Fortinet FS-1048E FortiSwitch 48-Port 10GbE Data Center Aggregation Switch

Description

The Fortinet FS-1048E FortiSwitch is designed for the aggregation layer of large enterprise, campus, and data center networks.

Its 48 SFP+ ports support both 1GbE and 10GbE, providing high-density connectivity for access switches, servers, storage systems, firewalls, and other network infrastructure. The switch also provides dedicated high-speed QSFP+ / QSFP28 uplink connectivity for connections toward core switches and high-capacity network backbones.

Fortinet specifically positions the FS-1048E as an aggregation-layer platform, where many 10GbE connections converge before traffic is forwarded toward the network core. Its 1.76 Tbps switching capacity and high-speed uplinks make it suitable for large-scale network designs.

Key Specifications

Fortinet’s 1048E data sheet specifies the 48 SFP+/SFP interfaces, 6×40G or 4×100G uplink options, 1.76 Tbps switching capacity, 1,518 Mpps forwarding rate, 144K MAC entries, 12 MB packet buffer, 8 GB DDR3 memory, and dual hot-swappable AC power.

48 × 1GbE/10GbE SFP+ Ports

The FS-1048E provides 48 high-density SFP+ ports, supporting:

• 1 Gigabit Ethernet
• 10 Gigabit Ethernet
• Compatible SFP/SFP+ transceivers
• Fiber-based network connectivity
• High-speed server connections
• Switch-to-switch aggregation

These ports make the FS-1048E particularly suitable for aggregating multiple 10GbE access or server connections.

SFP/SFP+ transceivers are not automatically included unless they are specifically included in the supplied SKU or bundle.

High-Speed 40GbE / 100GbE Uplinks

The FS-1048E provides high-speed QSFP connectivity for core and aggregation uplinks.

Depending on the configuration, the switch supports:

6 × 40GbE QSFP+

This configuration provides multiple 40GbE uplinks for high-capacity aggregation and data-center interconnection.

4 × 100GbE QSFP28

The 100GbE configuration provides four high-speed uplinks suitable for modern data-center core architectures.

Fortinet specifically describes the FS-1048E as supporting 6 × 40GbE QSFP+ or 4 × 100GbE QSFP28.

QSFP Port Splitting / Breakout

The QSFP interfaces can also be used with supported breakout configurations.

Fortinet documents that the FS-1048E supports:

• 4 × 100G ports split to 4 × 25G
• 4 × 100G ports split to 4 × 10G
• 4 × 100G ports split to 4 × 1G
• 100G ports split to 2 × 50G
• 6 × 40G ports split to 4 × 10G
• 6 × 40G ports split to 4 × 1G

The exact available configuration depends on the active port mode and FortiSwitchOS version.

Switching Performance

The FS-1048E is designed for high-throughput aggregation.

Fortinet notes that the 1.76 Tbps figure represents duplex switching capacity and that full line-rate forwarding depends on packet size and configuration.

Layer 2 Networking

The FS-1048E supports enterprise Layer 2 switching capabilities, including:

• VLANs
• IEEE 802.1Q VLAN tagging
• Spanning Tree Protocol
• Rapid Spanning Tree
• Multiple Spanning Tree
• Link Aggregation
• LACP
• LLDP
• IGMP snooping
• Port mirroring
• Storm control
• Jumbo frames
• VLAN mapping
• Private VLAN
• Loop protection
• BPDU protection

These features make the switch suitable for large-scale enterprise segmentation and aggregation architectures.

Layer 3 Routing

The FS-1048E supports IPv4 and IPv6 Layer 3 routing, allowing it to operate beyond a purely Layer 2 aggregation role.

Supported routing capabilities include:

• Static routing
• OSPF
• BGP
• RIP
• IS-IS
• VRRP
• ECMP
• Policy-based routing
• DHCP relay
• Multicast routing
• IPv6 routing
• Route filtering
• VRF

This enables the FS-1048E to function as an aggregation-layer routing platform in enterprise and data-center architectures.

FortiLink & FortiGate Integration

The FS-1048E can integrate with FortiGate through FortiLink, allowing network switching and security management to be centrally controlled.

FortiLink integration provides capabilities such as:

• Centralized switch management
• Automatic switch discovery
• VLAN configuration
• Port profiles
• Device visibility
• Network segmentation
• Security policy integration
• 802.1X authentication
• Switch monitoring
• Firmware management
• Security Fabric integration

Fortinet describes FortiLink as a key mechanism for integrating FortiSwitch into the Fortinet Security Fabric.

MCLAG & High Availability

The FS-1048E supports high-availability network designs using Multi-Chassis Link Aggregation (MCLAG).

MCLAG allows links from downstream devices to be distributed across multiple switches while maintaining a logical aggregated connection.

This can help provide:

• Redundant network paths
• Improved availability
• Link-level redundancy
• Higher aggregate bandwidth
• Reduced single points of failure

Fortinet’s aggregation architecture documentation specifically highlights the FS-1048E’s suitability for MCLAG-based aggregation designs.

Data Center Aggregation Architecture

The FS-1048E is particularly suited to the aggregation layer rather than direct end-user access.

A typical architecture can use:

Access Layer → FS-1048E Aggregation → Core Layer

The 48 × 1/10GbE interfaces can aggregate large numbers of access or server connections, while the 40/100GbE interfaces provide high-capacity connections toward the core.

Fortinet specifically recommends the FS-1048E for aggregation environments where many 10GbE connections need to converge toward a smaller number of high-speed core links.

Security Features

The FS-1048E supports enterprise network-security mechanisms including:

• Access Control Lists
• 802.1X authentication
• RADIUS authentication
• MAC Authentication Bypass
• Dynamic VLAN assignment
• DHCP snooping
• Dynamic ARP Inspection
• IP Source Guard
• IPv6 RA Guard
• MAC address filtering
• Port isolation
• Device detection

When integrated with FortiGate, these capabilities can be combined with Fortinet security policies and centralized network access control.

Management

The FS-1048E supports centralized and standalone management options.

Management capabilities include:

• FortiGate / FortiLink
• FortiManager ecosystem integration
• Web-based management
• CLI
• SSH
• SNMP
• REST API
• Syslog
• sFlow
• RMON
• Port mirroring
• Packet capture
• Firmware management

This allows the switch to be deployed either as part of a Fortinet Security Fabric or within a conventional enterprise network architecture.

Power & Reliability

The FS-1048E uses dual hot-swappable AC power supplies, providing power redundancy for critical infrastructure.

Specifications include:

• 100–240V AC
• 50–60 Hz
• Up to 181.7 W maximum power consumption
• Dual hot-swappable AC PSUs
• Front-to-back airflow
• Approx. 59 dBA noise level
• MTBF greater than 10 years

Fortinet lists a limited lifetime warranty for the FortiSwitch data-center series, subject to Fortinet’s warranty terms.

Physical Specifications

Recommended Applications

The Fortinet FS-1048E is well suited for:

• Data center aggregation
• Campus aggregation
• Enterprise network cores
• 10GbE server aggregation
• High-density fiber networks
• Data-center interconnects
• Storage networks
• Core-to-aggregation uplinks
• FortiGate Security Fabric deployments
• FortiLink-managed networks
• MCLAG high-availability architectures
• High-speed enterprise backbones
• Large-scale campus networks

Key Features & Benefits

• 48 × GE/10GE SFP+ ports
• 6 × 40GbE QSFP+ or 4 × 100GbE QSFP28
• 1.76 Tbps switching capacity
• 1,518 Mpps forwarding performance
• <800 ns latency
• 144K MAC address table
• 4,000 VLANs
• IPv4/IPv6 Layer 3 routing
• LACP and link aggregation
• MCLAG
• 40GbE/100GbE high-speed uplinks
• QSFP breakout support
• 802.1X authentication
• DHCP Snooping
• Dynamic ARP Inspection
• IP Source Guard
• FortiLink integration
• FortiGate centralized management
• Dual hot-swappable AC power
• Front-to-back airflow
• 1U rack-mount form factor

Important Compatibility Note

The FS-1048E is a fiber/SFP-based aggregation switch. It does not provide conventional RJ45 copper access ports for end devices; its primary network interfaces are SFP/SFP+ and QSFP/QSFP28.

Also, the 40GbE/100GbE uplink configuration should be verified before purchasing or listing transceivers and breakout cables, because the supported port mode determines the available breakout options. Fortinet documents these configurations in its current FortiSwitchOS documentation.

SFP/SFP+, QSFP+, QSFP28 modules and breakout cables should be treated as separate accessories unless explicitly included with the supplied SKU.

Licensing & Support

The FS-1048E is the physical FortiSwitch hardware.

FortiCare support and other optional services may be purchased separately depending on the exact SKU, support level, and sales bundle.

For an online-store listing, do not state that support contracts, transceivers, breakout cables, or subscriptions are included unless they are explicitly included in the supplied package.