Allied Telesis AT-X950-52XTQM-B05 – 48-Port Multi-Gig Layer 3 Switch 4x 100G 5-Year NCP

Product Overview

The Allied Telesis x950 48-port multi-gigabit 100G Layer 3 switch 5-year bundle (AT-X950-52XTQM-B05) delivers the highest copper-port density in the x950 series, combining 48 NBASE-T multi-rate copper ports with four 100G QSFP28 uplinks in a single 1U chassis. Where the x950-28XTQM provides 24 copper ports for mid-size deployments, the 52XTQM targets high-density enterprise wiring closets and campus aggregation tiers requiring full 48-port copper coverage with 10G edge speeds. The B05 suffix bundles a 5-year Allied Telesis Net Cover Premium support contract, delivering predictable support costs over the full asset lifecycle for enterprise and government buyers. TAA compliance, AlliedWare Plus OS, and VCStack make this the enterprise-grade choice for organizations standardizing on multi-gigabit copper access and 100G spine connectivity.

Product Description

The AT-X950-52XTQM-B05 is a 1U rack-mountable Advanced Layer 3 switch featuring 48 NBASE-T copper ports operating at auto-negotiated rates of 100M, 1G, 2.5G, 5G, or 10G, making it uniquely suited to environments where end devices include 802.11ac Wave 2 and 802.11ax (Wi-Fi 6/6E) access points, multi-gig NIC workstations, and IP surveillance cameras requiring bandwidth beyond 1G. The four built-in 40G/100G QSFP28 uplink ports provide high-speed spine connectivity to data center core switches or ISP handoffs, with support for QSFP28 direct-attach copper and optical transceivers. The x950 series runs on a 1.92 Terabit non-blocking switch fabric delivering 1,309 Mpps of forwarding throughput, ensuring zero congestion regardless of traffic patterns across all 48 downlink and 4 uplink ports simultaneously. VCStack Virtual Chassis Stacking allows up to 8 x950 units to form a single logical switch, with cross-unit link aggregation (LAG) for loop-free topologies and simplified management from a single IP. VCStack over Long Distance (VCStack-LD) extends stacking across fiber links for distributed campus and multi-building deployments. The switch ships with dual hot-swappable, load-sharing PSUs installed, combined with hot-swap fan modules, delivering the hardware redundancy expected in Tier 1 enterprise access and aggregation layers. AlliedWare Plus provides the full enterprise routing and switching feature set: OSPF, BGP4, RIPng, PIM multicast, VRF-Lite, IPv4/IPv6 dual-stack, 802.1Q VLANs, MSTP, and LACP. The AMF framework automates device discovery, firmware updates, and configuration backup across the entire network domain. FIPS 140-2 certified cryptographic modules, MACSec (via XEM2-12XS v2 expansion), and AMF-Sec integration protect management plane and data plane traffic against unauthorized access. The 5-year Net Cover Premium (NCP) bundle included with the B05 SKU covers advance replacement hardware, AlliedWare Plus software releases, and access to Allied Telesis technical support engineers for the full coverage period, reducing operational risk for long-term network deployments.

Key Features

• 48x NBASE-T Multi-Rate Copper Ports — Auto-negotiates 100M/1G/2.5G/5G/10G per port; supports Wi-Fi 6 APs, multi-gig workstations, and surveillance cameras without recabling.
• 4x 40G/100G QSFP28 Uplinks — Built-in high-speed spine uplinks; supports 40G and 100G optical and DAC transceivers for data center and campus backbone connectivity.
• 1.92 Tbps Non-Blocking Fabric — 1,309 Mpps forwarding rate ensures wire-speed performance across all ports with zero internal congestion.
• VCStack (Up to 8 Units) — Stack up to 8 x950 switches as a single logical device; cross-unit LAG eliminates STP and simplifies management.
• Dual Hot-Swap PSUs Installed — Redundant, load-sharing 600W PSUs ship installed; hot-swap replacement without service interruption.
• AlliedWare Plus OS — Enterprise-class OS with full IPv4/IPv6 routing, OSPF, BGP4, PIM multicast, VRF-Lite, MACSec, and OpenFlow v1.3.
• AMF Network Automation — Zero-touch provisioning, automatic firmware updates, configuration rollback, and centralized network management via Vista Manager EX.
• TAA Compliant — Trade Agreement Act compliant; eligible for US federal and state government procurement under GSA schedules.
• FIPS 140-2 Certified — Cryptographic module certification for deployments in US government and defense networks (DoDIN APL listed).
• 5-Year NCP Bundle (B05) — Advance hardware replacement, software updates, and technical support included for 5 years from date of purchase.

Typical Applications

• High-density enterprise wiring closet aggregation serving Wi-Fi 6/6E access points
• Campus distribution layer switch with 100G uplinks to data center spine
• Federal and DoD network access layer (TAA compliant, FIPS 140-2, DoDIN APL)
• Multi-gig desktop and workstation access where Cat5e/Cat6 cabling is already installed
• IP surveillance aggregation with multi-gigabit camera feeds
• VCStack distributed backbone across campus buildings over fiber

Technical Specifications

Frequently Asked Questions

Q: What is the difference between the AT-X950-52XTQM-B05 and the AT-X950-28XTQM?

The 52XTQM provides 48 multi-gigabit copper ports compared to 24 ports on the 28XTQM, doubling access density in the same 1U form factor. The 52-port model does not include an XEM expansion bay, whereas the 28-port model includes one bay for adding additional 10G, Multi-Gig, or 40G interfaces via XEM modules.

Q: What does NBASE-T mean, and which devices benefit from it?

NBASE-T (IEEE 802.3bz) is a standard enabling 2.5G and 5G Ethernet speeds over existing Cat5e and Cat6 cabling. Devices that benefit include 802.11ac Wave 2 and Wi-Fi 6/6E access points (which exceed 1G throughput), multi-gig NIC servers and workstations, and next-generation IP cameras. No recabling is required to move from 1G to 2.5G or 5G.

Q: What 100G transceiver options are supported on the QSFP28 uplink ports?

The four QSFP28 ports accept standard 100G-SR4, 100G-LR4, 100G-ER4, and 100G-CR4 (DAC) transceivers, as well as 40G QSFP+ modules for backward compatibility. Allied Telesis and compatible third-party QSFP28 modules are supported. Contact Creation Networks for a full transceiver compatibility matrix.

Q: How many x950-52XTQm units can be stacked together?

Up to 8 x950 units can be combined in a VCStack. Stack members can be any mix of x950 models. Each stack operates as a single logical device with a single management IP, unified configuration, and cross-unit LACP link aggregation for loop-free high-availability designs.

Q: Is the AT-X950-52XTQM-B05 TAA compliant for federal procurement?

Yes. The AT-X950-52XTQM is TAA (Trade Agreement Act) compliant, making it eligible for purchase under US federal government contracts, GSA schedules, and state/local cooperative purchasing agreements that require TAA compliance.

Q: What does the 5-year NCP bundle include?

The Net Cover Premium (NCP) 5-year bundle (B05 suffix) includes advance hardware replacement (next business day in most regions), access to all AlliedWare Plus software updates and feature releases, and access to Allied Telesis technical support engineers. It provides a predictable 5-year total cost of ownership without separate support contract negotiations.

Q: Does the x950-52XTQm support OpenFlow for SDN deployments?

Yes. With the AT-FL-x950-OF13 license, the x950-52XTQm supports OpenFlow v1.3, the industry-certified standard validated by the Open Networking Foundation. This enables integration with SDN controllers for software-defined network architectures.

Q: Where can I purchase the AT-X950-52XTQM-B05?

The AT-X950-52XTQM-B05 is available from Creation Networks at creationnetworks.net. Our team provides pre-sales configuration support, volume pricing, and government contract procurement assistance.