Allied Telesis AT-X950-28XSQ-B05 – x950 Layer 3 Switch 5-Year NCP Bundle

Product Overview

The Allied Telesis x950-28XSQ-B05 is an enterprise-class 100G QSFP28 Advanced Layer 3 switch bundled with five years of Net Cover Premium (NCP) support, purpose-built for data center cores and campus distribution layers. This Allied Telesis x950-28XSQ Layer 3 switch 5-year support bundle delivers 24 x 1/10G SFP/SFP+ ports, four 40G/100G QSFP+/QSFP28 uplinks, and a 1.92 Tbps switching fabric in a 1U rack-mountable chassis. Network architects seeking a high-density 100G stackable switch with included multi-year support will find the AT-X950-28XSQ-B05 a cost-effective procurement choice. The bundled NCP contract covers hardware replacement, software updates, and Allied Telesis technical support for five years from date of purchase.

Product Description

The AT-X950-28XSQ-B05 pairs the x950-28XSQ hardware with a five-year Net Cover Premium support agreement, providing enterprise IT teams with predictable total cost of ownership over the support lifecycle. The switch runs AlliedWare Plus, Allied Telesis's enterprise-class network operating system, supporting BGP4, OSPF, PIMv4/v6, VRF-Lite, and VXLANwith an optional Premium license. The 1.92 Tbps non-blocking fabric and 1,190 Mpps forwarding rate eliminate bottlenecks at the core. Virtual Chassis Stacking (VCStack) allows up to eight x950 units to operate as a single logical device, enabling linear bandwidth scaling and active-active redundancy with no single point of failure. The single XEM expansion bay accepts modules adding up to 12 additional 10G SFP+ ports, 12 Multi-Gigabit copper ports, four 40G QSFP+ ports, or one additional 100G QSFP28 port. Dual hot-swappable load-sharing PSU bays (AC or DC) and replaceable fan modules ensure maintenance without planned downtime. The x950 series carries FIPS 140-2 and JITC certifications, qualifying it for US Department of Defense Information Network (DoDIN) APL deployments. Autonomous Management Framework Plus (AMF Plus) centralizes zero-touch provisioning, auto-backup, auto-recovery, and firmware upgrades across the entire network from a single management point. Active Fiber Monitoring (AFM) detects unauthorized fiber taps, and MACSec (via XEM2-12XS v2 module) secures point-to-point Ethernet links. The bundled NCP support contract includes next-business-day advance hardware replacement, priority access to software updates, and direct escalation to Allied Telesis engineering.

Key Features

• 5-Year NCP Support Bundle — Hardware replacement, software updates, and priority technical support included for five years, reducing procurement overhead and total cost of ownership.
• 1.92 Tbps Non-Blocking Fabric — 1,190 Mpps forwarding rate eliminates congestion at the data center core or campus distribution layer.
• 24 x 1/10G SFP/SFP+ Ports + 4 x 40G/100G QSFP+/QSFP28 Uplinks — High-density optical port configuration supports server ToR connections and high-speed backbone links in the same chassis.
• VCStack Virtual Chassis Stacking — Up to eight units stack as a single logical switch; VCStack over Long Distance (VCStack-LD) extends stacks across campuses over fiber.
• Single XEM Expansion Bay — Field-installable expansion modules add Multi-Gigabit copper, 10G fiber, 40G, or 100G capacity without replacing the chassis.
• Dual Hot-Swap PSU Bays — Load-sharing AC or DC power supplies are replaced under power; reverse-airflow variants available for hot-aisle/cold-aisle deployments.
• FIPS 140-2 and JITC Certified — Qualifies for DoDIN APL listings and US federal government procurement under TAA compliance requirements.
• AMF Plus Network Automation — Auto-provisioning, auto-backup, and auto-recovery reduce manual administration; intent-based networking via Vista Manager EX from version 3.10.1.
• Advanced Layer 3 Routing — Base license includes RIP, static routing, and 64 OSPF/BGP routes; Premium license unlocks full BGP4 (5,000 routes), OSPF (16,000 routes), PIMv4/v6, VRF-Lite (64 domains), and VXLAN.
• Active Fiber Monitoring (AFM) — Detects and alerts on physical fiber intrusion attempts to protect sensitive network links.
• OpenFlow v1.3 Certified — SDN-ready with Open Networking Foundation conformance certification for software-defined network deployments.
• Energy Efficient Ethernet (EEE) — Automatically reduces port power consumption during idle periods, lowering operating costs in large deployments.

Typical Applications

• Data center core and aggregation layer with 100G uplinks to spine switches
• Enterprise campus distribution providing Layer 3 routing between access VLANs and the WAN
• Government and defense networks requiring DoDIN APL / JITC-certified switching hardware
• Multi-site enterprise backbone using VCStack-LD for distributed virtual chassis across buildings
• Smart City and IoT aggregation points requiring large routing and MAC address tables
• AMF Plus managed networks where zero-touch provisioning and centralized automation are required

Technical Specifications

Frequently Asked Questions

Q: What is included in the NCP 5-year support bundle (B05)?

The B05 suffix denotes a 5-Year Net Cover Premium support contract bundled with the switch hardware. NCP includes next-business-day advance hardware replacement, access to AlliedWare Plus software updates and security patches, and priority technical support from Allied Telesis engineers for five years from the purchase date.

Q: What QSFP28 transceivers are compatible with the AT-X950-28XSQ-B05?

The four 40G/100G ports accept Allied Telesis QSFP+ and QSFP28 transceivers including SR4, LR4, and ER4 variants, as well as 4 x 10G breakout cables for connecting to legacy 10G infrastructure. Third-party optics compatibility should be verified against the Allied Telesis compatibility matrix.

Q: Can the x950-28XSQ stack with other x950 models?

Yes. VCStack supports up to eight x950 units in a single virtual chassis, mixing 28-port and 52-port models. VCStack-LD extends stacking over long-distance fiber links for distributed campus deployments.

Q: What XEM expansion modules are supported?

The single XEM bay supports: XEM2-8XSTm (4 x Multi-Gig RJ45 + 4 x 10G SFP+), XEM2-12XTm (12 x Multi-Gig RJ45), XEM2-12XS v2 (12 x 10G SFP+ with MACSec), XEM2-4QS (4 x 40G QSFP+), and XEM2-1CQ (1 x 100G QSFP28). Regional availability varies.

Q: Is the AT-X950-28XSQ-B05 JITC certified for DoD use?

Yes. The x950 series holds JITC certification and appears on the DoDIN Approved Products List (APL), making it eligible for procurement on US Government and Department of Defense networks. It is also TAA compliant.

Q: Does this switch support FIPS 140-2?

Yes. AlliedWare Plus on the x950 series is FIPS 140-2 validated, meeting US government cryptographic module security requirements.

Q: What Layer 3 routing protocols are supported without additional licenses?

The base AlliedWare Plus license includes RIPv1/v2, static routing, and 64 OSPF and BGP routes. The optional AT-FL-x950-01 Premium license unlocks full BGP4 (5,000 routes), OSPF (16,000 routes), PIMv4/v6 multicast, VRF-Lite (64 domains), and VXLAN.

Q: Where can I purchase the AT-X950-28XSQ-B05 in the United States?

The AT-X950-28XSQ-B05 is available through Creation Networks at creationnetworks.net, an authorized Allied Telesis reseller. Contact Creation Networks for volume pricing and federal procurement support.