has served 5,000+ enterprise customers over 25+ years — every unit we ship is backed by our Lifetime Warranty.
Technical Specifications
Manufacturer Part Number
N3K-C3172TQ-10GT
Product Series
Cisco Nexus 3100
Switch Model
Nexus 3172TQ
Form Factor
1RU (1 rack unit)
10GBase-T Ports
48 x 10GBase-T RJ-45 (each port also operates at 100 Mbps and 1 Gbps)
Uplink Ports
6 x QSFP+ (each supports 40 Gigabit Ethernet or 4 x 10 Gigabit Ethernet breakout)
Switching Capacity
Up to 1.4 Tbps
Forwarding Rate
Up to 1 billion packets per second (bpps)
Layer Support
Layer 2 and Layer 3
Operating System
Cisco NX-OS
NX-OS Minimum Release
6.0(2)U2(1)
Management Port
1 x 10/100/1000 out-of-band management
Fan Modules
4 (hot-swappable)
Power Supply
1 required (AC or DC); second slot for redundancy
Airflow
Port-side exhaust and port-side intake (forward and reverse) supported
ECMP
64-way equal-cost multipath routing
Virtual Port-Channel (vPC)
Supported
ISO/IEC Standards
Cisco NX-OS with ISSU and Fast Reboot support
Ideal Use Cases
Top-of-Rack Data Center Deployment
The Nexus 3172TQ is purpose-built as a top-of-rack switch, delivering line-rate 10GBase-T and 40-Gbps uplink connectivity in a single 1RU chassis for dense server environments.
1G-to-10G Copper Migration
The 48 10GBase-T RJ-45 ports allow organizations to migrate servers from 1-Gbps to 10-Gbps speeds while reusing existing copper cabling infrastructure, significantly reducing migration costs.
Layer 3 Fat-Tree and Spine-Leaf Architectures
With 64-way ECMP support, the switch enables Layer 3 fat-tree designs that prevent bottlenecks and improve resiliency — a natural fit for modern spine-leaf data center fabrics.
Redundant Fabric with vPC
Virtual port-channel technology eliminates Spanning Tree Protocol dependency and enables fully utilized bisectional bandwidth, making this switch well-suited for high-availability dual-homed server designs.
TAP and SPAN Aggregation
Using Cisco Nexus Data Broker and the Cisco Plug-in for OpenFlow, the 3172TQ can serve as a scalable, programmable TAP or SPAN aggregation switch, replacing traditional purpose-built matrix switches.
Budget-Conscious Enterprise Refresh
At a fraction of the new-hardware cost, this professionally tested refurbished unit lets enterprise IT teams expand or refresh 10GBase-T switching capacity while preserving capital budget.
What's Included
1 x Cisco N3K-C3172TQ-10GT Nexus 3172TQ Switch
Power cable(s) per unit shipped
Rack mount ears
Lifetime Warranty — No Time Limits. No Questions.
Every WhaleyComm unit ships with a Lifetime Warranty. If it fails under normal operating conditions at any point, we replace it. We have stood behind our hardware for 25 years and 5,000+ customers — that is not a marketing line, it is our operating standard.
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Compatibility Details
Review supported optics, cables, software, management protocols, and environment-specific compatibility guidance.
COMPATIBLE OPTICS & CABLES
✓
The switch is compatible with standard QSFP+ transceivers and copper Twinax cables for 40-Gbps uplinks, and supports QSFP-to-4xSFP+ breakout cables for 10-Gbps upstream connectivity.
SOFTWARE COMPATIBILITY
✓
The Cisco N3K-C3172TQ-10GT is a member of the Cisco Nexus 3100 platform and runs Cisco NX-OS Software Release 6.0(2)U2(1) and later.
✓
NX-OS interoperates with any networking operating system, including Cisco IOS Software, that conforms to standard networking protocols.
For compatibility verification specific to your environment, contact our engineering team: +1 214 607-4800 or sales@whaleycomm.com