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

[nl635]

I think there must be an error in the docs, because literally everyone in this thread seems to be seeing the same temperature thresholds as us on the ICX 7250-48P and ICX 7250-24P.

The Foxconn fans run at about 7800 RPM at speed 1 (4.5 V) and about 18 000 RPM at speed 2 (12 V). My plan is to use slower ARCTIC fans, rated at around 6000 RPM at 12 V, so the switch can run quietly at speed 2 all the time. I hope they will not be reported as failed

Before I was on 08.90 and 08.95 firmware, now I am on latest 09.10 and all of them have same limits

 

[TonyArrr]

Interestingly the docs have this to say:

Model	Low limit temperature	High limit temperature	Critical (shutdown) temperature
ICX 7250-24G	71° C	98° C	105° C
ICX 7250-24	67° C	98° C	105° C
ICX 7250-24P	82° C PoE PSU: 34° C	93° C PoE PSU: 41° C	105° C
ICX 7250-48P​	85° C PoE PSU: 49° C	95° C PoE PSU: 57° C	105° C
ICX 7250-48	67° C	98° C	105° C

Seems like your threshold should be 49C instead of 34C. Confusingly it also seems like mine should be 34C instead of 58C. Also seems like yours has the temperature limits of the 24P? Maybe check if there are any firmware updates?

Also, the arctic fans are lower performance than the Foxconn, so I'm assuming that you're buying them for noise performance. I couldn't find any noise performance data on them though. There are a number of alternatives that people have found acceptable if you search this thread though.

I think there must be an error in the docs, because literally everyone in this thread seems to be seeing the same temperature thresholds as us on the ICX 7250-48P and ICX 7250-24P.

The Foxconn fans run at about 7800 RPM at speed 1 (4.5 V) and about 18 000 RPM at speed 2 (12 V). My plan is to use slower ARCTIC fans, rated at around 6000 RPM at 12 V, so the switch can run quietly at speed 2 all the time. I hope they will not be reported as failed

Before I was on 08.90 and 08.95 firmware, now I am on latest 09.10 and all of them have same limits

I'm running a ICX7250-24P, here are my stats:

show version
  Copyright (c) Ruckus Networks, Inc. All rights reserved.
    UNIT 1: compiled on Aug 26 2022 at 01:26:00 labeled as SPR08095h
      (33554432 bytes) from Primary SPR08095h.bin (UFI)
        SW: Version 08.0.95hT213
      Compressed Primary Boot Code size = 786944, Version:10.1.25T215 (spz10125)
       Compiled on Mon Aug  8 11:58:15 2022

  HW: Stackable ICX7250-24-HPOE
==========================================================================
UNIT 1: SL 1: ICX7250-24P POE 24-port Management Module

show chassis
The stack unit 1 chassis info:

Power supply 1 (AC - PoE) present, status ok
Power supply 2 not present

Fan 1 ok, speed (auto): [[1]]<->2
Fan 2 ok, speed (auto): [[1]]<->2

Fan controlled temperature:
    Rule 1/2 (MGMT THERMAL PLANE): 57.9 deg-C
    Rule 2/2 (AIR OUTLET NEAR PSU): 34.0 deg-C

Fan speed switching temperature thresholds:
    Rule 1/2 (MGMT THERMAL PLANE):
        Speed 1: NM<-----> 93       deg-C
        Speed 2:        82<----->105 deg-C (shutdown)
    Rule 2/2 (AIR OUTLET NEAR PSU):
        Speed 1: NM<-----> 58       deg-C
        Speed 2:        49<----->105 deg-C (shutdown)

Fan 1 Air Flow Direction:  Front to Back
Fan 2 Air Flow Direction:  Front to Back
Slot 1 Current Temperature: 58.5 deg-C (Sensor 1), 34.0 deg-C (Sensor 2)
Slot 2 Current Temperature: NA                                   
    Warning level.......: 100.0 deg-C
    Shutdown level......: 105.0 deg-C

I did swap out my fans for quieter operation, including adding a 60mm fan on the ASIC (pulling air up through the heatsink and out, not pushing air into the heatsink).
My main references:
- Fan mod post of Doom by @rootwyrm
- ASIC Fan post by Kate (whom I can't seem to tag)
- Washers for ASIC Fan by @frogtech
- Another ASIC Fan example by deff_janiels (also untagable...)
- Fan comparisons by @nlj
- Mechtronics plus ASIC fan report by @RoachedCoach

My post when I had finished trying things out and had it running for a while.

Currently I have it sitting at the top of a 27U rack about 3 meters behind me to my right, with nothing between me and it (will be sliding it back into the cupboard behind it once I have intake and exhaust ducts in the cupboard, but I'm waiting for the sale of my old home to settle before I start spending any more money). I can hear the hum but as soon as I start playing a game on the PS5 I don't even notice.

 

[TonyArrr]

I have replaced my icx6450-48P with icx7250-48p, but somehow new 7250-48p is constantly overheating even with stock fully working fans. It will just switch to fan speed 2 and sit there forever. Is that normal or is my unit broken? icx6450 never done that, it was not even remotely possible to reach speed 2 temperatures... Meanwhile 7250-48p in same position is running like that 24/7.




View attachment 48612

I don't think that's how the output is read. Speed 1 is up to 41C, so provided it doesn't go above this, it should remain in Speed 1. If it hits 41C or higher though, it goes into Speed 2. It only reverts back to Speed 1 if it then drops below 34C. If temps haven't been higher than 34C then it won't be in Speed 2.

Almost. Rule 2 will keep you in Speed 1 until you go over 41 Degrees C. Then it will remain at Speed 2 until you get down to 33 or less. So if your temps get above 41 at any point, but only made it back down to 34, but not below, then you stay at speed 2.
I got caught with that with my first attempt at the fan mod, before I found the fan post of doom to set me straight, where the Nocturas could get the temp back down to 49 (the level to drop on my -24P) at the outlet, but couldn't get below it to go down to Speed 1 again.

Similarly, in Rule 1, it won't be triggering Speed 2 until measured temp is above 95C, so that doesn't seem to be the case. All indications based on that output are that the fans are in Speed 1. This matches my measurements; the Foxconn's operate at ~6.5k RPM in speed 1 in my 7250-24p. I assume that the Speed 1 duty cycle on the 48p is just a little higher. @nl635 is the screenshot you posted when it seems to be "staying in speed 2"? because that doesn't seem like it is to me? unless as above, it exceeded 41C in the PSU area previously.

The square brackets around the 2 in the lines

Fan 1 ok, speed (auto): 1<->[[2]]

tell us that the fans are running at speed 2.

If we look at the lines telling us what each rule is called, you'll notice ***ACTIVE*** next to rule 2. This tells us that the air outlet near the PSU is the sensor that triggered the fans to jump to speed 2, and it has not gotten below 34 yet, only to it.

 

[nl635]

I understand why it is running at speed 2: the PSU temperature went over 41 °C and never dropped back below 34 °C.

I was just surprised that Brocade set the rule 2 threshold on the 7250-48P so low compared to the 7250-24P, where the threshold is about 17 °C higher, or the 6450-48P, where this rule does not seem to exist at all.

So my question is: what are my realistic options for running this switch quietly in a closed but vented rack, with around 200 W PoE load, quiet enough that I will not hear it on the second floor?

My concern is:

- Any fan I use will eventually be forced into speed 2 because of rule 2.
- At speed 2, any 10,000+ RPM fan will probably still be very loud.
- If I use a fan quiet enough at speed 2, for example a 6,000–7,000 RPM fan, it will be reported as failed and the switch will refuse to boot.

Is there any known fan model or workaround that works reliably in this situation, other than rolling back to the ICX6450-48P, which was sitting happily and quietly at speed 1 with Arctic S4028-15K fans all year long?


Btw, I tried FastIron 09.10 on the ICX7250, and I do not recommend it. It feels much slower, even in the console. The Web UI looks great compared to the 08.0.95 one, but it seems to lack about 80% of the options.

 

[verysneaky]

So my question is: what are my realistic options for running this switch quietly in a closed but vented rack, with around 200 W PoE load, quiet enough that I will not hear it on the second floor?

My concern is:

- Any fan I use will eventually be forced into speed 2 because of rule 2.
- At speed 2, any 10,000+ RPM fan will probably still be very loud.
- If I use a fan quiet enough at speed 2, for example a 6,000–7,000 RPM fan, it will be reported as failed and the switch will refuse to boot.

Is there any known fan model or workaround that works reliably in this situation, other than rolling back to the ICX6450-48P, which was sitting happily and quietly at speed 1 with Arctic S4028-15K fans all year long?

I did some analysis for the 7250-24P here, with some extrapolation to the 48P: (Re)Engineering active cooling solutions for servers - A fan mod guide with a case study of the Brocade ICX7250-24P. I haven't posted results yet, but here are some initial insights:

* The biggest win for cooling the ASIC is to mount a fan directly to it rather than relying on just exhaust options
* Don't worry about adding fans in series
* The Sunon MF40101VX-1000U-G99 or Same Sky CFM-4020V-180-275-20 (same P-Q curve) are what I'm using at the moment - they aren't silent in Speed 1, but they are tolerable (slight hum - can't hear it with any other kind of sound in the room i.e. music/videos/games etc). They are noticeable in Speed 2, but were among the quietest options that meet some of my airflow requirements

I wasn't focused on PSU temps though so YMMV.

 

[TonyArrr]

I did some analysis for the 7250-24P here, with some extrapolation to the 48P: (Re)Engineering active cooling solutions for servers - A fan mod guide with a case study of the Brocade ICX7250-24P. I haven't posted results yet, but here are some initial insights:

* The biggest win for cooling the ASIC is to mount a fan directly to it rather than relying on just exhaust options
* Don't worry about adding fans in series
* The Sunon MF40101VX-1000U-G99 or Same Sky CFM-4020V-180-275-20 (same P-Q curve) are what I'm using at the moment - they aren't silent in Speed 1, but they are tolerable (slight hum - can't hear it with any other kind of sound in the room i.e. music/videos/games etc). They are noticeable in Speed 2, but were among the quietest options that meet some of my airflow requirements

I wasn't focused on PSU temps though so YMMV.

Oh I remember reading that, props!

So my question is: what are my realistic options for running this switch quietly in a closed but vented rack, with around 200 W PoE load, quiet enough that I will not hear it on the second floor?

Maybe affixing some fans along the side of the PSU pulling air through the PSU and over to the exhaust would help here, transferring the heat internally away from the PSU? You could connect them the same way I connected my ASIC fan, so the switch is still measuring the regular exhaust fans speed while powering both exhaust plus the extra PSU fans.
You’d need a line of fans along the whole length of the PSU to avoid just cooling part of the PSU while leaving other parts uncooled causing a sharp temperature difference…

That would both pull air through the PSU, but also be blowing across the PoE DC/DC board in the centre rear, so that should help keep almost the entire PoE stack cool. There would still just be regular airflow at the PoE boards along the RJ45s at the front, I don’t know how much heat they generate but given they don’t seem to have their own discrete temp sensors they may not be an issue?

edit: to avoid excess buzzing, the extra fans would probably need to be affixed with like… a thin foam with adhesive either side along the bottom of the case, and probably need a thin layer of foam along their tops so they are slightly insulated from the metal housing. Otherwise the vibration of their running might cause a rattle/buzz… wouldn’t need more than a couple mm or so on each

 

[nl635]

I did some analysis for the 7250-24P here, with some extrapolation to the 48P: (Re)Engineering active cooling solutions for servers - A fan mod guide with a case study of the Brocade ICX7250-24P. I haven't posted results yet, but here are some initial insights:

* The biggest win for cooling the ASIC is to mount a fan directly to it rather than relying on just exhaust options
* Don't worry about adding fans in series
* The Sunon MF40101VX-1000U-G99 or Same Sky CFM-4020V-180-275-20 (same P-Q curve) are what I'm using at the moment - they aren't silent in Speed 1, but they are tolerable (slight hum - can't hear it with any other kind of sound in the room i.e. music/videos/games etc). They are noticeable in Speed 2, but were among the quietest options that meet some of my airflow requirements

I wasn't focused on PSU temps though so YMMV.

Damn, that “some analysis” is more advanced than the master’s thesis I’m working on right now. Holy shit

The problem is that here in Europe, most of the fans you tested are either unavailable or cost around €35–40 each, which gets a bit ridiculous for a switch fan mod.

The only realistic options I can easily get here seem to be the Arctic S4028-15K, Arctic S4028-6K, and a few 7000 RPM Sunon models, which are as failed/not working in these switches due to low RPMs

So I’m probably going to sell the 7250-48P and go back to the 6450-48P with Arctic S4028-15K fans.

But thanks a lot for the help!

 

[verysneaky]

The problem is that here in Europe, most of the fans you tested are either unavailable or cost around €35–40 each, which gets a bit ridiculous for a switch fan mod.

If that's the deal breaker, it looks like the Sunon can be had for ~€8: https://www.digikey.de/en/products/detail/sunon-fans/MF40201VX-1000U-G99/7927784. Looks like a €50 spend for free delivery though.

 

[nl635]

Interesting, thats not bad at all... I mean I can have 10 of them for 56€.

Do you think they will work? Because under certain RPMs switch will report them as failed and wont boot.

 

[verysneaky]

Interesting, thats not bad at all... I mean I can have 10 of them for 56€.

Do you think they will work? Because under certain RPMs switch will report them as failed and wont boot.

I have these fans installed in my ICX7250-24P currently and they work fine. In speed 2, I definitely wouldn't call them silent, but they are quieter than the Foxconn in Speed 1. They're closer to silent in Speed 1, but certainly not silent.

3 of these should* give you around ~200W of cooling capability with a 25C temperature rise in Speed 2.

Note that the fan headers don't take the standard 4 pin arrangement, so you'll need to switch a couple of the wires to pass through the signal properly. Sounds like you're familiar with that from the 6450-48P though.

 

[tubs-ffm]

Problem SFP28 port und Fastiron 10.0.10h cd1

I do not know the reason, software 10.0.10h cd1 or my device ICX 8200 or my DAC Kabel, but I got an issue when updating from 10.0.10g cd6 to 10.0.10h cd1. After the update the two connected SFP28 ports were not working any longer. In Fastiron the ports were shown as disabled and I could not enable them back. Booting to secondary rom with old software all was working. Going back to primary rom or re-flashing the primary rom with new software, same issue again.

Maybe I missed the answer to this question in this long thread, but meanwhile I know the reason.
With Fastiron 10.0.10.h Ruckus has introduced a stricter verification and only accepts supported media including DAC.

Is there any hidden command to disable this strict verification and be able to use any transceiver and DAC?

SSH@switch#show license
Unit  License Name    L3 Premium Port Speed Upgrade   Speed    Ports    MACsec
1     4X25GR          Yes        Yes                  25G      4        NA
SSH@switch#show media
Port 1/1/1:  Type  : 1G M-C (Gig-Copper)
Port 1/1/2:  Type  : 1G M-C (Gig-Copper)
...
Port 1/1/23:  Type  : 1G M-C (Gig-Copper)
Port 1/1/24:  Type  : 1G M-C (Gig-Copper)
Port 1/2/1:  Type  : 25GBASE-Passive (SFP28) (Not Supported)
Port 1/2/2:  Type  : EMPTY
Port 1/2/3:  Type  : 25GBASE-Passive (SFP28) (Not Supported)
Port 1/2/4:  Type  : EMPTY
SSH@switch#

 

[DouglasteR]

Sorry if it was already asked, but the powersupply and fan parts are the same for the Poe and non-Poe versions ?!

Are they interchangeable ?

Thanks.

 

[kpfleming]

Sorry if it was already asked, but the powersupply and fan parts are the same for the Poe and non-Poe versions ?!

For which switch model?

 

[DouglasteR]

For which switch model?

Ugh, i always forget to specify it, sorry.

It´s for the 6610-24 and 48p !

One ICX6610-24p is POE and other isn´t. There´s also two 6610-48, one poe and the other not.

Since the 24p have two psu´s (and fans) and the 48p only one, i would like to know if i can use it between them.

 

[jode]

Ugh, i always forget to specify it, sorry.

It´s for the 6610-24 and 48p !

One ICX6610-24p is POE and other isn´t. There´s also two 6610-48, one poe and the other not.

Since the 24p have two psu´s (and fans) and the 48p only one, i would like to know if i can use it between them.

The power supplies between POE and non-POE units are different. The POE units support a much higher wattage load (obviously).

The ICX-6610s also have two different fan models, marked "E" and "I" for front-to-back and back-to-front air flow. These cannot be mixed and matched (for, again, obvious reasons).

Lastly, the power supplies also have fans and therefore come in "E" and "I" versions. These need to be in sync with the fans.

So, yes, the fan and power supply situation is a little bit complicated, but not that much if you apply common sense.

 

[DouglasteR]

Understood ! Thanks !

 

[Blue)(Fusion]

Any word on this new update for EOL 7xxx series switches? Release 09.0.10k_cd1, May 23rd, 2026.

https://support.ruckuswireless.com/...fastiron-09-0-10k_cd1-ga-software-release-zip

I checked the release notes and it does not mention the 9.0.10k_cd1 update.

 

[Sealside]

I have these fans installed in my ICX7250-24P currently and they work fine.
3 of these should* give you around ~200W of cooling capability with a 25C temperature rise in Speed 2.

Have you tested to run 6 of them (2 in parallel x 3) ? Tempted to buy and test out. I currently have 2xJuniper ex3300 24p (almost dead silent with noctuas), I'm trying to replace them with a 7250 48P, but too much noise (I have 3x Mechantronics right now).

 

[tubs-ffm]

I currently have 2xJuniper ex3300 24p (almost dead silent with noctuas), I'm trying to replace them with a 7250 48P, but too much noise (I have 3x Mechantronics right now).

Instead of one 7250-48P you can go with two 7150-24P. If you stay below a certain PoE budget (I do not have the number in my head) these can run fan less in the so called silent mode.

 

[i386]

I do not have the number in my head

150W total