Cisco N55-D160L3-V2
Nexus 5548 Layer 3 Daughter Card, Version 2
Product Highlights
When your Cisco Nexus 5548 deployment needs to move beyond Layer 2 switching and take on full Layer 3 routing responsibilities, the Cisco N55-D160L3-V2 is the purpose-built upgrade path. This Layer 3 daughter card installs directly into the Nexus 5548 chassis, transforming a Layer 2 data center switch into a capable Layer 3 routing platform — no chassis swap required.
The N55-D160L3-V2 delivers 160 Gbps of Layer 3 forwarding capacity at 240 million packets per second (Mpps), shared across all 48 ports in the chassis. As the Version 2 revision, it features an updated Layer 3 ASIC that enables significantly larger forwarding tables — scaling from 8K to 16K host entries and from 4K to 8K IPv4 multicast routes — giving your network room to grow.
With support for enterprise routing protocols including OSPFv2, VRRP, and MLD snooping v1/v2, this daughter card is ideal for data center access/aggregation layers, campus core deployments, and environments requiring inter-VLAN routing at scale. The card includes dedicated management and console ports for out-of-band administration. As an EOL product, the N55-D160L3-V2 remains a cost-effective solution for maintaining and extending existing Nexus 5548 infrastructure.
Features & Benefits
Wire-Speed Layer 3 Forwarding
The N55-D160L3-V2 provides up to 160 Gbps of Layer 3 forwarding at 240 Mpps, shared across all 48 ports in the Nexus 5548 chassis. This enables full-speed inter-VLAN routing and IP forwarding without creating bottlenecks, ensuring your data center traffic flows at line rate.
Enhanced V2 ASIC with Larger Table Sizes
The Version 2 daughter card uses an updated Layer 3 ASIC that doubles key forwarding table capacities — from 8K to 16K host entries and from 4K to 8K IPv4 multicast routes. This expanded table space supports larger, more complex network topologies without hash collisions or route overflow.
Enterprise Routing Protocol Support
Supports critical routing protocols including OSPFv2 for dynamic interior routing, VRRP for first-hop redundancy, and MLD snooping v1/v2 for efficient IPv6 multicast management. These capabilities make the Nexus 5548 a viable Layer 3 node in enterprise and data center networks.
Field-Upgradable Installation
Designed as a drop-in I/O module replacement, the N55-D160L3-V2 can be installed into an existing Nexus 5548 chassis in the field. After upgrading NX-OS to the required release, the card is hot-swappable (NX-OS 5.x and later), minimizing downtime during the upgrade process.
Dedicated Management Interfaces
The daughter card includes 2x RJ-45 network ports, 1x RJ-45 management port, 1x RJ-45 console port, and 1x USB Type A port. These dedicated out-of-band interfaces simplify initial setup, ongoing management, and troubleshooting without consuming production switch ports.
Deployment Scenarios
Data Center Access/Aggregation Layer
Deploy the N55-D160L3-V2 in Nexus 5548 switches serving as top-of-rack or aggregation-layer devices. The 160 Gbps L3 forwarding capacity enables efficient inter-VLAN routing between server VLANs, storage networks, and uplinks to the core — all at wire speed.
Extending Life of Existing Nexus 5548 Infrastructure
Organizations with deployed Nexus 5548P or 5548UP switches that currently operate at Layer 2 can add Layer 3 capabilities without a forklift upgrade. The N55-D160L3-V2 is a cost-effective way to extend the useful life and functionality of existing hardware.
Spare and Replacement for Business Continuity
Keep the N55-D160L3-V2 on hand as a critical spare for production Nexus 5548 environments. Since the Nexus 5500 series is EOL, sourcing replacement daughter cards proactively ensures you can restore Layer 3 functionality quickly in the event of a hardware failure.
General
Performance
Interfaces
Routing & Protocols
Compatibility
Compatibility Notes
Compatible Platforms
- Cisco Nexus 5548P (N5K-C5548P-FA)
- Cisco Nexus 5548UP (N5K-C5548UP-FA)
- Cisco Nexus 5548 Storage Solutions Bundle
- Cisco Nexus 5548UP Storage Solutions Bundle
Software Requirements
- Minimum NX-OS Version: Release 5.0(3)N1(1b) or 5.0(3)N1(1c) required before installing the daughter card.
- Hot-swappable under NX-OS 5.x and later releases.
Licensing
- Requires LAN_BASE_SERVICES_PKG license (free, lifetime license from Cisco).
Important Notes
- This is a Version 2 daughter card. It replaces the original N55-D160L3 (V1), which has reached End-of-Sale.
- Installation involves removing the existing L2 I/O module and fan tray modules, inserting the L3 daughter card, and reinstalling the fan trays.
Downloads & Resources
Frequently Asked Questions
| Part Number | Product | Key Difference |
|---|---|---|
| N55-D160L3 | Nexus 5548 Layer 3 Daughter Card (V1) | Original version with smaller forwarding tables (8K host / 4K multicast). EOL — replaced by the V2. |
| N55-M160L3-V2 | Nexus 5596 Layer 3 Expansion Module, V2 | Layer 3 module designed for the larger Nexus 5596UP chassis instead of the 5548. |
| N55-M160L3 | Nexus 5596 Layer 3 Expansion Module (V1) | Original V1 Layer 3 module for the Nexus 5596 platform. EOL with smaller table sizes. |
| N55-DL2 | Nexus 5548 Layer 2 Daughter Card | Layer 2-only daughter card for the Nexus 5548 — no routing capability. Lower cost if L3 is not needed. |
