210-AETF - Dell PowerSwitch Z9100-ON 32-Port 100GbE Switch

Dell EMC PowerSwitch Z9100-ON: 32x QSFP28 100GbE ports + 2x SFP+ ports, Layer 3 managed, 1U data center switch for high-density spine/leaf deployments.

The Dell 210-AETF is the Manufacturer Part Number for the Dell EMC PowerSwitch Z9100-ON, a compact 1U fixed-configuration data center switch purpose-built for high-performance computing and cloud environments. It provides 32 fixed QSFP28 ports supporting flexible speeds of 10/25/40/50/100GbE plus 2 fixed SFP+ ports for 1/10GbE uplinks, enabling dense port configurations such as up to 128x10GbE or 128x25GbE via breakout cabling. The switch runs Dell EMC Networking OS9 or OS10 Enterprise and delivers non-blocking, line-rate Layer 2/Layer 3 forwarding with a large switching fabric. It supports open networking via ONIE, VLT/mVLT multi-chassis link aggregation, VRF-lite, and Open Automation Framework for programmability. Designed for spine-and-leaf data center fabrics, the Z9100-ON includes dual redundant hot-swappable power supplies and configurable airflow, making it suitable for demanding enterprise, cloud, and HPC network cores.

• Manufacturer: Dell Technologies (Dell EMC)
• Product Line: PowerSwitch
• Product Series: Z9100-ON Series
• Model: Z9100-ON
• Product Type: Layer 3 Managed Ethernet Switch
• Fixed Ports: 32 x QSFP28 100GbE ports
• Uplink Ports: 2 x fixed 1/10GbE SFP+ ports
• Management Ports: 1 RJ45 console/RS232, 1x 10/100/1000BASE-T Ethernet, 1 USB 2.0 Type A, 1 micro-USB Type B
• Switching I/O Bandwidth: 6.4 Tbps (full duplex)
• Forwarding Capacity: Up to 3300 Mpps
• MAC Address Table: 136K entries
• IPv4 Unicast Routes: 136K
• IPv6 Unicast Routes: 68K
• Operating System: Dell EMC Networking OS9 (OS10 Enterprise optional)
• Port Speed Flexibility: Supports 32x100GbE, 64x50GbE, 32x40GbE, 128x25GbE, or 128x10GbE via breakout
• Power Supply: 2 x redundant, hot-swappable 750W AC PSUs, 100–240 VAC 50/60Hz
• Max Power Consumption: 605 Watts
• Typical Power Consumption: 195 Watts
• PoE: Not supported
• Airflow: Standard (I/O to PSU) or Reverse (PSU to I/O)
• Key Protocols/Features: VLT, mVLT, VRF-lite, LACP, STP/RSTP, SNMP, QoS, PFC, DCBX, ETS, ONIE
• Form Factor: 1U rack-mountable
• Operating Temperature: 32°F to 113°F (0°C to 45°C)
• Storage Temperature: -40°F to 158°F (-40°C to 70°C)
• Operating Humidity: 5% to 85% RH, non-condensing
• Warranty: Standard Dell hardware warranty; ProSupport options available

• 32 fixed QSFP28 ports supporting flexible 10/25/40/50/100GbE speeds
• 2 fixed SFP+ ports for 1/10GbE uplink connectivity
• Non-blocking architecture delivering line-rate L2/L3 forwarding
• 6.4 Tbps switching I/O bandwidth with up to 3300 Mpps forwarding
• Dual redundant, hot-swappable 750W AC power supplies
• Supports both standard and reverse airflow configurations
• VLT and multi-chassis mVLT link aggregation for high availability
• VRF-lite for L3 traffic isolation across tenants
• Open Network Install Environment (ONIE) support for alternate OS installation
• Runs Dell EMC Networking OS9 or OS10 Enterprise
• Priority-based flow control (PFC), DCBX, and ETS for DCB environments
• 128 link aggregation groups with up to sixteen members per group
• Jumbo frame support for large data transfers
• Open Automation Framework for simplified network provisioning

The Dell Z9100-ON (210-AETF) is designed for high-density, high-throughput data center networking roles.

• Spine switch in data center spine-and-leaf network fabrics
• Top-of-rack (ToR) aggregation for high-performance computing clusters
• Core switch for cloud service provider infrastructure
• High-bandwidth uplink aggregation between racks and network core
• East-west traffic switching for virtualized and hyperconverged environments
• 100GbE migration path for enterprises scaling beyond 10/40GbE
• Network fabric for storage and big data analytics clusters

• High port density in compact 1U form factor
• Non-blocking, line-rate L2/L3 switching performance
• Flexible port speeds ease network speed migration
• Redundant PSUs improve uptime and reliability
• Open networking support via ONIE and automation tools
• VLT/mVLT enables resilient multi-chassis topologies

• Form Factor: 1 Rack Unit (1U)
• Dimensions: 1.72" H x 17.1" W x 18" D
• Weight: 22 lbs (9.98 kg)
• Rack Mounting: ReadyRails tool-less rack mounting system

Per available documentation, this switch is validated for interoperability and management alongside the following Dell EMC networking and server products:

• Dell Networking S4810
• Dell Networking S5000
• Dell Networking S6000
• Dell Networking S6010
• Dell PowerSwitch S5212
• Dell PowerSwitch S5224
• Dell Networking S5232
• Dell Networking S5248
• Dell PowerEdge FC640, M640, R430, R440, R540, R6415, R7415, R7425, T440, T640 servers

Note: VLT/mVLT interoperability and rail kits are validated per Dell EMC documentation; some accessories (e.g., rail kits, transceivers) are model- and generation-specific and should be confirmed against current Dell compatibility matrices.

• Dell EMC PowerSwitch Z9100-ON switch unit
• 2 x hot-swappable 750W AC power supply units
• Rail kit (ReadyRails, tool-less)
• Console cable

Q: What is the Dell 210-AETF?

A: 210-AETF is the Dell Manufacturer Part Number for the Dell EMC PowerSwitch Z9100-ON, a 1U Layer 3 managed data center switch with 32 fixed 100GbE QSFP28 ports and 2 SFP+ uplink ports.

Q: What operating systems run on the Z9100-ON (210-AETF)?

A: The switch ships with Dell EMC Networking OS9 by default, with Dell OS10 Enterprise available as an alternate operating system option.

Q: What is the switching capacity of the Z9100-ON?

A: According to Dell's official spec sheet, the switch provides 6.4Tbps of full-duplex switching I/O bandwidth and forwarding capacity of up to 3300 Mpps.

Q: Are transceivers included with the 210-AETF switch?

A: No. Per reseller documentation, transceivers are not included and must be purchased separately based on connectivity requirements such as 100GBASE-SR4 or 100GBASE-LR4.

Q: Does the Z9100-ON support power redundancy?

A: Yes, the switch includes two redundant, hot-swappable 750W AC power supplies for N+1 power redundancy, as documented in Dell's official spec sheet.

Q: What airflow configurations does the Z9100-ON support?

A: Dell's installation guide confirms the switch supports both standard airflow (I/O to PSU) and reverse airflow (PSU to I/O) configurations for flexible data center cooling designs.

Q: Does the Z9100-ON support multi-chassis link aggregation (MLAG)?

A: Dell's community support confirms that the Z9100-ON does not support MLAG directly, but it does support VLT and mVLT (multi-chassis link aggregation) technologies.

Q: Is MTBF data available for the Z9100-ON switch?

A: No. Dell Community support has confirmed that Dell no longer publishes MTBF (mean time between failure) data for this and other recent switch generations.