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Brocade ICX Series (cheap & powerful 10gbE/40gbE switching)

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badco

New Member
Nov 21, 2020
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Does anyone have a source for PSUs for the ICX6450-24P? Searching for the numbers inside the case hasn't produced anything.
 

grenskul

Active Member
Nov 8, 2020
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Anyone have the measurements or ideally a 3d model of the 7250-48p top cover. Trying to get something fabricated and really don't want to pay for the modeling (it would be more expensive that the plexi cover I want to get made)
 

FussyBuster

New Member
Jan 20, 2025
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Hello sorry I'm late to the forum here as I am just getting into the home network and picked up an ICX-7450-24P off eBay for about 90 bucks as a cheap POE starter switch with some 40GbE links, I discovered this thread and have noticed most of the thread is about the ICX-6xxx's I was curious if anyone had any extensive knowledge of available DACs I don't have any long runs or anything like that most of the switches 10GbE and 40GbE connections are all in-rack so I would prefer to use DACs maybe somebody can convince me that I shouldn't be worried about that. with that said I have a hard time figuring out the cabling I need to make my runs work I have a Dell R640 I picked up and am probably going to try and get a 40GbE connection on it as well as an OPNsense custom-built router I made with a Supermicro A2SDI-TP8F 12C I'm just kinda at a loss as to what kind of DACs if any exist would suffice for 3 different types of systems, I would like to be able to track link speeds and DAC temps in the switch as mentioned by the OP if you have official brocade optics, but idk if its possible what I'm asking for idk how picky these ports will be any insight would be greatly appreciated.
 

i386

Well-Known Member
Mar 18, 2016
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Hello sorry I'm late to the forum here as I am just getting into the home network and picked up an ICX-7450-24P off eBay for about 90 bucks as a cheap POE starter switch with some 40GbE links, I discovered this thread and have noticed most of the thread is about the ICX-6xxx's I was curious if anyone had any extensive knowledge of available DACs I don't have any long runs or anything like that most of the switches 10GbE and 40GbE connections are all in-rack so I would prefer to use DACs maybe somebody can convince me that I shouldn't be worried about that. with that said I have a hard time figuring out the cabling I need to make my runs work I have a Dell R640 I picked up and am probably going to try and get a 40GbE connection on it as well as an OPNsense custom-built router I made with a Supermicro A2SDI-TP8F 12C I'm just kinda at a loss as to what kind of DACs if any exist would suffice for 3 different types of systems, I would like to be able to track link speeds and DAC temps in the switch as mentioned by the OP if you have official brocade optics, but idk if its possible what I'm asking for idk how picky these ports will be any insight would be greatly appreciated.
Your post is very hard to read without "proper" formatting

I have a 7150-48zp and it works so far with all optics & transceivers that I have around -> I would say the series 7000 switches are not picky about third party dac cables or transceivers
Monitoring link speeds should not be a problem
I'm not sure about monitoring temperature of dac cables (I've never heard of that before, only about optical tranceivers with DOM)
 

servethehomefan

New Member
Mar 31, 2024
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I hope someone can help me decide if I need L2 or L3 for a Brocade ICX-6450-48P.

I followed fohdeesha's guide (thank you!) and used the router firmware. I'm wondering if it is necessary.

I plan on doing the following:
  • Stacking two 6450 POE models
  • Using OPNsense or pfSense as firewall/router.
  • Utilizing "router on a stick" unless that isn't advisable where I'll have one cable from the firewall/router into the Brocade 6450 and then leverage VLAN's to organize traffic. I'll simply tag one single Brocade port (1/2/3 or 1/1/2 for example) and then come off of the firewall/router into that. Then untag particular ranges of ports according to VLAN needs (VLAN 10 using 1/1/3 - 1/1/10, VLAN 20 using 1/1/11 - 1/1/15 for example).
  • I do not expect large file transfers very often. I'm looking for the easiest to manage while also maintaining speed/throughput.
Any thoughts on L2 switch firmware versus L3 router firmware in this use case? I am under the assumption that anything that can be done with L2 can be done with L3 but admittedly I'm not positive that is the case or there may be strings attached.
 

fohdeesha

Kaini Industries
Nov 20, 2016
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fohdeesha.com
I hope someone can help me decide if I need L2 or L3 for a Brocade ICX-6450-48P.

I followed fohdeesha's guide (thank you!) and used the router firmware. I'm wondering if it is necessary.

I plan on doing the following:
  • Stacking two 6450 POE models
  • Using OPNsense or pfSense as firewall/router.
  • Utilizing "router on a stick" unless that isn't advisable where I'll have one cable from the firewall/router into the Brocade 6450 and then leverage VLAN's to organize traffic. I'll simply tag one single Brocade port (1/2/3 or 1/1/2 for example) and then come off of the firewall/router into that. Then untag particular ranges of ports according to VLAN needs (VLAN 10 using 1/1/3 - 1/1/10, VLAN 20 using 1/1/11 - 1/1/15 for example).
  • I do not expect large file transfers very often. I'm looking for the easiest to manage while also maintaining speed/throughput.
Any thoughts on L2 switch firmware versus L3 router firmware in this use case? I am under the assumption that anything that can be done with L2 can be done with L3 but admittedly I'm not positive that is the case or there may be strings attached.
there's no reason to run the l2-only firmware
 
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tlloyd

New Member
Jan 22, 2025
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Hi guys, I'm 6 years late to the party I know, but just bought a 7250-48p (I needed a switch with at least 6 sfp+ ports plus at least 4 PoE+ rj45 ports, and I got the 7250 for £65 + post). So far everything is good, managed to work out their quirky (I come from a cisco background) vlan interpretation. But my question now is sound. Can anyone recommend me some quieter fans?
Many thanks in advance!
 

heromode

Well-Known Member
May 25, 2020
436
260
63
Hi guys, I'm 6 years late to the party I know, but just bought a 7250-48p (I needed a switch with at least 6 sfp+ ports plus at least 4 PoE+ rj45 ports, and I got the 7250 for £65 + post). So far everything is good, managed to work out their quirky (I come from a cisco background) vlan interpretation. But my question now is sound. Can anyone recommend me some quieter fans?
Many thanks in advance!
It's my opinion that without actively cooling the ASIC chips (and also probably the QSFP cages) there is no reasonable way to make it silent enough. Because these switches are designed to be cooled simply by constantly moving significant amounts of air through the whole case, including the ASIC's which only have passive heat spreaders. This requires rear mounted 40mm fans that spin at tens of thousands of RPM. It is impossible to make that silent.

On my 6450, i solved this issue by actively cooling each of the 3 ASIC chips. This removes the intense heat from the chips, and spreads it out throughout the case. That then allows me to use low RPM rear fans to slowly move the warm air out of the case.

I've come to realize many in this thread do not agree with my solution, why, i don't know. But anyways, below is link to my old post about my solution.
If i was to improve it further, i'd try some noctua 40x10mm fans with rubber mounting holes, to avoid having hard plastic against the ASIC heat spreaders. Or atleast add some padding between the current fans and the heat spreaders..

That would result in an almost completely silent switch, with very good temps, that still has the ability to ramp up fan RPM's when the temp limit for 12V fan voltages is triggered.

My solution requires no permanent mods to the switch, everything can be reversed to original without any damage. I expected to get more props for it, but got essentially zero. Bummer.

https://forums.servethehome.com/ind...erful-10gbe-40gbe-switching.21107/post-346595
 

heromode

Well-Known Member
May 25, 2020
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Note the ambient room temp in my mod post, In a normal 20 celcius room, temps would be 48.5 degrees on both sensors. I can guarantee nobody in this thread has a solution with those temps combined with the noise level of my solution. Not even close. Not to mention functioning rear fan RPM readouts, fully functioning high temp fan-speed ramp up to 12V on all fans, and a non-destructive mod
 

Ralph_IT

I'm called Ralph
Apr 12, 2021
202
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/home
That's not correct.
From the 7150 family it is only supported for two models (the 1GBE switches), the not supported 7150 switches are multi Gig ethernet (2.5GBE) like 7150-48ZP
Oh, sorry. So other 7150 can run in fanless mode but are not supported.
I just misinterpreted "supported" as "able to run".
 

heromode

Well-Known Member
May 25, 2020
436
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63
for a silent 7250, it would be easy to test running it under some load without the top cover.. if that is possible, then either start drilling lots and lots of holes to the top cover, or try to rig some alternative perforated setup as a bit of dust protection.. but even then, without any airflow over the ASIC's and QSFP cages, it's not good.

I wish some manufacturer would start making switches in other form factor than the pizza box. Think the format of a 3-4 HDD NAS, that would fit a single 140mm fan at the back. Homelab users would really appreciate something like that.
 

heromode

Well-Known Member
May 25, 2020
436
260
63
There are millions of businesses that need powerful networking nowadays, for CAD desktops or whatever. Many of them occupy like a single floor in an office building. They all have to suffer with this pizzabox style switch madness. Either they have to do long cable runs to get the VERY LOUD switch mounted in some basement rack space, or they have to find some closet on their only floor to tuck it away, and worry about ventilation, rack cabinets, patch panels and all that crap. And even then with a powerful enough switch, the floor will sound like a damn 24/7 construction site all day long.

It baffles me that Dell or HP etc have not come up with switches in similar form factor as their tower servers for example, that could be cooled with something else than 28 fans spinning at 60 thousand RPM 24/7. What gives?
 

RoachedCoach

Member
Feb 4, 2020
47
54
18
Hi guys, I'm 6 years late to the party I know, but just bought a 7250-48p (I needed a switch with at least 6 sfp+ ports plus at least 4 PoE+ rj45 ports, and I got the 7250 for £65 + post). So far everything is good, managed to work out their quirky (I come from a cisco background) vlan interpretation. But my question now is sound. Can anyone recommend me some quieter fans?
Many thanks in advance!

Here's my post on a 7250-48p. I did this in 2020 and it's been running solid ever since so I think it worked out pretty well. Not sure if all the fans are still available, but there should be similar ones from the same manufacturers (check spec sheets for decibel levels and air flow).

The key is to add a fan to the ASIC. A few people have also added fans to the PSU on the side.
 
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gustav9797

New Member
Dec 30, 2016
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Today I noticed a port had died in one of my ICX 6450-24P switches that have been running non stop since 2019.
The poe led lights up about half as bright as it should(however seems to deliver power)and the activity led is dead.
It's not really an issue but I'm just wondering what could have happened?
 

nintendoeats

New Member
Jan 23, 2025
4
1
3
Hello. I just ordered a 6450-48p on the basis of this thread. Thank you!

After I ordered it, the seller dropped the price of all similar switches. I decided to mention it here as they dropped the price of the 6450-48 to $25 CAD which I thought was pretty exceptional. Brocade ICX6450-48 ICX 6450-48 Ethernet Switch, 48-Port Gigabit, 4-Port SFP+ ! | eBay

Sort of tempted to order one just for fun, but I already paid so its too late to get combined shipping.
 
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