Juniper QFX End of Life and End of Support — Replacement Guide for QFX5100, QFX5110 & QFX3500
Juniper’s QFX series has moved through several generations since the original QFX3500 launched in 2011. The QFX3500, QFX3600, QFX5100, and selected older QFX5110 and QFX5120 variants have entered end-of-sale, end-of-engineering, or last-day-of-support windows. Production environments running these platforms face the familiar EOL cost curve as Junos support cycles close, RMA windows expire, and security advisories stop being patched into older Junos releases. The path forward depends on the role: a direct 10G refurbished replacement, a 25/100G refresh, or a forward-looking 100/400G migration onto a current-generation platform that’s on the active Junos roadmap.
BrightStar Systems supplies refurbished Juniper QFX platforms used as replacement targets across these EOL classes:
- QFX5110 family — older-generation 1G / 10G / 40G ToR. The direct 10G refurbished replacement for QFX5100 and QFX3500 deployments where preserving 10G server-side speeds is the goal. Not current-generation, but a practical lower-cost refurb option for in-place 10G refreshes.
- QFX5120 family — mainstream 10/25/100G leaf and aggregation. The standard target for QFX5100 → 25G refreshes and for QFX3600 → 100G aggregation migrations. Some QFX5120 sub-variants have themselves entered EOL; the specific SKU lifecycle status should be verified against Juniper’s QFX series milestone page.
- QFX5130 family — modern 100/400G high-radix leaf and spine. The forward-looking refresh path for QFX5200 deployments and QFX5120 customers refreshing to 400G. Runs Junos OS Evolved.
Equipment ships from BrightStar’s warehouse with documented condition reports. Units are tested for boot functionality, hardware operation, and port connectivity. Installed software versions vary by unit and should be confirmed prior to deployment. Availability and lead time are SKU-specific — our team can confirm current stock for your particular configuration.
At a Glance
- EOL families covered: QFX3500, QFX3600, QFX5100 (all variants), older QFX5110 SKUs, selected EOL QFX5120 sub-variants, QFX5200 family, selected QFX10000 line cards
- Replacement options BrightStar can supply: QFX5110-48S/48T (older-gen 10G refurb), QFX5120-48Y/32C and current sub-variants (10/25/100G refresh), QFX5130-32CD/48C (modern 100/400G refresh)
- Lead time: typically 2–4 business days door-to-door under standard air freight when stock is available; lead times on specific SKUs vary and can be confirmed by our team
- Verification: boot-to-prompt, link, PSU/fan tested; condition report ships with every unit
- Pricing: refurbished SKUs typically price below new-from-vendor list; exact pricing varies by SKU and quantity
Get a Quote on Your Replacement Hardware
EOL / EOS Milestones for Juniper QFX Platforms in This Guide
Key end-of-life and end-of-support dates per Juniper’s QFX series hardware milestones page. Dates vary by exact SKU and configuration; consult Juniper’s QFX series hardware milestones page for the milestone applicable to your specific model.
For the complete Juniper end of life list across the EX, MX, SRX, QFX, ACX, PTX, and T-Series families — not just QFX — see our dedicated Juniper End of Life Dates page.
| Platform | EOS / End-of-Engineering | Last Day of Support |
|---|---|---|
| QFX3500-48S4Q / 48S4Q-ACR | EOL announced | May 1, 2021 |
| QFX3600 / 3600-I-16Q-ACRB | EOL announced | December 31, 2022 |
| QFX5100-24Q-3AFI | EOE announced | July 1, 2025 |
| QFX5100-48S-AFI / 48S-3AFO / 24Q-AFI | EOE announced | July 1, 2027 |
| Other QFX5100 variants (48T, 48T-AFI, etc.) | EOE announced | Various 2027–2028 per variant |
| QFX5110 family (selected AFI / AFO / DC variants) | Staged EOL announcements 2024–2025 | Late 2020s per variant |
| QFX5120 (older AFI / AFO / YM variants) | Selected EOL announced | Per variant — refer to Juniper milestone page |
| QFX5200-32C / 64C | End-of-engineering announced | Per variant |
| QFX10000 line cards (older 40G / first-gen 100G) | Selected EOL | Per card |
Why Running EOL QFX Hardware Creates Real Operational Risk
Juniper’s EOL process moves through a defined sequence of milestones over roughly 36 months. Key milestones include:
- End-of-Sale (EOS) announcement
- Last Order Date
- End-of-Engineering (no further bug fixes or feature updates)
- End-of-Hardware-Warranty
- End-of-Support / End-of-Software-Support (TAC will no longer take cases)
The QFX platforms in this list have crossed at least one of those milestones and are heading toward the next.
The operational consequences land unevenly:
- A CVE published against an older Junos branch that no longer receives patches forces an emergency hardware swap.
- A line card failure on an out-of-warranty QFX10000 forces sourcing a used spare or full chassis replacement on a deadline.
- Compliance auditors increasingly flag unsupported network platforms in environments handling regulated data.
The cost of running EOL gear is hidden until the moment something breaks — and then it lands all at once.
Refurbished replacement hardware addresses these risks without the capex profile of new-from-vendor: tested hardware platforms within Juniper’s published lifecycle and software-support roadmap, designed to support modern features such as EVPN-VXLAN, telemetry, and (on supported models) Junos OS Evolved — subject to software version and licensing requirements that the buyer is responsible for verifying directly with Juniper. For many QFX teams the refresh cleans up the operational risk profile while compressing capex.
Replacement Options by EOL Platform
Note: Replacement options below describe the platforms BrightStar can typically supply as refurbished alternatives. Stock and lead times on a specific SKU vary; specific QFX5120 sub-variants in particular have SKU-level lifecycle status that should be confirmed against Juniper’s milestone page before committing. Our team can confirm current availability for your particular configuration.
QFX3500 and QFX3600 (fully EOL)
The original QFX 1G/10G ToR (QFX3500) and 40G aggregation platform (QFX3600) reached end-of-life and last-day-of-support several years ago per Juniper’s QFX series hardware milestones. Any production deployment still running these platforms is operating without TAC, without security patches, and outside warranty coverage.
The replacement option depends on the role. For 10G ToR with 40G or 100G uplinks — staying at 10G server-side — the practical refurbished answer is the QFX5110-48S: 48 × SFP+ 10G plus 4 × QSFP28 ports configurable as 40G or 100G.
The QFX5110 is older-generation, not current-gen, but it’s a direct in-family successor for QFX3500 deployments at lower refurb cost than stepping forward to 25G. For deployments ready to refresh forward to 25G server-side, the QFX5120-48Y (48 × 25GbE downlinks plus 8 × 100GbE QSFP28 / 40GbE QSFP+ uplinks) is the standard step.
For QFX3600 high-radix 40G aggregation roles, the QFX5120-32C (32 × 100GbE) provides direct port-density migration with modern features and active Junos support.
QFX5100-48S / QFX5100-48T (10G ToR)
The QFX5100-48S (SFP+ optics) and QFX5100-48T (10GBASE-T copper) were the workhorse 10G ToR for Juniper deployments through the late 2010s. End-of-engineering has been announced per Juniper’s QFX5100 hardware milestones; last-day-of-support windows are closing through 2027-2028 depending on the specific SKU variant (refer to Juniper’s QFX series EOL page for the date applicable to your model).
For continued 10G operation: the QFX5110-48S-AFO (or AFI for reverse airflow) is the direct successor — same 48 × 10GbE port density, on a newer ASIC with extended Junos support windows and modern feature parity. For copper deployments, the QFX5110-48T variant matches the 5100-48T form factor.
For deployments ready to refresh forward to 25G: the QFX5120-48Y is the standard target. 48 × 25GbE (SFP28) / 10GbE (SFP+) / 1GbE (SFP) downlink ports plus 8 × 100GbE (QSFP28) / 40GbE (QSFP+) uplink ports, running the classic Junos operating system with active support.
Per Juniper’s QFX5120 datasheet, the QFX5120-48Y delivers up to 2 Tbps unidirectional / 4 Tbps bidirectional L2/L3 performance with latency as low as 800 nanoseconds. Many QFX5100 production refreshes target the QFX5120 rather than staying at 10G.
QFX5100-24Q (40G aggregation)
The 24-port 40G variant was used as a small-scale spine or aggregation switch in QFX5100-leaf-deployments. The current-gen replacement is the QFX5120-32C (32 × 100GbE) for customers consolidating to 100G aggregation, or the QFX5120-48Y (48 × 25GbE + 8 × 100GbE) for customers migrating leaf and aggregation onto a single modern platform.
Older QFX5110 SKUs (specific variants entering EOL)
Juniper has begun staged EOL announcements on older QFX5110 variants per the QFX series milestone page, with various AFI/AFO/DC variants reaching end-of-sale through 2024-2025 and last-day-of-support windows continuing into the late 2020s.
The most common refresh path is to the QFX5120 family: QFX5120-48Y for 25G leaf, QFX5120-32C for 100G aggregation. The 5110 to 5120 transition is also a meaningful feature uplift — deeper buffers, larger MAC and route tables, and support for newer Junos features that the 5110 hardware can’t enable.
QFX5120 AFI / AFO / YM specific variants (selected EOL)
Juniper has announced staged EOL on certain QFX5120 sub-variants (older AFI / AFO airflow variants and the QFX5120-YM yellow-marked configuration in particular). The replacement path stays inside the QFX5120 family for matching feature set, or moves up to the QFX5130 family for customers ready to refresh to 100/400G.
For in-family replacement matching the original airflow direction: QFX5120-48Y-AFI / QFX5120-48Y-AFO variants that remain on Juniper’s active product line can serve as direct substitutes. Specific sub-variant status changes over time — we’d recommend confirming the current lifecycle state of any QFX5120 SKU against Juniper’s QFX series milestone page before committing to a particular variant. For customers consolidating to 100G or 400G: the QFX5130-32CD (32 × 400G QSFP-DD, up to 25.6 Tbps bidirectional / 5.3 Bpps per Juniper’s QFX5130 datasheet) or QFX5130-48C (48 × SFP56-DD 100GbE plus 8 × QSFP-DD 400GbE uplinks, up to 16 Tbps bidirectional / 2.7 Bpps per Juniper’s QFX5130 datasheet) move the customer onto the newer-generation platform running Junos OS Evolved.
QFX5200-32C and QFX5200-64C
The QFX5200 family was Juniper’s high-density 100G platform for hyperscale and large enterprise data centers. End-of-engineering has been announced per Juniper’s QFX series hardware milestones; last-day-of-support windows continue into the late 2020s depending on variant.
The replacement path is into the QFX5130 family — QFX5130-32CD for 400G consolidation, QFX5130-48C for continued 100G operation at higher port density and on a current-gen ASIC.
For deployments where the QFX5200 was serving a spine role in a large leaf-spine fabric, evaluation against the QFX5130 family is a reasonable starting point. For very high-density 400G hyperscale spine deployments, the QFX5240 is Juniper’s newer-generation answer but is not in BrightStar’s refurbished inventory; for QFX5240-specific deployments we’d recommend new-from-vendor through an authorized Juniper channel partner.
For 400G refresh paths the QFX5130 is the relevant refurbished option to evaluate, alongside the specific scale, feature, and bandwidth requirements of the deployment.
QFX10000 chassis line cards (selected EOL items)
Customers running QFX10002, QFX10008, or QFX10016 chassis with older line cards (early 40G or first-gen 100G cards) can refresh card-by-card with newer QFX10000 line cards (QFX10000-30C, QFX10000-36Q-M, others depending on the slot population), or evaluate whether the fabric role would be better served by fixed-config QFX5130 leaf and spine alternatives.
For most modern hyperscale and large enterprise workloads, fixed-config QFX5130 platforms have closed the gap on chassis-class density at meaningfully lower operational complexity. A specific evaluation per chassis deployment is the right starting point.
Why Refurbished Instead of New from Vendor
Current-generation Juniper QFX hardware purchased new from the vendor carries capex and lead-time exposure that’s worth factoring against a refurbished option for many roles.
Refurbished platforms address both: tested units priced below new-from-vendor list (exact discount varies by SKU and quantity), with stock typically available for 2 to 4 business day delivery in cases where customers face longer lead times on new-vendor orders.
The platforms in this list (QFX5110, current QFX5120 variants, QFX5130) remain within Juniper’s published lifecycle and software-support roadmap, and the hardware itself is identical to new units. Refurbished here means previously deployed, returned through a documented lease-end or decommissioning process, tested for boot functionality, hardware operation, and port connectivity, and recertified for resale.
Cosmetic grade is disclosed at sale and a condition report ships with the unit. Installed software versions vary by unit. Software licensing, software update eligibility, and Juniper support contracts are governed by Juniper policies and are not provided by BrightStar unless explicitly stated in writing — customers should confirm their software entitlement, support eligibility, and licensing requirements directly with Juniper or an authorized Juniper partner before deployment.
Hardware Testing Before Shipment
Every unit runs through a documented hardware test sequence before crating:
- Power-on and boot-to-prompt verification confirming the unit boots cleanly to the installed software
- Port-level link verification across the rated port count, at the rated speed, with appropriate optics
- PSU and fan tray verification under load, including airflow direction confirmation (AFI front-to-back vs AFO back-to-front)
- Serial number and asset tag recorded against the unit’s condition report
- Configuration wipe before crating
Anything outside the cosmetic grade specified at sale gets flagged before the unit leaves the warehouse. Installed software versions vary by unit and should be confirmed prior to deployment. For procurement teams requiring additional pre-deployment validation, extended burn-in (typically 24 to 72 hours) with documented test logs is available as a paid pre-purchase service.
Three-Tier Replacement Strategy
Most EOL migration projects fall into one of three patterns, and the right BrightStar offer depends on which one applies:
- Full refresh. Customer is retiring an entire fabric or pod and rebuilding with newer hardware. This is where refurbished QFX at scale is most attractive — capex versus new-from-vendor is favorable on multi-unit purchases, and lead-time control matters when the new fabric has a cutover date.
- 1:1 replacement. Customer is replacing failed or end-of-warranty units one at a time as they break. Refurbished QFX is a practical answer here because the customer is consolidating onto the QFX5120 or QFX5130 family they were already going to standardize on rather than adding a new platform to the operations team’s burden.
- Mixed deployment. Customer is running legacy EOL QFX in less-critical fabric segments (development, lab, secondary path) while modernizing the production fabric. Refurbished current-gen handles the production refresh; planning the legacy-side retirement on a defined timeline avoids the cost of running parallel architectures indefinitely.
Software Notice. Refurbished equipment supplied by BrightStar Systems is generally sold as hardware only. Installed software versions vary by unit. BrightStar does not provide Juniper software licenses, subscription services, software maintenance, software update rights, or Juniper support contracts unless explicitly stated in writing. Customers are responsible for verifying software licensing, software entitlement, support eligibility, and compliance with applicable vendor policies directly with Juniper or an authorized Juniper partner prior to deployment.
Frequently Asked Questions From Network Engineers Planning the Transition
Can we run refurbished newer-gen QFX in mixed deployments alongside our existing EOL QFX5100 fabric?
Yes. The QFX5110, QFX5120, and QFX5130 platforms interoperate with older QFX5100 and QFX3500/3600 over standard EVPN-VXLAN, MC-LAG, and BGP fabric protocols. A common mixed-deployment pattern is to deploy the refurbished replacement as the new pod or new fabric segment, then decommission the older fabric on a planned timeline rather than swapping in place.
What about Junos version compatibility between the older and newer platforms during the transition?
Junos versions across the QFX5110 / QFX5120 / QFX5130 families share fabric protocol compatibility with the older QFX5100 fabric in general terms, but specific Junos releases on each platform have varying feature support and interoperability profiles. Customers running EVPN-VXLAN or other advanced fabric features should validate that the specific Junos release on each side supports a common feature profile before committing to a hybrid topology. For production migrations, the recommended path is to deploy the replacement platform on a validated Junos release appropriate for the deployment, verify interoperability in lab, and execute the cutover with a defined rollback plan. Software version availability and upgrade rights depend on the buyer’s licensing and support relationship with Juniper.
Will our procurement team approve refurbished hardware for production use?
That depends on the operator and the workload. Tier-2 and regional enterprise IT, hosting providers, and many non-regulated production environments deploy refurbished Juniper without policy issue, provided the unit carries a tested condition report and warranty terms acceptable to operations. Tier-1 carriers, hyperscale operators, and regulated financial-services or healthcare environments vary — some restrict refurbished hardware to lab and pre-production by procurement policy; others use it freely in production with documented test verification. The decision is operator-specific and worth confirming with your procurement team before final commitment.
What about Junos software licensing on a refurbished unit?
Refurbished systems generally ship with the software version present on the equipment at the time it was acquired or tested. Software versions, licensing, update eligibility, and support entitlements vary by platform and deployment. Licensing, software updates, and support eligibility are governed by Juniper policies and may depend on platform serial number status, support eligibility, and other factors. Customers should verify software and support requirements directly with Juniper or their authorized channel partner prior to deployment. BrightStar does not provide Junos subscription licensing, software maintenance, or Juniper support contracts unless explicitly stated in writing.
Does the refurbished platform support Junos Evolved?
Junos Evolved support on the QFX line is platform-specific. The QFX5130 line runs Junos OS Evolved. The QFX5120 line runs the classic Junos operating system. The QFX5110 line runs classic Junos. Junos Evolved adoption across the rest of the QFX line varies by SKU and release — we’d recommend confirming the Junos / Junos Evolved roadmap for your specific deployment directly with Juniper before final platform selection.
How quickly can you supply replacement units if we have a production failure?
For in-stock units, standard delivery is 2 to 4 business days door-to-door via air freight. Expedited next-flight-out service compresses the air-freight leg to 24 to 48 hours at premium freight cost for production-critical replacements. Standard testing and crating takes 1 to 2 business days for units that haven’t been pre-staged.
Do you carry the QFX5240?
No, not in BrightStar’s refurbished inventory. For QFX5240-specific deployments — primarily very high-density 400G hyperscale spine roles — we’d recommend new-from-vendor through an authorized Juniper channel partner. For other 400G refresh scenarios where the customer’s requirements fit the QFX5130 scale and feature set, the refurbished QFX5130 is the relevant option to evaluate.
Get a Quote on Your Replacement Hardware
If you’re scoping a QFX refresh off the QFX3500, QFX3600, QFX5100, older QFX5110, EOL QFX5120 variants, QFX5200, or QFX10000 chassis line cards, our team can help size the replacement platform and confirm availability, condition grade, and lead time. Quotes typically return within 24 hours during US business days. For multi-unit refresh projects, we can also discuss freight consolidation and staged delivery windows aligned with your cutover schedule.
End-of-sale, end-of-engineering, end-of-vulnerability-fix, and last-day-of-support dates cited on this page are sourced from Juniper’s official QFX series hardware milestones page (support.juniper.net/support/eol/product/qfx_series/). Dates can be revised by Juniper at any time — consult Juniper’s EOL milestones page for the most current information on a specific QFX variant.