Juniper EX4300 vs EX4600: Which Network Switch Is Right for You?

The Juniper EX4300 and EX4600 are both 1U Junos switches that can join one Virtual Chassis, and they solve different problems. The EX4300 is a gigabit access switch with 40GbE uplinks. The EX4600 is a 10GbE and 40GbE switch for distribution and top-of-rack use. This page sets out the figures from Juniper's documents and the dates Juniper has published for each, because both families now have end-of-sale notices.

The two families side by side

Sources: Juniper's EX4300 and EX4600 data sheets (no longer hosted at their old addresses), the EX4300 system overview and the EX4600 hardware guide.

What each is built for

Juniper's hardware guide places the EX4600 in four roles: campus distribution switch, small campus core, top-of-rack switch in a small low-density data center, and data center distribution switch. Its ports are 24 fixed SFP+ or SFP access ports and four QSFP+ ports, and it supports up to 72 10-Gigabit Ethernet ports in 1U. The guide says its 10-Gigabit ports consume less than five watts each.

The EX4300 is the gigabit side. The 48T has 48 copper ports with four QSFP+ ports on the rear, the 24P is a PoE+ model with a 715 W supply that provides 565 W of PoE+ power, and the 48MP has 24 gigabit and 24 multigigabit ports with up to 95 W of PoE per port from a 1400 W supply. Use the EX4300 where the devices are copper and the uplinks are 40GbE or fewer; use the EX4600 where servers or distribution links are 10GbE.

Mixing them in one Virtual Chassis

Juniper's hardware guide says the EX4600 can be a member switch in a Virtual Chassis made up entirely of EX4600s, or in a mixed Virtual Chassis with EX4300s. In a mixed one the EX4300 switches must be in the line card role, and the EX4600 can be the primary or backup. An EX4600 Virtual Chassis can join up to 10 switches in a ring and be managed as a single chassis. The EX4300 data sheet gives the same limit of 10 units, with a 320 Gbps interconnect on the models listed.

The dates to know

Source: Juniper's EX Series hardware dates and milestones, bulletins TSB105633 for the first EX4300 row, TSB109284 for the 48MP and TSB109286 for the EX4600. For the EX4600, Juniper also gives December 29, 2027 as the end of hardware failure analysis and December 29, 2029 as the end of engineering. The EX4600 bulletin covers the EX4600-EM-8F and QFX-EM-4Q modules as well as the switch.

Neither date stops a switch working. They set when Juniper stops taking orders and, later, stops supporting the model. If you mix EX4300s and EX4600s in one stack, plan around the earliest date among the members: for a mixed stack of the original EX4300 models and the EX4600, that is March 31, 2029. Our pages on EX4300 end of sale and on EX4600 end of life set out every row.

Common questions

Does the EX4600 have 40G ports? Yes. It has four fixed QSFP+ ports, and the QFX-EM-4Q expansion module adds four more, up to twelve with two modules. The EX4300 has four 40GbE QSFP+ ports on most models, shared between Virtual Chassis and uplink use.

Can an EX4300 and an EX4600 share a stack? Yes, per Juniper's hardware guide, with the EX4300 in the line card role. Check the Junos release: for releases from 14.1X53-D25 on, the EX4600 is supported as the primary role in a mixed stack.

Which airflow do I order? Juniper's letters are AFO (air out, front to back) and AFI (air in, back to front). Match the whole chassis, including the fans and power supplies. See the airflow suffix guide.

Where to look next

The EX4300 page and the EX4600 page hold the listings, including the EX4300-24P and the EX4600-EM-8F expansion module. Every unit we ship is tested in-house first and carries our warranty. If the part number you need is not listed, request a quote.