Category Archives: Fiber Optic Transceivers

Do You Use QSFP+ Direct-Attach Twinax Copper Cable?

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To achieve a 40G network connection, we usually use QSFP+ transceiver modules and MTP patch cords, which can help transmit 150 m to 40 km. But, if we only need to connect within 10 m, we can use QSFP+ direct-attach twinax copper cables. It’s a high-speed, cost-effective alternative to QSFP+ fiber optics. What’s QSFP+ direct-attach copper (DAC)? Whether should I use it? This blog will introduce the knowledge of QSFP+ DAC to you.

What Is QSFP+ Direct-Attach Twinax Copper Cable?
QSFP+ DAC is also called QSFP+ to QSFP+ cable. It has a QSFP+ module at one end and another QSFP+ module at the other end, and uses integrated duplex serial data links for bidirectional communication. Used to connect the 40 Gbps QSFP+ port of a switch at one end to another QSFP+ port of a switch at the other end, it can provide high quality of 40G end-to-end connection. Usually, maximum transmission distance of QSFP+ DAC is 10 m, which makes these cables are suitable for in-rack connections between servers and Top-of-Rack (ToR) switches. Besides, since its price ($30-$200) is much lower than QSFP+ optics, it’s a more cost-effective option to connect within racks and across adjacent racks.

QSFP+ DAC

Passive vs Active QSFP+ DAC
QSFP+ direct-attach twinax copper cable comes in either an active or passive twinax (twinaxial) and connects directly into a QSFP+ housing. An active twinax cable has active electronic components in the QSFP+ housing to improve the signal quality. A passive twinax cable is mainly just a straight “wire” and contains few components. Generally, twinax cables shorter than 5 meters are passive and those longer than 5 meters are active, but this may vary from vendor to vendor. QSFP+ direct-attach copper is a popular choice for 40G Ethernet reaches up to 10 m due to low latency and low cost.

Popular QSFP+ Cable Overview
At present, major QSFP+ DAC vendors are Brocade, Arista and Cisco. We can use QSFP+ DAC in their hardware with QSFP+ interfaces. Although the transmission distance of QSFP+ DAC can reach 10 m, the most common types we use are 1 m, 3 m, and 5m. In the market, popular QSFP+ DAC includes Brocade 1m(40G-QSFP-C-0101) , 3m(40G-QSFP-C-0301) and 5m(40G-QSFP-C-0501) passive QSFP+ twinax copper, Arista 1m(CAB-Q-Q-1M) and 3m(CAB-Q-Q-3M) passive QSFP+ twinax copper, and Cisco 1m(QSFP-H40G-CU1M) and 3m(QSFP-H40G-CU3M) passive QSFP+ twinax copper.

Brocade,Arista and Cisco DAC

Conclusion
40 Gbps Direct-Attached QSFP+ to QSFP+ Copper Cables (1 m, 3 m, 5 m) are optimized to fully leverage 40 Gigabit Ethernet (GbE) switches and routers. FS.COM provides a wide range of QSFP+ cable assembly options for your network connection, which satisfies the need for ultra-thin, light-weight, highly flexible cabling solutions for use in high density intra-rack applications.

Related Article: 40G QSFP+ Direct Attach Copper Cabling

How to Convert a Port From QSFP+ to SFP+?

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As data communications technology migrates from 10GbE to 40GbE and beyond, it is often necessary to connect 40GbE equipment with existing 10GbE equipment. As we know 40GbE NIC or switch usually equipped with QSFP+ ports, and 10GbE switch usually equipped with SFP+ ports. That is to say we must know how to convert a QSFP+ port to a SFP+ port. At present, there exists three ways to solve this problem. I will explain it in this blog.

QSFP+ to SFP+ Cable
As shown in the figure below, a QSFP+ to SFP+ cable consists of a QSFP+ transceiver on one end and four SFP+ transceivers on the other end. The QSFP+ transceiver connects directly into the QSFP+ access port on the switch. The cables use high-performance integrated duplex serial data links for bidirectional communication on four links simultaneously. The SFP+ links are designed for data rates up to 10 Gbps each. QSFP+ cable is available in passive and active two types. Passive QSFP+ cable has no signal amplification built into the cable assembly, therefore, their transmission distance is usually shorter than an active one.

qsfp-cable

CVR-QSFP-SFP10G: QSFP+ to SFP+ Adapter (QSA)
You can convert a QSFP+ port to a SFP+ port using the QSFP+ to SFP+ adapter. QSA provides smooth connectivity between devices that use 40G QSFP+ ports and 10G SFP+ ports. Using this adapter, you can effectively use a QSFP+ module to connect to a lower-end switch or server that uses a SFP+ based module. This adapter is very easy to use. As shown in the figure below, just plug one side of the QSA in your QSFP+ port, and plug a SFP+ module into another side of the QSA. Then you can convert a QSFP+ port to a SFP+ port easily.

qsfp-to-sfp-adapter-qsa

QSFP+ Breakout Cable
As we know, parallel 40GBASE-SR4 QSFP+ modules use 8 out of 12 MPO/MTP interface fibers transmitting 4 x duplex (DX) channels (4 x transmit and 4 x receive). The QSFP+ breakout cable uses a pinless MTP connector on one end for interfacing with the QSFP port on the switch. The other end contains 4 duplex LC connectors, which provide connectivity to the SFP+ ports on the switch. Thus higher-speed equipment (40G QSFP+) can be connected to slower-speed equipment (10G SFP+) successfully.

QSFP+ Breakout Cable convert qsfp+ to sfp+

Conclusion
When you want to connect a QSFP+ port to a SFP+ port, you can use QSFP+ to SFP+ cable, QSFP+ to SFP+ adapter or QSFP+ breakout cable. All these three options can meet your needs. FS.COM provides a full range of compatible QSFP+ cable, which can be 100% compatible with your Cisco, Juniper, Arista and Brocade switches and routers. Or you want to use QSFP+ breakout cable, you can also find it in our Fiberstore.

Related Article: 10G SFP+ and 40G QSFP+ Transceivers Cabling Solutions

Considerations for Buying Compatible Optical Transceiver

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When choosing compatible optical transceiver, nearly 90% of transceiver end users may worry about their quality and compatibility. As we know, the price of compatible optical module is usually much lower than original-brand transceiver. So, can compatible optical transceiver really perform well as the original one? What should I pay attention to when buying compatible optical module? This blog will give you some practical advice aimed to help you choose compatible optical transceiver with high compatibility and low cost.

Main Concerns for Buying Compatible Optical Transceiver

  • Compatibility – The transceiver can’t be compatible with your original-brand switch.
  • Life Span – The quality of the transceiver is not reliable and the service life is short.
  • Poor performance – High latency etc.
  • Others – Refurbished modules, power consumption etc.

Compatible Optical Transceiver

How to Ensure Quality of Compatible Optical Transceiver?

1. Professional Testing Process

Make sure the compatible optical transceiver you buy is tested on relevant original-brand switch. For example, when you buy a Cisco compatible optical transceiver, make sure it’s tested on Cisco switches. Usually, the compatible optical transceiver that has been tested can always guarantee perfect performance in your network.

2. Guaranteed Warranty Policy

The shopping experience tells us that bad quality products usually have short-term warranties. If there’s something wrong with your products, the vendor won’t give you any maintenance and return service. Instead, if the warranty time is long such as lifetime warranty, the products’ quality may be more reliable and stable.

3. Reputable Brand Vendor

With strict quality control system and OEM experience for many years, reputable brand vendors can usually guarantee a reliable and stable connectivity for your high-speed fiber transmission system. All the raw materials they used are safe and the performance can be comparable with the original.

Reliable Compatible Optical Transceiver Structure Details

Besides the considerations mentioned above, knowing the structure details requirement of a good compatible optical transceiver may also help you a lot.

1. Premium Metal Housing

A good transceiver module is made of premium pluggable hard gold plating, which can ensure repeated plugging and unplugging. In addition, by strict control of the gold plating thickness, it can reach a superior quality and ensure excellent connection as well as reducing the working temperature.

premium-metal-housing

2. High-Quality Laser

The high-quality laser is with high sensitivity, low attenuation and high quality which ensure the perfect signal transmitting and receiving.

high-quality-laser

3. Advanced Chip

The advanced chip offers the high performance and low power consumption to the module solution which ensures the signal to be transmitted with high speed and stable performance.

advanced-chip

4. Perfect Combination

The combination of the gold-finger (conductive metal), chip and metal housing makes a perfect transceiver module.

perfect-combination

Conclusion

When you’re looking to upgrade your network, it makes sense to choose a compatible optical transceiver to help save cost. FS.COM, a professional manufacturer and supplier of compatible optical transceiver, may be your ideal choice. Each transceiver module from FS.COM is tested on the real working environment before shipping which ensures the reliable and stable performance. Besides, FS.COM offers a 60-day money-back return policy and a guaranteed warranty policy to ensure their transceivers’ quality. If you try to use them, you may like them.

Related Article: All About Compatibility: Third-Party vs. Brand Optics

Wireless Access Point vs Router–Which One Is Right for You?

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Nowadays wireless networks are almost at every home. And surely you hear people around talking about the wireless equipment from time to time. Among, wireless router is the most familiar one in our lives. However, we’ve heard more and more about the word “wireless access point” or “AP” recently. What’s the wireless AP? Is it the same as the wireless router? What’s the difference between them? Wireless access point vs router: the difference between them will be introduced in this blog.

What Is a Router?
Most anyone who has an Internet connection has a router. A router is a device that routes packets between different networks. A typical consumer router is a wireless router and it has two network interfaces: LAN (including WLAN) and WAN. It serves to connect a local area network (LAN) to a wide area network – Internet (WAN). That is to say if we want to connect to Internet, we must use a router. Routers on the other hand can manage an entire home or small business giving network capability to many computers and devices simultaneously, either wired or wirelessly (when wireless router used).

wireless-router

What Is a Wireless Access Point?
As for wireless access point (AP), it’s commonly wire connected to Ethernet network’s router, hub or switch and then to create a simple wireless network. This was done by using a Ethernet cable to connect a switch and a AP and the AP would then communicate with WiFi devices and giving them network access. Wireless access point does not route anything. It just converts an existing wired network (LAN) into a wireless one (WLAN). A router can be a access point but a access point can’t be a router.

wireless-access-point

Wireless Access Point vs Router: Which One should I Buy?
Before routers became standard with built in WiFi, we must use a wireless AP to connect wireless devices to our network. However, now that most any router has built in WiFi and plays many roles including being a AP, many don’t use dedicated AP as they have in the past. Then wireless routers are common place in any network today but often there are weak WiFi signals or dead spots in any network. A wireless access point can be added in locations that have bad wireless network ability help with WiFi dead spots and extending a wireless network.

Wireless Access Point vs Router

Conclusion
In conclusion, access point vs router: if you want build more reliable wireless network, you may need a wireless access point. If you just want wireless network at home to cover only several people, the wireless router is enough. Today’s wireless AP is widely used in business and larger hotspot WLANs to cover a bigger area or to support hundreds of users. In larger WLANs, it usually makes sense to have several APs feeding into a single, separate router. FS.COM provides several wireless access points with high performance to support resilient wireless access services for use in enterprise offices, schools, hospitals, hotels and more.

wireless-access-point-ap

Related Article: PoE Switch VS. PoE+ Switch, Which Will You Choose?
Related Article: Network Switch, Router & Firewall—Why Need All Three?

Knowledge of SFP-10G-SR Compatibility and Price

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SFP-10G-SR is a Cisco multimode 10G transceiver. It supports up to 400m link length when uses 4700Mhz KM OM4 multimode fiber (MMF ). Usually, it was used in a switch SFP slot and support on a wide range of Cisco switches and routers. In the market, the SFP-10G-SR price is various, from $ 10 to $ 800. Which one should I choose? Knowledge of SFP-10G-SR compatibility and price will be provided in this blog.

Cisco SFP-10G-SR Introduction

The SFP-10G-SR is a Cisco 10G SFP+ transceiver module. It supports bi-directional, serial-optical data transfers across fiber optic networks. It is equipped with two connectors: a SFP+ male edge connector that plugs into the switch’s SFP+ port, and a duplex LC female connector for the fiber optic patch cable. Since it is hot-pluggable compliant, the Cisco SFP-10G-SR transceiver can be plugged directly into any Cisco SFP+ based transceiver port, without the need to power down the host network system. This capability makes moves, adds, and changes quick and painless.

sfp-10g-sr-price

Knowledge of SFP-10G-SR Compatibility

When you buy SFP-10G-SR transceivers for your switch, you are told to buy “brand” SFP-10G-SR from your network equipment manufacturer in order to keep your system running properly and safely. The “brand” SFP-10G-SR compatibility may never have any issues and the price is therefore very high, usually several hundred dollars. But since the transceivers are all manufactured based on MSA (Multi-source Agreement), which strictly define the operating characteristics of optical transceivers so that system vendors may implement ports in their devices that allow MSA compliant transceivers produced by name brand, as well a third party vendors, to function properly. Transceivers that manufactured by third party vendors usually called compatible transceivers, such as compatible Cisco SFP-10G-SR transceivers. Usually, these compatible transceivers are tested on the corresponding switch before selling, therefore, the compatibility can also be ensured. Cisco SFP-10G-SR matrix can be found here.

SFP-10G-SR Compatibility

SFP-10G-SR Price Comparison

Since equipment SFP-10G-SR vendors all rely on MSAs when designing their transceivers, every supplier can produce the transceiver modules with the same functions. For this reason, there are many module suppliers from which customers can choose freely. As we all know, freedom of choice is the foundation of the efficient operation of markets. In order to gain a bigger share of the market, those vendors may act as efficiently as possible, which may drive down costs and offer cheaper transceivers to customers. Following table gives a SFP-10G-SR price comparison based on several popular transceivers vendors for your reference.

Vendor Brand MODEL/MFG. PART SFP-10G-SR Price
CDW Cisco SFP-10G-SR $691.99
Router-Switch Cisco SFP-10G-SR $262.00
FluxLight FluxLight SFP-10G-SR $54.00
10Gtek 10Gtek SFP-10G-SR $18.88
 Fiberstore Fiberstore SFP-10G-SR $16.00

Conclusion

From the table above, we can see that the SFP-10G-SR price of the Fiberstore is the cheapest. We offer the exact same SFP-10G-SR transceiver as Cisco, but at a much lower price! Just compare the cost of buying a brand name Cisco SFP-10G-SR from one of our competitors to the price of purchasing the same transceiver from Fiberstore, or another third-party supplier. Besides, all optical transceivers from Fiberstore are tested in our test assured program before selling, so the 100% compatibility can be ensured. When you purchase a SFP-10G-SR transceiver from Fiberstore you’ll not only get the best price but also get the best quality and compatibility.

sfp-10g-sr-compatibility

Related Article:
Cisco SFP-10G-SR: All You Need to Know
SFP-10G-SR-S vs SFP-10G-SR, Why Choose One Over the Other?

What’s the Difference Between HBA, NIC and CNA?

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HBA, NIC and CNA are three types of adapters used in computer networking systems. All perform to connect servers to switches, then what’s the difference between them? In this blog, knowledge of HBA, NIC and CNA will be provided.

HBA – Host Bus Adapter
Host bus adapter is a hardware device, such as a circuit board or integrated circuit adapter, that provides I/O processing and physical connectivity between a host system, such as a server, and a storage device. The HBA transmits data between the host device and the storage system in a SAN and relieves the host microprocessor of the tasks of storing data and retrieving data. The result of which is to improve server performance. HBAs are most commonly used in Fibre Channel (FC) SAN environments and are also used for connecting SCSI and SATA devices.

what is hba

NIC – Network Interface Card
Short for Network Interface Card, the NIC is also referred to as an Ethernet card and network adapter. It is an expansion card that enables a computer to connect to a network. Most new computers have either Ethernet capabilities integrated into the motherboard chipset or use an inexpensive dedicated Ethernet chip connected through the PCI or PCI Express bus. A separate NIC is generally no longer needed. If the card or controller is not integrated into the motherboard, it may be an integrated component in a router, printer interface, or USB device.

nic

CNA – Converged Network Adapter
A converged network adapter (CNA), also called a converged network interface controller (C-NIC), is a computer input/output device that combines the functionality of a host bus adapter (HBA) with a network interface controller (NIC). In other words, it “converges” access to, respectively, a storage area network and a general-purpose computer network. The CNA connects to the server via a PCI Express (PCIe) interface. The server sends both FC SAN and LAN and traffic to an Ethernet port on a converged switch using the Fiber Channel over Ethernet (FCoE) protocol for the FC SAN data and the Ethernet protocol for LAN data. The converged switch converts the FCoE traffic to FC and sends it to the FC SAN. The Ethernet traffic is sent directly to the LAN.

cna

What’s the Difference Between HBA, NIC and CNA?
In large enterprise companies, main servers usually have (at least) two adapters – FC HBA and Ethernet NIC to connect to the storage network (Fiber Channel) and computer network (Ethernet). CNAs converges the functionality of both the adapters into one.

hba-nic-and-cna
As you can see from the picture below, with the set up in the first diagram, two separate adapters are required on the server to connect to Ethernet-based Computer Network and FC based Storage Network respectively. But the setup in the second diagram requires just one adapter (Converged Network Adapter – CNA) which carries both Ethernet traffic as well as FCoE traffic in a single cable. This cable connects to one of the Ethernet ports in the Converged Switch that has both Ethernet as well as Fiber Channel ports. This Converged Switch converts the FCOE traffic into Fiber Channel traffic to be sent to the FC SAN over the Fiber Channel Network. The computer network traffic is directly sent to the LAN over the Ethernet Network.

Conclusion
Compared to use both HBA and NIC, using a single CNA to connect servers to storage and networks reduces costs by requiring fewer adapter cards, cables, switch ports, and PCIe slots. Besides, CNAs also reduce the complexity of administration because there is only one connection and cable to manage. To connect CNAs to your ToR or EoR switches can over both SFP+ SR (optical) or SFP+ direct attach copper cable. To connect CNAs to your servers can over Cat6 cables. All these cabling solutions can be provided in FS.COM. All at a low price and high quality!

Related Article: Are White Box Switches Equal to OEM Switches?

Related Article: What’s the Difference: Hub vs Switch vs Router

Compatible Cisco 2960 SFP for Cisco 2960 Series Switches

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Cisco Catalyst 2960 series switches are available in 2960, 2960-S, 2960-SF, 2960-X and many other types. The Cisco 2960-S and 2960-SF series are the newest members of the 2960 family that offer a rich set of Layer 2 features. The 2960-S provides Gigabit Ethernet (10/100/1000) connectivity with 10G/1G SFP+ uplinks, and the 2960-SF provides Fast Ethernet (10/100) connectivity with 1G SFP uplinks. This blog mainly introduced the knowledge of 2960-SF series switches and their compatible Cisco 2960 SFP modules.
Cisco 2960
Cisco Catalyst 2960-SF Series Switches Overview
Cisco Catalyst 2960-SF series switches deliver secure and reliable LAN access for branch and medium-sized campus deployments. They enable reliable and secure business operations and lower total cost of ownership through a range of innovative features including FlexStack, Power over Ethernet Plus (PoE+), and Cisco Catalyst SmartOperations. These series switches include 7 models. 5 models with LAN Base Software and 2 models with LAN Lite Software.

Cisco Catalyst 2960-SF Series Switches with LAN Base Software
Switch Model Description Uplinks Available PoE Power
2960S-F48FPS-L 48 Ethernet 10/100 ports with PoE+ 4 SFP 740W
2960S-F48LPS-L 48 Ethernet 10/100 ports with PoE+ 4 SFP 370W
2960S-F24PS-L 24 Ethernet 10/100 ports with PoE+ 2 SFP 370W
2960S-F48TS-L 48 Ethernet 10/100 ports 4 SFP
2960S-F24TS-L 24 Ethernet 10/100 ports 2 SFP
Cisco Catalyst 2960-SF Series Switches with LAN Lite Software
2960S-F48TS-S 48 Ethernet 10/100 ports 2 SFP
2960S-F24TS-S 24 Ethernet 10/100 ports 2 SFP

What’s the Difference Between the LAN Base and LAN Lite Switches?
The Cisco 2960-SF switches support the LAN Base and the LAN Lite software feature sets. The LAN Base feature set comes with advanced Layer 2(L2) features and is typically targeted at large enterprise customers. The LAN Lite feature set has entry-level L2 features and is targeted at mid market deployments. Following are the notable hardware differences:

  • Ease of management with Cisco FlexStack
  • Power of Ethernet (PoE/PoE+) capabilities
  • Increased number of VLANs
  • A wider selection of Small Form-Factor Pluggable (SFP) ports

Compatible Cisco 2960 SFP for Cisco 2960-SF Series Switches
By consulting the Cisco 100-Megabit Ethernet and Gigabit Ethernet SFP Modules Compatibility Matrix, I get following compatible Cisco 2960 SFP models that supported for 2960-SF series switches.

Compatible Fast Ethernet SFP Modules for Cisco 2960-SF Series Switches
Network Device Transceiver Model Description
2960S-F48TS-S

2960S-F24TS-S

GLC-GE-100FX 100BASE-FX SFP 1310nm 2km
GLC-FE-100FX 100BASE-FX SFP 1310nm 2km DOM
Compatible Gigabit Ethernet SFP Modules for Cisco 2960-SF Series Switches
Network Device Transceiver Model Description
2960S-F48TS-S

2960S-F24TS-S

2960S-F48FPS-L

2960S-F48LPS-L

2960S-F24PS-L

2960S-F48TS-L

2960S-F24TS-L

GLC-T 1000BASE-T Copper RJ-45 100m
GLC-TE 1000BASE-T Copper RJ-45 100m
GLC-SX-MM 1000BASE-SX SFP 850nm 550m
GLC-LH-SM 1000BASE-LX/LH SFP 1310nm 10km
GLC-SX-MMD 1000BASE-SX SFP 850nm 550m DOM
GLC-LH-SMD 1000BASE-LX/LH SFP 1310nm 10km DOM
GLC-EX-SMD 1000BASE-EX SFP 1310nm 40km DOM
Network Device Transceiver Model Description
2960S-F48FPS-L

2960S-F48LPS-L

2960S-F24PS-L

2960S-F48TS-L

2960S-F24TS-L

GLC-ZX-SM 1000BASE-ZX SFP 1550nm 70km
GLC-ZX-SMD 1000BASE-ZX SFP 1550nm 70km DOM
GLC-BX-D BiDi SFP 1490nm-TX/1310nm-RX 10km
GLC-BX-U BiDi SFP 1310nm-TX/1490nm-RX 10km
CWDM SFP 1270nm-1610nm (20nm spacing)

Conclusion
Cisco 2960-SF Ethernet switch enables a wide range of business or residential applications and services. FS.COM offers all above Cisco compatible transceiver with reasonable prices and high performance. All those products are tested before shipping to ensure high quality. For more details, please visit www.fs.com or contact us via sales@fs.com.

Related Article: Compatible Transceivers for Cisco Catalyst 4948E Switch

GLC-T vs GLC-TE vs SFP-GE-T: Which One to Choose?

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GLC-T, GLC-TE and SFP-GE-T are three Cisco 1000BASE-T SFP types. All these three models SFPs can operate on standard Category 5 unshielded twisted-pair copper cabling of link lengths up to 100 m (328 ft) and support 10/100/1000 auto negotiation and Auto MDI/MDIX. So, what’s the difference between them? In this article, comparison between Cisco GLC-T vs GLC-TE vs SFP-GE-T will be provided.

GLC-T vs GLC-TE vs SFP-GE-T on Cisco switch

Specifications for GLC-T, GLC-TE and SFP-GE-T

By access to Cisco’s relative information, specifications for Cisco GLC-T, GLC-TE and SFP-GE-T are concluded in the table below:

SFP Models Description Operating Temperature Range
Cisco GLC-T 1000BASE-T SFP Copper RJ-45 100m Transceiver COM
Cisco GLC-TE 1000BASE-T SFP Copper RJ-45 100m Transceiver EXT
Cisco SFP-GE-T 1000BASE-T SFP Copper RJ-45 100m Transceiver NEBS 3 ESD EXT

From the table above, we can see that the difference between GLC-T and GLC-TE is the operating temperature range. Operating temperature range for GLC-T and GLC-TE is respectively commercial temperature range (COM) and Extended temperature range (EXT). The difference between SFP-GE-T and GLC-TE is that the SFP-GE-T has the function of NEBS 3 ESD. Then what does that mean? Let’s read the following passages.

Explanation for SFP Operating Temperature Range: COM, EXT and IND

Operating temperature range:

  • Commercial temperature range (COM): 0 to 70°C (32 to 158°F)
  • Extended temperature range (EXT): -5 to 85°C (23 to 185°F)
  • Industrial temperature range (IND): -40 to 85°C (-40 to 185°F)
  • Storage temperature range: -40 to 85°C (-40 to 185°F)
What Does NEBS 3 ESD Mean?  

NEBS is short for Network Equipment Building System and is a set of standards for building networking equipment which can withstand a variety of environmental stresses. NEBS has three levels: Level 1, Level 2, and Level 3. Level 1 refers to cases where minimum compatibility with the environment is needed. Level 2 applies for limited operability of the product. Finally, NEBS Level 3 (NEBS 3 ESD) certification guarantees the maximum operability of the equipment. It also certifies that the equipment will perform well in harsh environmental conditions and will not interfere with other electronic devices around. NEBS Level 3 certified networking equipment is vital in mission-critical applications. SFP-GE-T with 1000BASE-T NEBS 3 ESD, that is to say, compared to GLC-T or GLC-TE it can take greater stresses with less likelihood of failure, and are therefore a bit more trustworthy in truly mission-critical applications.

Which One Should I Use: GLC-T vs GLC-TE vs SFP-GE-T

In terms of Cisco original GLC-T vs GLC-TE vs SFP-GE-T transceivers, GLC-T and SFP-GE-T will be End-of-Sale June 1, 2017 and replaced by the GLC-TE. So then you can only buy GLC-TE transceivers from Cisco. If you’re dealing directly with a company like a telecom who specifically requires NEBS compliance, they’ll let you know and you should choose SFP-GE-T. But for most of the networks, GLC-T and GLC-TE transceivers are all you’d need for Gigabit Ethernet, and they cost less as well. Fiberstore (FS.COM) provides all these three SFP modules. We are manufactured to the exact same standards as Cisco’s own brand, and come with true lifetime warranties. Every SFP module in Fiberstore was tested to ensure 100% compatibility, but only cost a small fraction of name-brand alternatives.

Related Article: Compatible SFP for Cisco 2960 Series Switches

Related Article: A Quick Overview of Cisco 1000BASE-T GLC-T SFP Copper Module

Full CWDM Mux Demux and CWDM SFP Transceivers Solutions

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CWDM systems have channels at wavelengths spaced 20 nanometers (nm) apart, compared with 0.4 nm spacing for DWDM. This allows the use of low-cost, uncooled lasers for CWDM. In a typical CWDM system, laser emissions occur on full eighteen channels at eighteen defined wavelengths: 1610 nm, 1590 nm, 1570 nm, 1550 nm, 1530 nm, 1510 nm, 1490 nm, 1470 nm, 1450 nm, 1430 nm, 1410 nm, 1390 nm, 1370 nm, 1350 nm, 1330 nm, 1310 nm, 1290 nm, 1270 nm. Besides, for CWDM systems an industry standard color coding scheme is used. The latches of the CWDM SFP transceivers match the colored port indicators on the passive units therefore guaranteeing simple setup. Following color codes and wavelength are valid for CWDM.

cwdm-channels

Full CWDM Channels (18 Channels) Mux Demux Solution

The WDM system uses a multiplexer at the transmitter to combine several wavelengths together, each one carry different signal with bite-rate up to 10G and a demultiplexer at the receiver to split them apart. Both mux and demux are passive, requiring no power supply. The 18 Channels CWDM mux demux covers all channels of 1270nm to 1610nm in 20nm increments. Without replacing any infrastructure, it totally support data rates up to 180 Gbps by being completely protocol transparent. The main fields of applications are the use in SDH (STM-1, STM-4, STM-16, STM- 64), IP (Fast Ethernet, Gigabit Ethernet, 10 Gigabit) ATM and storage (1G, 2G, 4G, 8G, 10G Fibre Channel) networks. Connectors, located on the front of the CWDM mux demux modules, are labeled and use the same color-coding that is used to indicate the wavelength of the individual CWDM SFP transceivers (shown in the figure below).

cwdm-mux-demux

When fiber availability is limited, CWDM mux demux could increase the bandwidth on the existing fiber infrastructure. By using 18ch CWDM mux demux mentioned above and the CWDM SFP transceivers, up to 180 Gbps could be supported on a fiber pair.

18-channels-cwdm-mux-demux

Full CWDM SFP Transceivers Solution

CWDM SFP transceiver is based on the SFP form factor which is a MSA standard build. The max speed of this product is 1.25G and they are also available as 2.5G and of course the popular CWDM 10G SFP transceivers. The CWDM SFP transceiver has a specific laser which emits a “color” defined in the CWDM ITU grid. The CWDM ITU grid is defined from 1270 to 1610nm and has steps of 20nm. So the available wavelength is 1270nm, 1290nm, 1310nm, 1330nm, 1350nm, 1370nm, 1390nm, 1410nm, 1430nm, 1450nm, 1470nm, 1490nm, 1510nm, 1530nm, 1550nm, 1570nm, 1590nm and C. Besides, our CWDM SFP transceivers are similarly color-coded as the CWDM mux demux to help you match the right link connection (shown in the figure below).

CWDM SFP

We can make the CWDM SFP transceivers compatible with every brand (Cisco, HP, H3C, Juniper, Huawei, Brocade, Arista). A lot of brands have vendor locking and only with the proper coding. Fiberstore is specialized in this rebranding or recoding. We have many different switches and routers in our test lab to test the coding. We also use different Optical Spectrum Analyzers to ensure the CWDM SFP transceiver is emitting the right color and has the correct power budget. The CWDM SFP transceiver is used in combination with passive CWDM mux demux, and we can provide you a complete solution and advice on which equipment fits best in your project. Please give us your project details and we will provide the most efficient and economical solution.

1270nm SFP 1290nm SFP 1310nm SFP 1330nm SFP 1350nm SFP 1370nm SFP
1390nm SFP 1410nm SFP 1430nm SFP 1450nm SFP 1470nm SFP 1490nm SFP
1510nm SFP 1530nm SFP 1550nm SFP 1570nm SFP 1590nm SFP 1610nm SFP

Common Mistakes in Fiber Optic Network Installation

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When install a fiber optic network, people may make some common mistakes, which were usually overlooked. In this article, I will list the most common ones. Hope to give you some guidance for your optical network installation.

1. Single Strand Fiber Device Must Be Used in Pairs

You will never buy two left shoes, but people often make a similar mistake when they’re working with Single Strand Fiber (SSF). Single strand fiber technology allows for the use of two independent wavelengths, such as 1310 and 1550 nm, on the same piece of cable. The most common single strand fiber device is Bi-Directional (BiDi) transceiver. Two BiDi transceiver must be matched correctly. One unit must be a 1310nm-TX/1550nm-RX transceiver (transmitting at 1310 nm, receiving at 1550 nm) and the other must be a 1550nm-TX/1310nm-RX transceiver (transmitting at 1550 nm, receiving at 1310 nm). The 1550nm-TX/1310nm-RX transceiver is more expensive than the 1310nm-TX/1550nm-RX transceiver, due to the cost of their more powerful lasers. So network engineers may hope to save money by installing a pair of 1310nm-TX/1550nm-RX transceivers. But, like mismatched shoes, it doesn’t work.

single-strand-fiber

2. Don’t Use Single-Mode Fiber over Multimode Fiber

Some people may want to make use of legacy cabling or equipment from an older fiber installation to save cost. But keep in mind that single-mode and multimode fiber are usually incompatible. Multimode fiber uses cable with a relatively large core size, typically 62.5 microns (om2, om3 and om4), and 50 microns (om1) still used in some installations. The larger core size simplifies connections and allows for the use of less powerful, less expensive light sources.  But the light therefore tends to bounce around inside the core, which increases the modal dispersion. That limits multimode’s useful range to about 2 km. Single-mode fiber combines powerful lasers and cabling with a narrow core size of 9/125 microns to keep the light focused.  It has a range of up to 120 km, but it is also more expensive. If you tried to use single-mode fiber over a multimode fiber run.  The core size of the fiber cable would be far too large.  You’d get dropped packets and CRC errors.

single-mode-multimode-fiber

3. Understand All kinds of Fiber connectors First

Fiber optic transceivers use a variety of connectors, so make clear their differences before you begin ordering products for a fiber installation is necessary. SC (stick and click) is a square connector. ST (stick and twist) is a round, bayonet-type. LC, or the “Lucent Connector”, was developed by Lucent Technologies to address complaints that ST and SC were too bulky and too easy to dislodge. LC connectors look like a compact version of the SC connector. SFP (small form‐factor pluggable) transceivers usually use LC connector.  Less common connectors include MT-RJ and E2000.

st-lc-sc

4.Connector Links and Splice Times Also Affect 

Although single-mode fiber suffers from less signal loss per km than multimode, all fiber performance is affected by connectors and splices. The signal loss at a single connector or splice may seem insignificant. But as connectors and splices become more numerous signal loss will steadily increase. Typical loss factors would include 0.75 dB per connector, 1 dB per splice, 0.4 dB attenuation per km for single-mode fiber and 3.5 dB attenuation per km for multimode fiber.  Add a 3 dB margin for safety. The more splices and connectors you have in a segment, the greater the loss on the line.

5. Don’t Use APC connector with UPC Connector

Fiber connections may use Angle Polished Connectors (APC) or Ultra Polished Connectors (UPC), and they are not interchangeable. There are physical differences in the ferules at the end of the terminated fiber within the cable (shown in the figure below).  An APC ferrule end-face is polished at an 8° angle, while the UPC is polished at a 0° angle. If the angles are different, some of the light will fail to propagate, becoming connector or splice loss. UPC connectors are common in Ethernet network equipment like media converters, serial devices and fiber‐based switches. APC connectors are typical for FTTX and PON connections.  ISPs are increasingly using APC.

apc-upc-connector

6. Don’t Connect SFP to SFP+ Transceivers

Small Form Pluggable (SFP) transceivers are more expensive than fixed transceivers.  But they are hot swappable and their small form factor gives them additional flexibility. They’ll work with cages designed for any fiber type and their prices are steadily dropping.  So they have become very popular. Standard SFPs typically support speeds of 100 Mbps or 1 Gbps. XFP and SFP+ support 10 Gbps connections. SFP+ is smaller than XFP and allows for greater port density.  Though the size of SFP and SFP+ is the same, you can’t connect SFP+ to a device (SFP) that only supports 1 Gbps.

Related Article: Optical Module Maintenance Methods and Installation Tips