Juniper EX4600 EOL: Last Order Dec 2026, EOS 2031

EX4600 support dates

Every row names its basis. A third-party tracker date is not the vendor’s own, and “not published” means exactly that.
Milestone	Date	Basis	Source
EOL Announced (TSB109286: EX4600-40F-AFI/AFO incl. -T, -DC-AFI/AFO, -40F-S chassis; EX4600-EM-8F and QFX-EM-4Q modules; EX4600-AFL licence; EDU and B- bundles)	29 June 2026	Vendor-published	EX Series Hardware Dates & Milestones - Juniper Networks (last updated 30 July 2026)
Last Order (TSB109286 scope)	29 December 2026	Vendor-published	EX Series Hardware Dates & Milestones - Juniper Networks (last updated 30 July 2026)
End of Hardware Failure Analysis (TSB109286 scope)	29 December 2027	Vendor-published	EX Series Hardware Dates & Milestones - Juniper Networks (last updated 30 July 2026)
End of Engineering (TSB109286 scope)	29 December 2029	Vendor-published	EX Series Hardware Dates & Milestones - Juniper Networks (last updated 30 July 2026)
Last Software Version (TSB109286 scope)	—	Vendor-publishedJunos OS 21.4, as listed in the Last Software Version column; no date applies.	EX Series Hardware Dates & Milestones - Juniper Networks (last updated 30 July 2026)
End of Support (TSB109286 scope)	29 December 2031	Vendor-publishedConsistent with the Key EOL Milestone Table in Juniper's 2023 EOL policy: EOL notification at Last Order minus 6 months, EOHFA = Last Order + 1 year, EOE = Last Order + 3 years, EOS = Last Order + 5 years. The date itself is Juniper's published date, not a computed one.	EX Series Hardware Dates & Milestones - Juniper Networks (last updated 30 July 2026)

Where the EX4600 stands today

TSB109286 is broad: every EX4600-40F chassis variant (AFI and AFO including -T, -DC-AFI, -DC-AFO and the -40F-S), the EX4600-EM-8F and QFX-EM-4Q modules, the EX4600-AFL licence and EDU and B- bundles. Juniper's EX Series Hardware Dates & Milestones page gives that whole scope one set of published milestones: Last Order 29 December 2026, End of Hardware Failure Analysis 29 December 2027, End of Engineering 29 December 2029 and End of Support 29 December 2031. The spacing matches the Key EOL Milestone Table in Juniper's 2023 EOL policy, with End of Support five years after Last Order, though the dates are Juniper's published ones rather than calculations.

Every variant shares the TSB109286 row, so a SKU check only confirms scope. Software is less tidy: Juniper names Junos OS 21.4 as the EX4600's Last Software Version, but its public Junos OS dates page (last updated 14 July 2026) gives standard 21.4 End of Engineering as 20 December 2024 and End of Support as 20 June 2025, and the 21.4 footnote extends those only for SRX5k second generation, EX4300-48MP mixed Virtual Chassis, EX4300-P/T and QFX5100. The EX4600 is not listed, and no public Juniper page we could read says how fixes reach it up to 29 December 2029. TSB109286 may, but it needs a login, so confirm with Juniper before relying on software fixes.

EX4600: lifecycle on one axis

Dated milestones are placed only where a source gives the date; milestones the vendor has not dated are listed beneath the axis rather than guessed. Blue = vendor-published, amber = third-party tracker, violet = derived from a vendor policy. Checked 8 October 2026.

Finding the date for your own unit

Juniper publishes dates per SKU. Every EX4600-40F chassis variant (AFI/AFO, -T, DC, -S), the EX4600-EM-8F and QFX-EM-4Q modules, and the EX4600-AFL licence share the TSB109286 dates on https://support.juniper.net/support/eol/product/ex_series/.

What still works after Juniper Networks support ends

A new Juniper Care contract can still be bought for an EX4600 until 29 December 2026. After Last Order new contracts stop, except where a unit's warranty lapses after Last Order, in which case one can be bought before the warranty ends. From then on a renewal must begin the day the existing contract expires, with no service-level upgrades and no reinstatement of lapsed cover, so a gap after Last Order cannot be closed through Juniper later.

Juniper's Care rules keep all RMA service levels, from Return-to-Factory and AR-5 up to Same Day 2-Hour and Same Day Onsite, until End of Support for part numbers whose EOL or Last Order date is on or after 1 June 2018, unless the specific EOL notice says otherwise. Juniper's EOL policy makes End of Engineering (29 December 2029) the point after which it no longer commits to bug fixes, releases or patches, and End of Support (29 December 2031) the final date for support engineers, software releases, online tools and replacement hardware. Beyond that, the Care service description says Juniper has no obligation to provide support of any kind for the hardware or its embedded OS software, and Juniper's Junos install guide ties downloads to a service contract and an access account.

Juniper's EOL policy defines End of Engineering (EOE) as the date after which Juniper no longer commits to bug fixes, further main releases, maintenance releases, service releases or patches. For EX4600 that date is 2029-12-29. (support.juniper.net)
Juniper's EOL policy defines End of Support (2031-12-29 for EX4600) as the last date for maintenance support: access to Juniper technical support engineers, software releases, online tools and hardware replacement. (support.juniper.net)
Juniper's Care service description (Nov 2025) says that after End of Support Juniper is under no obligation to provide support services of any kind for the affected hardware or its embedded operating system software. (support.juniper.net)
To download Junos OS from Juniper's download site you need a service contract and an access account (Junos OS Software Installation and Upgrade Guide, published 2026-09-08). (juniper.net)

Vendor support you can still buy

Juniper Care — New contracts can be bought until Last Order (2026-12-29). After that date there are no new contracts, unless the product's warranty lapses after Last Order, in which case one can be bought before the warranty lapses. Renewals are allowed only if they start the day the current contract expires, with no lapse. Service levels cannot be upgraded and lapsed contracts cannot be reinstated. (support.juniper.net)

What a maintenance contract needs to cover on the EX4600

The EX4600 is a compact 1U switch with 24 fixed SFP/SFP+ access ports, 4 fixed QSFP+ uplinks and two module bays: the QFX-EM-4Q adds four QSFP+ ports, for up to 72 10GbE interfaces in total, and the EX4600-EM-8F adds eight SFP+ ports. Its control plane is a 1.5 GHz dual-core Intel CPU with 32 GB of SSD storage. List installed modules by part number on any contract, since they share the TSB109286 dates and 29 December 2026 is Juniper's last order date for new ones.

The switch runs on one power supply, and every model except the EX4600-40F-S ships with two preinstalled for redundancy and five fan modules fitted; on the -S, supplies and fans are ordered separately. AC and DC versions exist, and Juniper says not to mix AC with DC, or AFI with AFO airflow, in one chassis. Under its Care rules, FRUs such as power supplies, fan trays and interface cards in an EOL chassis generally follow the chassis notice at the same service level, with the earlier date applying where a FRU has its own conflicting notice. List Virtual Chassis of up to ten switches member by member, including mixed stacks where EX4300 members must be linecards; what third-party maintenance covers explains what such a contract generally includes.

EX4600: what to tell a maintenance provider

The hardware facts a maintenance quote is priced on, printed in the vendor's own wording from its specification documents (cited in Sources). Nothing on this plate is estimated; facts the vendor does not state are left off rather than filled in.

EX4600 hardware, from Juniper Networks’s own specification documents
Specification	Detail	Source
Form factor / ports	Compact 1U switch with 24 fixed SFP/SFP+ access ports and 4 fixed QSFP+ uplinks	juniper.net
Expansion	Two module bays. The QFX-EM-4Q adds 4 QSFP+ ports (up to 72 10GbE interfaces in total) and the EX4600-EM-8F adds 8 SFP+ ports.	juniper.net
Control plane	1.5-GHz dual-core Intel CPU with 32 GB SSD storage	juniper.net
Power	Runs on one power supply. All models except the EX4600-40F-S ship with two supplies preinstalled for redundancy; the -S needs supplies and fans ordered separately. AC and DC variants exist. Do not mix AC and DC, or AFI and AFO airflow, in one chassis.	juniper.net
Stacking	Virtual Chassis of up to 10 switches. A mixed Virtual Chassis with EX4300 is supported, but the EX4300 members must be linecards.	juniper.net
Cooling	Five fan modules, shipped installed on all models except the EX4600-40F-S	juniper.net

Extend or refresh the EX4600?

For an EX4600 already in service, Juniper's End of Support is more than five years off. The decisions due now are commercial: buy Juniper Care for uncovered units, and order new spare chassis or modules, by 29 December 2026. Third-party cover becomes relevant later, as an alternative to Juniper Care for units whose contracts lapse or that run past Juniper's dates; a quote can be requested through the maintenance coverage builder when that point comes.

Software should set the refresh timetable: until Juniper confirms how 21.4 fixes reach the EX4600, treat security patching before 29 December 2029 as unconfirmed. Where an EX4600 does campus distribution or small-core work that depends on patched software, plan towards the next model in the same line, the EX4650, ahead of End of Engineering rather than End of Support; TSB109286 may name a replacement, but it needs a login.

Juniper names Junos OS 21.4 as the EX4600's Last Software Version. The public Junos OS dates page (last updated 14 Jul 2026) lists standard 21.4 End of Engineering as 2024-12-20 and End of Support as 2025-06-20. Its 21.4 footnote extends those dates only for named products (SRX5k 2nd generation, EX4300-48MP mixed VC, EX4300-P/T, QFX5100), and EX4600 is not among them. No public Juniper page we could read says how fixes reach the EX4600 up to its 2029-12-29 End of Engineering date. TSB109286 may say, but it needs a login. Confirm with Juniper before relying on software fixes. (support.juniper.net)
TSB109286 also covers the EX4600-EM-8F and QFX-EM-4Q expansion modules, with Last Order on 2026-12-29. Owners who want new spare modules must order them by then. (support.juniper.net)
For part numbers whose EOL/Last Order date falls on or after 1 June 2018, Juniper keeps all RMA service levels (Return-to-Factory, AR-5, Next Day, Next Day Onsite, Same Day, Same Day 2-Hour, Same Day Onsite) until End of Support, unless the specific EOL notice says otherwise. (support.juniper.net)
Under Juniper's Care rules, field-replaceable units installed in an EOL chassis generally follow the chassis EOL notice and are supported at the same service level as the chassis. The document's examples are interface cards, line cards, power supplies and fan trays. Where a FRU has its own separate EOL notice, the earlier of any conflicting milestone dates applies to that FRU. (support.juniper.net)

EX4600: what came before and what replaces it

The successor shown is the next model in the same product line; the vendor notice does not name a direct replacement. No predecessor is shown because none could be sourced.

Keep your EX4600 covered

Tell us how many you run and when your current cover ends, and we will come back with a like-for-like maintenance quote for that estate. Your model and its support status are attached to the enquiry automatically, so there is nothing to re-type.

Juniper Networks maintenance in detail →

The QFX5100 end of life page is most closely tied to this one. TSB109286's scope includes the QFX-EM-4Q module alongside the EX4600-EM-8F, and the QFX5100 is one of the products whose Junos OS 21.4 dates Juniper's footnote extends, while the EX4600 is not. For the rest of the group, the EX3300 end of life page and the EX2200 page deal with two more EX switch families, and the SRX300 Series page with Juniper's SRX firewalls.

Where the EX4600 sits against related models

Each bar runs from release to the milestone that marks end of support for the model as a whole. Amber bars end on a third-party tracker's date, not the vendor's. A dashed open end means no end date is published — not that support is indefinite. Component and accessory dates (a management controller, a power module) are not treated as the model's.

Look up another model in the server & network end-of-life checker, or read what third-party maintenance covers.

Questions people ask about the EX4600

Is the Juniper EX4600 end of life?

Juniper announced EX4600 end of life on 29 June 2026 in TSB109286, but the switch is still supported and, until 29 December 2026, still orderable. Juniper's published End of Support date for every EX4600-40F variant is 29 December 2031.

When does Juniper stop supporting the EX4600?

Juniper lists End of Support as 29 December 2031 for the whole TSB109286 scope, including the EX4600-EM-8F and QFX-EM-4Q modules and the EX4600-AFL licence. Before that come End of Hardware Failure Analysis on 29 December 2027 and End of Engineering on 29 December 2029, after which Juniper no longer commits to bug fixes or patches.

What is the last Junos version for the EX4600?

Juniper lists Junos OS 21.4 as the EX4600's Last Software Version. Its public Junos OS dates page gives standard 21.4 End of Support as 20 June 2025 and does not include the EX4600 among the products with extended 21.4 dates. Ask Juniper how fixes will be delivered before you rely on them.

Can I still buy Juniper Care for an EX4600?

Yes, until Last Order on 29 December 2026. After that Juniper sells no new contracts, except where a unit's warranty lapses after Last Order, in which case one can be bought before the warranty runs out. From then on, existing contracts can be renewed only with no gap, and a lapsed one cannot be reinstated.

What comes after the EX4600?

The EX4650 is the next model in the same line. Whether TSB109286 names a Juniper replacement could not be checked, because the notice needs a support-portal login.

Sources

Every date, rule and specification above was checked against these on 8 October 2026 by an independent verification pass. Vendors revise lifecycle notices; this page is re-checked by 8 January 2027.

EX Series Hardware Dates & Milestones - Juniper Networks (last updated 30 July 2026) — support.juniper.net
support.juniper.net — support.juniper.net
Juniper Care — support.juniper.net
juniper.net — juniper.net
juniper.net — juniper.net
support.juniper.net — support.juniper.net
juniper.net — juniper.net

Last reviewed 7 October 2026. Lifecycle dates for the EX4600 are re-verified against Juniper Networks's own notices at each review; a date a vendor has not published is never filled in.