Arista CCS-720XP-48Y6-F — 48-Port GbE PoE Campus Switch with 25G Uplinks and Forward Airflow
The Arista CCS-720XP-48Y6-F is a 1RU, 48-port Gigabit Ethernet PoE campus access switch from the Cognitive Campus CCS-720XP series. Delivering 198 Gbps (396 Gbps full-duplex) of non-blocking switching capacity with 1.2 µs cut-through latency and up to 30W PoE per port (802.3af/at), it is purpose-built for the campus access layer — powering desktops, IP phones, wireless access points, and IoT devices under the management and monitoring of Arista Cognitive Campus Services.
The “-F” suffix denotes front-to-rear (forward) airflow, the standard configuration for traditional campus wiring closets and IDF locations where air is drawn from the front of the switch and exhausted from the rear. This SKU ships with 1 × 1050W AC power supply pre-installed.
Key Features at a Glance
- 48 × 10/100M-1GbE RJ45 PoE ports with 802.3af/at support delivering up to 30W per port
- 6 × 25GbE SFP28 uplink ports for high-bandwidth connections to campus spine or distribution switches
- 198 Gbps (396 Gbps FDX) non-blocking switching capacity — wire speed across all ports simultaneously
- 294 Mpps forwarding rate for consistent performance under all traffic conditions
- 1.2 µs cut-through latency for low-latency campus connectivity
- Up to 982W default PoE budget (typical load with 1 × 1050W PSU) — expandable to 1,875W with dual 1050W power supplies
- Front-to-rear airflow (“-F”) for standard campus wiring closet deployments
- N+1 redundant, field-replaceable fans and optional redundant power supplies for high availability
- Full L2/L3 feature set: VXLAN, EVPN, MLAG, ECMP, BGP, OSPF, and advanced routing
- Rich telemetry: FlowTracker (IPFIX), sFlow, LANZ, and streaming telemetry via gRPC/gNMI
- Runs Arista EOS® — the same single binary image used across all Arista platforms — with CloudVision® integration
Cognitive Campus Intelligence: FlowTracker and Device Fingerprinting
The CCS-720XP-48Y6-F is more than a traditional access switch — it is an integral part of Arista’s Cognitive Campus architecture. Built into its non-blocking switching processor is the FlowTracker hardware telemetry engine (IPFIX), which delivers real-time updates on device state, performance statistics, and application flows without burdening other system functions. Over a thousand unique flows can be concurrently tracked per switch, with hardware support to scale to 32K flows.
Device fingerprinting features allow the 720XP to identify connected device type, operating system, and user ID — helping facilitate security audits and workgroup segmentation. Combined with Arista CloudVision, this telemetry enables administrators to track application, user, and device activity, measure throughput and latency of key flows, and baseline real-time traffic for performance and security alerting.
PoE Power for the Modern Campus
All 48 RJ45 ports on the CCS-720XP-48Y6-F support 802.3af/at Power over Ethernet, delivering up to 30W per port for IP phones, wireless access points, security cameras, and IoT devices. With the default 1 × 1050W power supply, the switch provides up to 982W of available PoE budget under typical system load — enough to power a fully populated access closet.
For deployments requiring additional power or redundancy, the switch supports a second power supply in N+1 configuration. Available power supply options and their PoE budgets include:
- Dual 650W AC: 1,135W / 1,110W PoE (typical/minimum)
- Dual 1050W AC: 1,875W / 1,850W PoE (typical/minimum)
- Dual 500W DC: 882W / 857W PoE (typical/minimum)
- Dual 700W DC: 1,227W / 1,202W PoE (typical/minimum)
Arista’s Dynamic PoE Management enhances power budgeting by dynamically allocating PoE power based on priority settings. Load Sharing Power Supplies optimize the unused power bank typically reserved for the board to power more PoE devices, while Persistent PoE maintains power to connected devices even when the switch is rebooting — critical for video security and emergency communication systems.
25GbE Uplinks for Campus Spine Connectivity
The 6 × 25GbE SFP28 uplink ports deliver high-bandwidth, low-latency connections from the access layer to campus distribution or spine switches. Each SFP28 port supports 1G, 10G, and 25G speeds, giving administrators the flexibility to connect to existing 10G infrastructure today while investing in 25G-capable optics for future campus upgrades. Arista’s 10G/25G multi-rate SFP+ optical modules allow administrators to run in 10G mode while connected to legacy infrastructure and seamlessly migrate to 25G — simplifying campus transitions and reducing CapEx.
Campus Segmentation: VXLAN, EVPN, and 802.1X
The CCS-720XP-48Y6-F is built for secure, scalable campus segmentation:
- 802.1X and RADIUS: Industry-standard authentication with interoperability across leading NAC solutions, including multi-host 802.1X and MAC-based authentication (MAB)
- Dynamic VLAN Assignment: Automatically segment authenticated users and devices into assigned 802.1Q VLANs
- VXLAN Overlay: Support for up to 16.7 million VXLAN networks with CVX and EVPN control plane, enabling data center-class virtualization at the campus edge
- EVPN Type 2/5: BGP-based control plane for distributed MAC/IP learning and campus-to-data-center fabric integration
- Wire-Speed L3 VRF Segmentation: Hardware-accelerated VRF for isolating traffic between departments, guest networks, and IoT segments
- WiFi Segmentation: Hardware-based VXLAN de-encapsulation of tunneled WiFi traffic for unified wired/wireless policy enforcement
Customizable Topologies: MLAG, ECMP, and Dynamic Load Balancing
The CCS-720XP-48Y6-F supports open, standards-based L2 MLAG and L3 ECMP load balancing for high-availability campus designs. Administrators can deploy either scheme for active/active aggregation at the building distribution frame or intermediate distribution frame (IDF). Arista’s Dynamic Load Balancing (DLB) feature goes beyond typical load sharing by dynamically tracking flow volumes and rebalancing them across shared uplinks to optimize network utilization — interoperating with other networking platforms to improve the performance of existing campus infrastructure.
Telemetry, Monitoring, and Real-Time Insight
The CCS-720XP-48Y6-F includes Arista’s full telemetry stack for campus-layer observability:
- FlowTracker (IPFIX): Hardware-accelerated flow monitoring to inventory devices and monitor conversations — over 1,000 concurrent flows with scalability to 32K
- sFlow: Continuous traffic sampling for network visibility, capacity planning, and anomaly detection
- LANZ (Latency Analyzer): Per-port queue depth visibility and microburst detection for diagnosing congestion events
- Streaming Telemetry: Real-time state export via open gRPC/gNMI APIs used in OpenConfig for custom management tools
- CloudVision Device Analyzer: Baselines real-time traffic to alert administrators of performance or security outliers
EOS Automation and Extensibility
Running on Arista EOS®, the CCS-720XP-48Y6-F runs the same single binary image as every other Arista platform — simplifying network administration across campus and data center. EOS is built on a standard Linux kernel with a unique state-sharing architecture that provides the foundation for:
- Native on-box Python, Bash, C++, and Go scripting via the Linux shell
- JSON-RPC eAPI for programmatic configuration — integrates with Ansible, Terraform, and popular DevOps toolsets
- CloudVision® for centralized configuration management, zero-touch provisioning, and change control across campus and data center
- OpenConfig and gNMI/gRPC for model-driven management and streaming state export
- Zero-Touch Provisioning (ZTP) for fully automated day-0 configuration of new access switches
- Smart System Upgrade (SSU) for in-service software upgrades and hitless patching
Front-to-Rear Airflow and Campus Deployment
The “-F” airflow configuration provides front-to-rear (forward) cooling, where cool air enters from the front of the switch and exhausts from the rear. This is the standard configuration for:
- Campus wiring closets and IDF locations with front-facing equipment
- Racks where the majority of campus infrastructure uses front-to-rear airflow
- Traditional campus environments following standard thermal management practices
Hardware Specifications
- Form Factor: 1RU — 17.3 × 1.75 × 12.5 inches (44.0 × 4.4 × 31.75 cm)
- Weight: 15.3 lbs (6.9 kg)
- CPU: Dual Core x86
- System Memory: 4 GB
- System Flash: 8 GB
- Packet Buffer: 8 MB
- System Power (Typ/Max): 68W / 93W (excluding PoE)
- Fans: 3 × FAN-7000-F (N+1 redundant, field-replaceable)
- Maximum Power Supplies: 2
- Management: 1 × 100M/1G management port, 1 × RS-232 console port, 1 × USB port
- Operating Temperature: 0°C to 40°C (32°F to 104°F)
- Minimum EOS: 4.23.1
Compliance and Sustainability
- RoHS and WEEE compliant — energy-efficient design contributes to lower power per gigabit
- Safety: IEC/EN/CSA/UL 62368-1 certified
- EMC: FCC Class A, CE, VCCI, BSMI, KCC, ICES-003
- Global certifications: FCC, CE, UKCA, RCM, KCC, VCCI, BSMI, TEC, ANATEL, ICASA, NOM
- Compact 1RU form factor maximizes port density in campus wiring closets
Security Features
- 802.1X Enhancements: Multi-host authentication, MAC-based authentication (MAB), dynamic VLAN assignment
- TACACS+/RADIUS/RadSec for centralized authentication and accounting
- Ingress/Egress ACLs using L2, L3, and L4 fields with logging and counters
- Control Plane Protection (CPP) to protect the switch CPU from volumetric attacks
- MSS-G and MSS (multi-domain) for macro-segmentation services
- NDR switch sensor for network detection and response integration
- DHCP Relay, ARP trapping and rate limiting, MAC access list security
Deployment Scenarios and Industry Applications
- Enterprise Campus Access Layer: The natural access switch for connecting desktops, IP phones, and printers with 30W PoE and 25G uplinks to Arista campus spine or distribution switches.
- Wireless Access Point Power and Connectivity: 48 PoE ports provide power and connectivity for high-density wireless deployments across office floors, conference centers, and educational facilities.
- Video Surveillance and Physical Security: 802.3af/at PoE powers IP cameras while Persistent PoE maintains power during switch reboots — critical for mission-critical security infrastructure.
- Healthcare and Education: 802.1X authentication and VXLAN segmentation isolate medical devices, student networks, and administrative systems on a single physical infrastructure.
- IoT and Smart Building: FlowTracker device fingerprinting identifies and segments IoT devices automatically, while VRF segmentation isolates building automation from corporate traffic.
- Retail and Hospitality: PoE-powered point-of-sale devices, digital signage, and guest WiFi access points — all managed through a single CloudVision pane of glass.
Optics, Cables, and Interoperability
The CCS-720XP-48Y6-F supports a broad range of standards-based optics and cables across its 25G SFP28 uplink ports:
- 25G SFP28: 25GBASE-SR, LR, CR DACs, AOCs, and 10G/25G multi-rate optics for mixed-speed environments
- 10G SFP+: 10GBASE-SR, LR, ER, ZR, T, DACs, and AOCs for backward-compatible connectivity
- 1G SFP: 100Mb TX, 1GbE SX/LX/TX for legacy uplink connections
Scalability
The CCS-720XP-48Y6-F provides data center-class table scale for campus deployments, with multiple configurable modes:
- MAC Addresses: Up to 112K (Mode 0)
- IPv4 Host Routes: Up to 96K (Mode 3)
- IPv4 LPM Routes: Up to 144K (Mode 4)
- IPv6 LPM Routes: Up to 72K (Mode 4)
- VXLAN Overlay Networks: Up to 16.7 million
- 802.1Q VLANs: 4,096
- Security ACL Entries: 2.5K ingress / 1K egress
Lifecycle, Reliability, and Future-Proofing
The CCS-720XP-48Y6-F is built for long operational lifecycles with field-replaceable fans and power supplies, N+1 redundancy across all critical components, and Arista’s consistent EOS release cadence. Its 25G uplinks position it for campus networks that will continue to grow bandwidth demands as wireless density increases and IoT deployments expand. The switch ships with a one-year limited hardware warranty covering parts, repair, or replacement with a 10-business-day turnaround.
Similar Arista 720XP Models to Consider
- Arista CCS-720XP-24Y6-F – 24-port GbE PoE variant with 6 × 25G uplinks. The right choice for smaller wiring closets or lower-density access requirements with the same feature set.
- Arista CCS-720XP-48ZC2-F – 48-port mGig (up to 5G) PoE variant with 4 × 25G + 2 × 100G uplinks. The upgrade path when access points or devices require multi-gigabit speeds beyond 1GbE.
- Arista CCS-720XP-96ZC2-2F – 96-port mGig PoE with 2 × 100G uplinks. The high-density option for consolidating multiple wiring closets into a single 2RU switch.
Related 720XP Resources
Arista 720XP Series Switches: Cognitive Campus PoE Leaf Architecture & Deployment Guide
The Campus Access Switch Built for Cognitive Network Operations
The Arista CCS-720XP-48Y6-F delivers everything demanded of a modern campus access switch — 48 PoE ports with up to 982W of power budget, 25G uplinks for future-proof spine connectivity, hardware-accelerated FlowTracker telemetry, and the full depth of Arista EOS automation — all in a compact 1RU form factor. Its front-to-rear airflow makes it the natural choice for standard campus wiring closet deployments. Available from BrightStar Systems fully tested, reset to factory defaults, and backed by a 1-year in-house warranty.
Related Arista 720X Series model: CCS-720XP-24ZY4-F.
