Fiber Connector Type: SC APC vs SC UPC

With the rapid development of fiber networks, fiber connectors have become an essential assembly to cater for high-performance fiber optic system. There are various fiber connector types in the market, such as LC, ST, SC, MPO/MTP and so on, among which, SC is one of the most commonly used fiber connectors. Further Classifying SC by polishing type, we have SC APC connector and SC UPC connector. This article will introduce SC APC vs SC UPC and illustrate their difference for your selection guide.

SC APC vs SC UPC: What Refers to SC?

SC is the abbreviation of Subscriber Connector, sometimes also refers to Square Connector or Standard Connector. SC is a type of fiber optic connector with snap (push-pull coupling) coupling type and a 2.5 mm diameter ferrule, which is popularly used in single mode duplex system for its high performance and accurate alignment.

SC APC vs SC UPC: What Refers to APC and UPC?

Generally speaking, SC APC connector and SC UPC connector are distinct from each other based on fiber end face. SC APC connector is polished with an 8-degree angle, while SC UPC connector is polished with no angle, which causes difference in light reflection. SC UPC connector adopts an extended polish method to realize finer fiber surface finish, which brings much lower back reflection (ORL) and thus provides much more reliable signal in data center, digital TV and telephone. Although SC UPC connector has low insertion loss and wide range of application, there are some applications requiring for higher return loss, no less than 60 dB or even higher. In this circumstance, SC APC connector can make the need and consistently perform well due to the 8-degree angle.

SC APC

Figure 1: This photo shows a SC APC connector.

SC APC vs SC UPC: What Are the Differences?

As mentioned above, we know SC APC and SC UPC varies from polishing style, which is a difference in the manufacturing process. But in the actual usage, what are the distinct features of SC APC and SC UPC connectors and how to choose from them? Here are some clues.

·Return Loss Value

With a SC UPC connector installed on the end of a fiber, reflected light is reflected straight back to the light source. However, with a SC APC connector, reflected light is reflected at an angle into the outer cladding layer rather than straight back towards the light source. This different way of reflection of reflected lights brings about different return loss value. SC APC connector is standardized with a return loss value as -60dB or higher, while SC UPC connector as -50dB or higher.

·Insertion Loss Value

Another specification to consider about fiber connector is insertion loss. Lower the insertion loss, better the performance. Someone prefer SC UPC connector, because they hold the view that SC UPC connector is easier to realize low insertion. This is true on account of less air gaps in SC UPC connector than SC APC connector. However, modern technique has made insertion loss value of SC APC connector as low as SC UPC connector.

·Applications

SC APC connector is commonly used in applications that are much more sensitive to return loss, and requires for high precision signal, such as FTTX (Fiber To The X), video delivery through RF signal, WDM (wavelength division multiplexing) applications and analogue equipment like CCTV. For applications less sensitive to return loss and no other particular demands are required, a SC UPC connector can work as equal effectively as a SC APC connector.

SC UPC

Figure 2: This photo shows a SC UPC connector.

·Other Reference

While SC APC connector is green, SC UPC connector is blue. Besides, the first is much more expensive than the latter one for the optical performance of SC APC much better than SC UPC connector. Other factors to think is the ease of use and your personal needs.

Conclusion

This article touches the concept of several items: SC, APC connector and UPC connector. Then it explains why SC APC connector is distinct from SC UPC connector from several aspects. It is improper to say one SC connector type wins the other for there are lots of consideration under specific circumstances. Simply put, people choose from these two SC connectors according to their personal need. Taking the factors of optical performance, cost and application in usage into consideration, one can make the best choice.

SFP LC SX Vs. LX Transceiver

1000BASE SFP transceivers have been widely used in 1G Ethernet, telecommunication and other applications. They provide a full range of 1000BASE SFP transceivers types to meet the different requirement for varied transmission distance based on singlemode or multimode fiber. They can be interfaced with different connectors, such as LC, SC, ST, FC, etc. 1000BASE-SX SFP and 1000BASE-LX SFP transceivers are two different types of 1000BASE SFP LC transceivers. Knowledge of difference between SFP LC SX and SFP LC LX transceiver would be covered.

SFP LC

What’s SFP LC transceiver?

LC SFP transceiver means 1000BASE SFP transceiver with LC connectors, which includes 1000BASE-SX SFP, 1000BASE-MX SFP, 1000BASE-LX SFP, 1000BASE-EX SFP, 1000BASE-ZX SFP, 1000BASE-EZX SFP, 1000BASE-BX SFP and CWDM/DWDM SFP transceiver modules. Different protocols have varied requirement for transmission medium, operation temperature, supporting DOM or not, and etc. 1000BASE-SX SFP is designed for transmission within near area, while LC SFP LX transceiver for long-haul transmission.

SFP LC Vs. SC

The main difference between SFP LC and SFP SC transceiver lies in connectors. LC and SC are two different connectors, and they are different in size, handing and history of connector. LC is half size of SC. And SC is a true “push-pull-connector” and LC is a “latched connector”, although there are very innovative, real “push-pull-LCs” available which have the same handling capabilities like SC. Moreover, the LC is the “younger” connector of the two, SC is wider spread around the world but LC is catching up. SC is generally used with GBIC, LC is used with SFP transceiver.

SFP LC SX Vs. LX Transceiver

SFP LC SX transceiver

1000BASE-SX LC SFP transceiver is a fiber optic Gigabit Ethernet standard transceiver for operation over multi-mode fiber using a 770 to 860 nanometer. It works at 850nm wavelength and used only for the purposed of the multimode optical fiber with an LC connector. The link lengths of 1000BASE-SX SFP can be up to 500m with 50 microns multimode optical fiber and it can achieve 220m with 62.5 micron multimode optical fiber. This SFP LC module is highly favored by intra-building links in large office buildings, co-location facilities and carrier neutral internet exchanges.

SFP LC LX transceiver

SFP  Ethernet networks. LC SFP LX transceiver uses with long-wavelength transmissions (1270-1355nm) over long cable runs of fiber optic cabling. This LC SFP module can run over both singlemode fiber and multimode fiber with a distance of up to 5km and 550m, respectively. And the SFP LC port can be connected by fiber patch cable with LC connector. 1000BASE-LX LC SFP transceiver mainly deployed for connecting high-speed hubs, Ethernet switches, and routers together in different wiring closets or buildings using long cabling runs, and developed to support longer-length multimode building fiber backbones and single-mode campus backbones.

What’s the Difference?

1000BASE-SX SFP LC transceiver is for multimode fiber cables for less than 550 meters. The LC SFP LX transceiver is for singlemode fiber cables up to 10km, and it also supports the multimode. 1000BASE-SX LC SFP transceiver standard was developed to support lower cost multimode fiber runs in horizontal and shorter-length backbone applications. The LC SFP LX transceiver standard was developed to support longer-length multimode building fiber backbones and singlemode campus backbones. LC SFP LX transceiver costs more than 1000BASE-SX SFP LC transceiver.

Conclusion

Both 1000BASE-SX LC SFP transceiver and LC SFP LX transceiver are 1000BASE SFP transceivers with LC connector, but they are designed to support different transmission lengths. You can select a proper one according to your actual requirement. For cheap SFP LC transceivers with high quality, FS.COM is a wise choice. By the way, they provide customizing service, you can customize the module model of compatible major brands you want there.

Related Article: Why Not Use Third-party Dell SFP Transceivers for Your Dell Switches?
A Quick Overview of Cisco GLC-LH-SM SFP Module

8 Port PoE Switch Selection Guide And Tips

POE(Power over Ethernet) is ideal for using in smart applications which makes CCTV even more effective and easier to manage. The network can be monitored, controlled, and managed from a smartphone or tablet. With a POE switch such as the Netgear ProSAFE 8 port switch, remote IP surveillance cameras can be controlled and managed no matter where they are located. Facing the selection of 8 port PoE switch, most of people would occur allodoxaphobia. For fixing this hard-decision problem, this article would put emphasis on 8 port PoE switch selection guide and tips.

8 Port PoE switch-FS.COM

Overview on 8 Port PoE switch

There is a variety of 8 port PoE switches with different brands. Today, we would take FS.COM 8 port switch as an example to introduce 8 port PoE switches. FS.COM S1130-8T2F managed PoE+ switch comes with 8x 10/100/1000Base-T RJ45 Ethernet ports, 1x console port, and 2x gigabit SFP slots. It can supply power to network equipment such as weather-proof IP cameras with windshield wiper and heater, high-performance AP and IP telephone. This managed PoE+ switch are highly flexible, the transmission distance of the SFP fiber port can be up to 120km, and with high resistance to electromagnetic interference. It also features superior performance in stability, environmental adaptability. FS.COM PoE+ Gigabit switch comes with a one-year limited warranty, including any quality problems during the free maintenance. The detailed specification of FS.COM S1130-8T2F managed PoE+ 8 port switch is shown in the below.

Switch Class Layer2+
Switch Chip VITESSE
Fans Fanless Design
Jumbo frames Up to 9KB
Power Consumption Per PoE Port Max. 30W
Max. Power Consumption 130W
Power Supply Input 100-240VAC, 50-60Hz
Switching Capacity 20Gbps
Forwarding Rate 14.88Mpps
Packet Buffer Memory 4M
PoE Standard Compliant with IEEE802.3af/at
VLANs Up to 4K
Web Management Interface Supported
Power Pin Type End-span

8 Port PoE switch Selection Guide & Tips

—Power Requirements

Review the data sheets of the camera’s you have specified on the installation to see if any have higher power requires known as PoE+. If you have 1 or more camera’s requiring PoE+ power you will need to heavily consider this when choosing your switch. (Please note PoE+ switches will happily power standard PoE devices but a standard PoE switch cannot power any PoE+ device, regardless of the amount of wattage unused by the other connected equipment). However some switches are designed to power both PoE and PoE+ devices, please check the specification sheet of that exact switch model to see if this is possible on your selection. If this is the case you will usually find a the switch will handle half the PoE+ devices it will PoE e.g. An 8 port switch can power 8 standard PoE devices or 4 PoE+ devices.

—Cable Run Length

Make sure when planning your network you do not have cable runs longer than 90 meters. This is particularly important when using PoE due to voltage drop. PoE is particularly hard to measure voltage on so if you break the 90 meter cable rule you could be in for a world of pain if devices do not operate correctly.

—8 Port Switch Price

There are many 8 port PoE switches of major brands on the market, such as Cisco, Netgear, HP, TP-Link and etc. The 8 port switch price varies in difference brands. But they all controlled in a certain range, it’s around $40~$300. For brand selection of 8 port PoE switch, that depends on your preference. You can check the price discrepancy with major brands in the following table. Notice: All the following prices except FS.COM are from Amazon.

Brand Model Price
Cisco SF302-08P 8-Port PoE Manged Switch $153.11
NETGEAR GS108PEv3 8-Port PoE Managed Switch $79.99
FS.COM S1130-8T2F 8-Port PoE managed switch $159.00
HP 2530-8-POE+ Ethernet Switch $270.00

Conclusion

This article mainly introduce FS.COM S1130-8T2F 8 port PoE switch and provide 8 port switch selection guide and tips. How to choose a reliable supplier from so many 8 port switch manufacturers? Before buying 8 port PoE switch, the quality, power requirement, price, cable run length should be considered. As one of well-known 3rd-party optics manufacturers, FS.COM is suggested to be a good choice for 8 port PoE switch.

Cisco SFP Datasheet

As a world renowned enterprise in communication and information technology industry, Cisco’s networking products have been gained worldwide reputation among these years. Fiber optical transceiver is a networking technology used within buildings in local-area networks and across great distances in wide-area networks. 1000BASE SFP modules with various protocols offer optimized 1G Ethernet connectivity for diverse networking environments. Cisco SFP modules include 1000BASE-T SFP, 1000BASE-SX SFP, 1000BASE-LX/LH SFP, 1000BASE-EX SFP, etc. This passage would put emphasis on Cisco SFP modules and comprehensively present the Cisco SFP datasheet.

Overview on Cisco 1000BASE SFP Modules

Cisco’s industry-standard SFP is a hot-swappable input/output device that plugs into a Gigabit Ethernet port/slot, linking the port with the fiber optic network. SFPs can be used and interchanged on a wide variety of Cisco products and can be intermixed in combinations of IEEE 802.3z- compliant 1000BaseSX, 1000BaseLX/LH, or 1000BaseZX interfaces on a port-by-port basis. All of the Cisco 1000BASE SFP modules were certified and tested for superior performance, quality, and reliability. So the customers could rest assured to plug these hot-swappable input or output device into the 1 Gigabit Ethernet ports.

Cisco SFP 1G

Nowadays, they have been widely applied to data center, high-performance computing networks, enterprise core and distribution layers, and service provider applications. Basically, there are totally 12 form factors of Cisco 1000BASE SFP modules. Owing to time and space limitation, we would briefly introduce Cisco 1000BASE-SX SFP, Cisco 1000BASE-LX/LH SFP, Cisco 1000BASE-EX SFP, and Cisco 1000BASE-ZX SFP.

Cisco 1000BASE-SX SFP Datasheet

The Cisco 1000BASE-SX SFP is fully compatible with the IEEE 802.3z 1000BASE-SX standard. It operates on legacy 50 μm multimode fiber links up to 550 m and on 62.5 μm Fiber Distributed Data Interface (FDDI)-grade multimode fibers up to 220 m. This Cisco 1000BASE-SX SFP module can support up to 1 km over laser-optimized 50 μm multimode fiber cable. This Cisco multimode SFP module can be used to connect the 1000BASE SFP port on Cisco switch. The Cisco 1000BASE-SX SFP datasheet is shown as below:

Form Type SFP-GE-S-2
Max Data Rate 1000Mbps
Wavelength 1310nm
Max Transmission Distance 2km
Interface LC duplex
Fiber Type MMF
DOM Support Yes
TX Power -9.5～-3dBm
Receiver Sensitivity < -17dBm
Operating Temperature 0 to 70°C (32 to 158°F)

Cisco 1000BASE-LX/LH SFP Datasheet

The Cisco 1000BASE-LX/LH SFP is compatible with the IEEE 802.3z 1000BASE-LX standard. It operates on standard single-mode fiber-optic link spans of up to 10 km and up to 550 m on any multimode fibers. When used over legacy multimode fiber type, the transmitter should be coupled through a mode conditioning patch cable. This Cisco singlemode SFP datasheet is shown as below:

Form Type GLC-LH-SM
Max Data Rate 1000Mbps
Wavelength 1310nm
Max Transmission Distance 10km
Interface LC duplex
Fiber Type SMF
DOM Support Yes
TX Power -9.5～-3dBm
Receiver Sensitivity < -23dBm
Operating Temperature 0 to 70°C (32 to 158°F)

Cisco 1000BASE-EX SFP Datasheet

The Cisco 1000BASE-EX SFP operates on standard singlemode fiber optic link spans of up to 40 km in length. A 5-dB inline optical attenuator should be inserted between the fiber-optic cable and the receiving port on the SFP at each end of the link for back-to-back connectivity. Like the last one, the Cisco 1000BASE-EX is also a Cisco singlemode SFP module, the detailed datasheet is shown in the following table.

Form Type GLC-EX-SMD
Max Data Rate 1000Mbps
Wavelength 1310nm
Max Transmission Distance 40km
Interface LC duplex
Fiber Type SMF
DOM Support Yes
TX Power -5～0dBm
Receiver Sensitivity < -24dBm
Operating Temperature 0 to 70°C (32 to 158°F)

Cisco 1000BASE-ZX SFP Datasheet

The Cisco 1000BASE-ZX SFP module operates on standard singlemode fiber optic link spans of up to approximately 70 km in length. The SFP provides an optical link budget of 21 dB, but the precise link span length depends on multiple factors such as fiber quality, number of splices, and connectors. This Cisco singlemode SFP datasheet is shown in the following table.

Form Type GLC-ZX-SM
Max Data Rate 1000Mbps
Wavelength 1310nm
Max Transmission Distance 80km
Interface LC duplex
Fiber Type SMF
DOM Support Yes
TX Power -2～3dBm
Receiver Sensitivity < -24dBm
Operating Temperature 0 to 70°C (32 to 158°F)

Conclusion

1000BASE SFP transceiver is the most commonly used component for Gigabit Ethernet application. And Cisco SFP modules account for a large share on Gigabit Ethernet optics’ market, which are paramount for data centers, enterprises and etc. With so many types available in the market, careful notice should be given to the range of differences, both in distance and price of Cisco multimode SFP and Cisco singlemode SFP module. FS.COM will be a good choice with good compatibility, support offerings and great reputation.

48 Port PoE Switch: Cisco Vs HP Vs FS.COM

To meet the growing requirement of an improved enterprise network management, 48 port PoE switch provides optimized solution for network efficiency, operational cost savings, and ease of management. Cisco always plays a leading role in fiber optical communication while HP switches are renowned for competitive price, quality and service. FS.COM is seen as the rising third-party fiber optics’ vendor. It has gained well reputation for their fiber optical transceiver, fiber jumpers, etc. Today, we would touch the basic introduction of the 48 port PoE switch supplied by these three vendors, analyze the difference, and provide a selection guide.

Cisco 48 Port PoE switch

For Cisco 48 port PoE switch, there are many such switches having been launched, such as SG 500X-48P(170/volume per month), SG2010P(210/volume per month), etc. The Cisco SG2010P 48 port poe switch has 48 RJ-45 connectors for 10BASE-T/100BASE-TX/1000BASE-T with 4 Gigabit combo ports shared between mini-GBIC ports. It is optimized for maximum system availability, with fully redundant stacking, redundant power options, and dual images for resilient firmware upgrades. The enhanced quality of service (QoS) and traffic-management features help ensure clear and reliable voice and video communications. The distinctive features of the Cisco SG2010P 48 port poe switch are showing in the below:

  • IEEE 802.3af PoE delivered over any of the forty-eight 10/100/1000 ports
  • Dual images for resilient firmware upgrades
  • 96 Gbps nonblocking, store-and-forward switching capacity
  • Fully resilient stacking provides optimized growth with simplified management
  • ACLs for granular security and QoS implementation
  • Configuration and monitoring from a standard web browser

HP 48 Port PoE switch

HP also offers many 48 port gigabit poe switch, such as HP J9853A(50/volume per month), HP 2530-48G(1300/volume per month), HP 2530-48G… HP 2530-48G is the hottest one among all the HP 48 port gigabit poe switches. The HP 2530-48G (J9775A) switch 48 RJ-45 auto-sensing 10/100/1000 ports (IEEE 802.3 Type 10BASE-T, IEEE 802.3u Type 100BASE-TX, IEEE 802.3ab Type 1000BASE-T) and four small form-factor pluggable (SFP) slots for fiber connectivity. The HP 2530-48G 48 port gigabit poe switch consists of four fully managed Layer 2 edge switches, delivering cost-effective, reliable, and secure connectivity for business networks.

FS.COM 48 Port PoE switch

Different from Cisco and HP, the total volume of FS.COM 48 poe switch is far less than Cisco and HP. For FS.COM 48 port poe switch, it offers S5800-48F4S, S3800-48T4S, S5850-48T4Q, and etc. S5800-48F4S 48 port poe switch is a availability, high-compatibility and network-scaling applications of data center as a carrier Access switch. It has 48 port 1GbE SFP and 4 port 10GbE SFP+ in a compact 1RU form factor and low latency L2/L3 Ethernet switch. With support for advanced features, including MLAG, SFLOW, SNMP etc, this switch is ideal for traditional or fully virtualized data center.

48 port poe switch fs.com

48 Port PoE switch: Cisco Vs HP Vs FS.COM

In this article, we would mainly give a comparison on 48 port poe switch among the above three vendors in the respective of power budget, switching capacity, and switching layer.

—Power Budget

Power budget attaches great importance to a PoE switch. And that is a vital element that should be considered for every switch buyers. For Cisco SG2010P 48 port poe switch, each port has independent overload and short-circuit protection, along with LED indicators to show power status. Maximum power of 15.4W to an Ethernet port—360W, total available to all ports with regular AC power; 280W, total available with RPS. The power consumption range of HP 2530-48G 48 port gigabit poe switch is between 29.5 W and 59.5W. The maximum power draw of FS.COM S5800-48F4S 48 poe switch is 75W.

—Switching Capacity

Switch capacity is often a measure of the switch’s fabric bandwidth and the switch’s packets per second forwarding capacity. Sometimes a switch’s capacity (fabric bandwidth and/or PPS) cannot support all its edge ports running at 100% with any frame size. At the access-layer it’s more common with plenty of switch ports but with less switching-capacity (since it’s highly unlikely that all ports are operating at full speed at all times). The switching capacity of Cisco SG2010P is 96 Gbps non-blocking, HP 2530-48G is 104 Gbps, and FS.COM S5800-48F4S is 176 Gbps and its non-blocking bandwidth is 88 Gbps.

—Switch Layer

Network switches are often described as Layer 2 or Layer 3. Small networks can be built using just Layer 2 devices, but most corporate networks will have a mix of Layer 2 and Layer 3 switches. Dumb Layer 2 products are a cheap and easy way of providing connectivity to working groups while more intelligent Layer 3 switches enable departmental networks to be segmented and controlled with no loss of bandwidth. Both Cisco SG2010P and FS.COM S5800-48F4S support layer 2 and layer 3. HP 2530-48G deliver only full Layer 2 capabilities.

Here are the detailed specification of the above mentioned three 48 port PoE switches.

Switch Ports Switching capacity Power Consumption Switching layer Price
Cisco SG2010P 48 RJ-45 connectors for 10BASE-T/100BASE-TX/1000BASE-T & 4 SFP+ ports 96 Gbps non-blocking 360W Layer 2/3 $1,299
HP 2530-48G 48 RJ-45 auto-sensing 10/100/1000 ports & 4 small SFP slots 104 Gbps 59.5 W Layer 2 $1,686
FS.COM S5800-48F4S 48 port 1GbE SFP & 4 port 10GbE SFP+ ports 176 Gbps (88 Gbps non-blocking) 75W Layer 2/3 $1,699

Conclusion

This article mainly introduced three different 48 port PoE switches from Cisco, HP, and FS.COM. Power consumption, switching capacity and switching layer are what the users should consider when choosing a 48 port poe switch. As for selection, you can choose a proper one according to your budget, switching demand and reliable manufacturer. For reliable 48 port gigabit switch poe vendor, FS.COM is a wise choice. Anyway, there is still a promising prospect for 48 port PoE switches.

Fiber Optic Connector Types, Market, & Installation

Over the years, fiber optic connectors are no longer a deep concern for network installers. The industry standards of making connectors replaced the complex installation. A number of fiber optic connector types have been evolved and withstood the test of time to become industry standards. The main types of fiber optic connectors include: ST, FC, SC, and LC. These connectors come in many configurations and usages. This article touches on the very basics of fiber optic connectors types, market as well as its installation.

Fiber optic connector

Fiber Optic Connector Type

The common fiber optic connector types include ST, SC, FC, LC, MU, E2000, MTRJ, SMA, DIN as well as MTP & MPO etc. Each one has its own advantages, disadvantages, and capabilities. All fiber optic connectors have four basic components, which are the ferrule, connector body, cable, and coupling device. They have been widely used in the termination of fiber optic cables, such as fiber optic pigtail, fiber optic patch cables and so on. In this passage, we would mainly give brief introduction to the four most common fiber optic connector types.

—ST Connector (Straight Tip)

One most common of fiber optic connectors is the ST connector. This simplex fiber connector evolved from previous designs and was finally introduced by AT&T in the mid-late 1980s. It has become the de-facto standard in the security market and is commonly used in the AV market on such products as HDSDI, RGB/DVI, and others. It is available in both multimode and singlemode versions. The insertion loss of the ST connector is less than 0.5 dB, with typical values of 0.3 dB being routinely achieved. It is relatively easy to terminate in the field. Besides, it has good strain relief and good, but not exceptional attenuation characteristics.

ST fiber optic connector

—LC Connector (Lucent Connector)

Developed by Lucent Technologies, the LC fiber optic connector has become the ubiquitous fiber optic connector for telecom applications. But LC connector does not stand for Lucent Connector. It is used in conjunction with small form pluggable (SFP) optical transceivers. These SFP devices are now becoming very common in Pro AV applications for such products as HDMI, DVI, audio, optical distribution amplifiers, optical/electrical/optical (OEO) switches, and so forth. The LC connector is smaller than all other connectors and is a push-pull design connector.

LC fiber optic connector

—SC Connector (Subscriber Connector)

The SC fiber optic connectors are common in singlemode fiber optic telecom applications and analog CATV. Like the LC connector, this is also a push-pull design and is also commonly used in patch panels that act as the connector interface between the main field cable and smaller patch cords connected to the fiber transmission equipment. Some manufacturers of fiber AV equipment also use SC connectors in conjunction with their optical emitter and detector devices.

SC fiber optic connector

—FC Connector (Ferrule Connector)

The FC fiber optic connector has become the connector of choice for singlemode fiber. It is mainly used in fiber optic instruments, singlemode fiber optic components, and high-speed fiber optic communication links. This high-precision, ceramic ferrule connector is equipped with an anti-rotation key, reducing fiber endface damage and rotational alignment sensitivity of the fiber. The key is also used for repeatable alignment of fibers in the optimal, minimal-loss position. Multimode versions of this connector are also available. The typical insertion loss of the FC connector is around 0.3 dB.

FC fiber optic connector

You can check the detailed specification of the above four fiber optic connectors on the below table.

Connector Type Singlemode (9/125) Insertion Loss (dB) Multimode Insertion Loss (dB Return Loss (dB)
ST Connector ≤0.5 ≤0.5 ≥40
LC Connector ≤0.25 N/A ≥40
SC Connector ≤0.25 ≤0.5 ≥50
FC Connector ≤0.25 ≤0.5 ≥50

Fiber Optic Connector Market

The business of global fiber optic connectors have achieved big success over the past few years. The global fiber optic connector market is expected to reach USD 5.9 billion by 2025, according to a new report by Grand View Research, Inc. and is expected to gain traction over the forecast period. The global marketplace is majorly driven by the growing adoption of the fiber optic technology. The fiber optic connector market type includes different fiber optic connectors such as SC connector, LC connector, FC connector, ST connector, MTP connector, and others. Based on fiber optic applications, the market is segmented into military & aerospace, oil & gas, telecom, medical, BFSI, railway, and others.

Fiber Optic Connector Installation

It is easy to install fiber optic connector, a fiber optic cable connection can be completed within 30 minutes. Just follow the following steps:

  • Step Ⅰ: Strip the plastic jacket at the end of the fiber optic cable. Optic cable ends have jackets to prevent any damage in shipping from the manufacturer. Clamp the plastic jacket, using a fiber optic stripper tool, which has a designated slot to fit the size of a fiber optic jacket. Squeeze the handles of the stripper like pliers. Pull the jacket away from the fiber optic cable.
  • Step Ⅱ:Open the back chamber of the epoxy glue gun by twisting off the back cap. Insert the epoxy glue tube into the chamber and squeeze lightly. You will only need a few ounces of glue for the task. Screw the cap back on the epoxy glue gun chamber.
  • Step Ⅲ:Inject epoxy glue into the fiber optic connector socket. Each fiber optic connector has two sockets on each side of it to form the connection. Insert the glue gun into the connector socket. Press and hold the trigger to insert the glue. The glue should spot should not be larger than an eye pupil.
  • Step Ⅳ:Insert one fiber optic cable end into the connector sockets. Hold the cable in the socket and count to 10. Let go of the fiber optic cable and connector. Check that the cable stays in position once you let go of it.
  • Step Ⅴ:Place the new fiber optic connection into an an epoxy curing oven. Turn on the oven and turn the timer knob to six minutes. Insert the fiber optic connector attached to the cable into one of the curing oven slots. Press the start button on the oven. Pull out the connector from the oven slot. Wiggle the connector end to test the stability of the connection. If it seems fragile, reinsert the connector into the oven and cook it for a few more minutes. Repeat steps three to five to seal the fiber optic connector on both sides.

Conclusion

This article mainly discussed about the fiber optic connector type, fiber optic connector market, as well as its installation. With the wide variety of fiber optic connectors available today, companies can easily convert to fiber optic networks and start enjoying the benefits of a faster, more efficient work environment. If you need fiber optic connectors, FS.COM is a wise choice. They provide a full range of fiber optic connectors and offer customdized service. The fiber optic connect market ahead will be more beoyant, we shall see.

Comparing Three Fiber Optic Cable Manufacturers—Monoprice, C2G & FS.COM

To meet surging market needs for fiber optic cable product, more and more fiber optic cable manufacturers emerges to gain its market share. Fiber optic cable is a necessity for most households. How to keep a balance between price and quality? And how to select a reliable fiber optic cable manufacturer? As the representatives of reputable fiber optic cable manufacturers, Monoprice, C2G and FS.COM are frequently recommended by many users. This article would give a brief introduction to those three companies and analyze the difference between their fiber optic cable.

fiber-patch-cords

Monoprice—The Meek King of Cables

Five years ago, Monoprice was associated with two things: HDMI cables and nerds. Being able to tell people about two-buck Monoprice cables, and to explain, with confidence, why Monster cables were a scam, was one of the wonderful small privileges of geekdom; today, it’s one of the dwindling few. Its cables were cheap! They worked fine! The company was based in the U.S., processed orders quickly, had a return policy and answered emails. It was like eBay without the risk.

Founded in 2002 and propelled by word-of-mouth support — the company rarely advertises — Monoprice is now a $120m-a-year business. Monoprice CEO Ajay Kumar says the company has been growing at between 25% and 35% a year for the last five years. The office and shipping operations run out of a 173,000 square-foot warehouse in Rancho Cucamonga, California. Kumar credits Monoprice’s early rise to one thing. “The primary focus early on was cables,” he says, “and the thing that really accelerated the company was HDMI.” For the fiber optic cables, they offer a wide range of them, singlemode, multimode and etc.

C2G—A Trustful Cable Vendor

C2G (formerly Cables To Go), a division of Lastar, Inc., is an industry leader in high performance cabling and connectivity solutions. Founded in 1984, the company provides end-to-end connectivity solutions serving a variety of markets—including hospitality, education, healthcare, corporate, home theater and digital signage. C2G also delivers customized connectivity products and solutions renowned for superior quality, value, and innovation using premium components and the latest technologies to maximize cable performance and ensure compliance with industry specifications for each cable and its designated application. Fiber optic cabling and hardware products including single mode and multimode fiber patch cables of 62.5/125, 50/125, and 9/125, and fiber distribution products used in high tech networking.

FS.COM—A Cost-effective Fiber Optic Cable Manufacturer

Founded in 2009, FS.COM gradually becomes a leading company devoting to research & development, and offer fiber connectivity network solutions for carriers, ISPs, content providers and networks. With a few years of development and accumulation, FS.COM have owned a whole series of optical communication products including the WDM equipment, transceivers, fiber optic assemblies, racks & enclosures, bulk fiber cables, enterprise network and so on.

Their wholesale fiber optic cable products are offered at the lowest price and fully compatible with the original devices. They assured to every customers that every fiber optic cable offered by FS.COM before shipping has to go through strict test to assure high performance. They cover a wide range of fiber optic cables, such as bulk fiber cables, fiber patch cables, MTP/MPO fiber cable, fiber cable assemblies and etc.

Fiber Optic Cable Manufacturers—Monoprice Vs. C2G Vs. FS.COM

—Fiber Optic Cable Price

Price is paramount for every customers when they are purchasing. We can’t list all the products from their website and compare them here. So let’s take the 1m OS2 9/125 singlemode fiber optic cable as an example, the C2G 1m OS2 9/125 singlemode fiber optic cable is sold at $42.99. Monoprice is only $11.35. The price of 1m OS2 9/125 singlemode fiber optic cable from FS.COM is $2.8. You can check it on the below table.

Comparing Three Fiber Optic Cable Manufacturers Table

—Products Options

Both FS.COM and C2G offer a full range of fiber optic cable that are of performance. While monoprice, nowadays do not have many selections of optical modules. But if you need HDMI, video or power cables, you can definitely have a look at their website.

—Reputation

FS.COM is known as the cost-effective optical transceiver and fiber optic cable manufacturer that offer high-quality and low price products. Monoprice is mostly recommended for its HDMI, video and power cables. C2G’s price is a little bit higher, but their quality is nice.

Why Not Use Third-party Dell SFP Transceivers for Your Dell Switches?

As a giant in IT technology, Dell’s products have been warmly welcomed by many Ethernet users over the years. From low-end Dell N1500, N3000 and N4000 series to the advanced Dell Z-Series, Dell provides a range of switch products for smaller enterprises and large campus networks. As basic and indispensable fiber optic components in fiber optic communication, SFP transceiver module plays a prominent role in optical transmission. This article will discuss what kind of third-party Dell SFP transceivers are compatible with Dell switches and which fiber optic transceiver manufacturer is the most reliable.

Dell SFP Transceivers

Dell divided their switches series as: web-managed switches, managed campus switches, modular chassis switches, data center switches, M-Series blade switches, Fibre Channel SAN switches, and high-performance computing switches. Dell puts emphasis on 1G/10G/40G switches. And thus, they manufactured a number of SFP transceiver modules, SFP+ modules, QSFP+ transceivers and DAC cables. Dell SFP transceiver delivers fiber connectivity to extend the range of your network. Dell 1000Base-SX, 1000Base-LX, 1000Base-ZX, 1000Base-Bidi, 1000Base-T are designed for SFP ports on Dell switches to support 1G Ethernet transmission.

dell-sfp-transceiver

The Dell networking 1000BASE-SX SFP transceiver module provides 1GbE connectivity up to 550 m. This hot-pluggable transceiver with SFP (Small Form Factor Pluggable) footprint features a duplex LC connector. Additionally, it provides a unique enhanced digital diagnostic monitoring interface, which allows real-time access to device operating parameters such as transceiver temperature, laser bias current, transmitted optical power, received optical power, and transceiver supply voltage.

Third-party Dell SFP Transceivers for Dell Switches

In addition to Dell original SFP transceivers, there are many third-party vendors who produce Dell compatible SFP transceivers, such as FS.COM. Our Dell SFP Transceivers are designed and tested to be fully compatible in all Dell switches, networking, and data center product lines and applications. We offer a wide variety of Dell SFP transceivers compatible for Dell switches, such as Dell Networking SFP-1G-LX 850nm (multimode), Dell Networking SFP-1G-LX 1310nm (singlemode), Dell PowerConnect 1000BASE-EX SFP 1550nm (singlemode), Dell Force10 Networks 1000BASE-SX SFP 850nm (multimode), and etc.

Comparison Between Dell and FS.COM Dell SFP Transceivers

There are so many third-party transceiver manufacturers providing compatible Dell SFP transceivers modules for Dell switches. But which fiber transceiver supplier should you choose? The answer is FS.COM. Now let’s see why FS.COM is more advantageous by comparing Dell with FS.COM Dell SFP.

—SFP Transceiver Module Category

The alternative Dell SFP transceivers are limited at Dell 1000Base-SX, 1000Base-LX, 1000Base-ZX, 1000Base-Bidi, 1000Base-T. You can rarely find 1G SFP transceiver modules on their official website. FS.COM provides a wide range of Dell SFP transceivers. Like being mentioned, Dell switches support some fiber transceivers from third-party fiber optic transceiver manufacturers. FS.COM offers many Dell compatible SFP transceivers, Dell networking compatible 1000BASE-T SFP copper transceiver, Dell PowerConnect compatible 1000BASE-SX SFP transceiver, Dell Force10 Networks compatible 1000BASE-ZX SFP transceivers, and etc, which can meet your various requirements for Dell switches.

—Fiber Transceiver Quality

Optical fiber transceiver attaches great importance to every brand, retails and customers. Reputation always comes first. Some manufacturers, however, produce SFP transceiver modules with low cost to attract more buyers and make profit. But their Dell SFP compatibility cannot be guaranteed. For FS.COM, we have switches from Cisco, Dell, Extreme, Juniper and other famous brands in our test center. Every fiber transceiver offered by FS.COM before shipping has to go through strict test to assure 100% compatibility and high performance.

—Fiber Transceiver Price

In addition to fiber transceiver quality, fiber transceiver price is another vital factor before you buy optical fiber transceivers. Comparing Dell SFP transceivers’ price of FS.COM with that of other fiber optic transceiver manufacturers, it is obvious that FS.COM has more advantages. That is one of the reasons why FS.COM wins popularity among customers. You can check the following table about price discrepancy between original Dell SFP transceiver and FS.COM Dell compatible SFP transceiver.

Module Dell FS.COM
Dell Networking 1000BASE-SX SFP $300 $6
Dell Networking 1000BASE-LX SFP $600 $7
Dell Networking 1000BASE-ZX SFP $2,400 $24
Dell Networking 1000BASE-T SFP $275 $16

Conclusion

If you need Dell SFP transceivers for your Dell switch, you can buy it from both Dell and third-party vendors. How to choose a reliable supplier from so many third-party Dell compatible fiber transceiver manufacturers? Before buying fiber optical transceiver, the quality, compatibility, price, shipping, after-sales service should be considered. As one of well-known third-party fiber optic transceiver manufacturers, FS.COM is suggested to be a good choice for Dell SFP transceiver.

OM3 And OM4 Fiber for 10G/40G/100G Network

Multimode fiber has been highly favored by Ethernet users and gained the widest acceptance in network backbones where it has offered users the opportunity to extend link distances, increase network reliability, and lower costs by centralizing electronics. OM3 fiber emerges just at the right time. The predominance of OM3 fiber is that utilizes laser-optimized fiber, which is the highest-capacity medium for short-wave 10G optical transmission. OM4 fiber just joined multimode fiber family after OM3 fiber in order to meet the requirement of longer range applications. This passage would give a brief introduction to OM3 and OM4 fiber, give a further analysis on their differences and selection guide, as well as list their applications.

Introduction to OM3 & OM4 Fiber

Both OM3 and OM4 fiber meet the ISO 11801 standard. The standard specifies that OM3 fibers are capable of 10 Gb/s performance over distances of up to 300m. Like being mentioned, the laser optimized 50/125 mm multimode OM3 fiber is of predominance, which provides sufficient bandwidth to support 10 GbE and beyond with cable lengths up to 550 meters. OM4 fiber is a further improvement to OM3 fiber. It also uses a 50µm core but it supports 10 Gigabit Ethernet at lengths up 550 meters and it supports 100 Gigabit Ethernet at lengths up to 150 meters.

OM4 fiber cable

Main Difference Between OM3 And OM4 Fiber

—Optical attenuation

Attenuation is caused by losses in light through the passive components, such as cables, cable splices, and connectors. Attenuation is the reduction in power of the light signal as it is transmitted (dB). The maximum attenuation of OM3 and OM4 fiber allowed at 850nm: OM3<3.5 dB/Km; OM4 <3.0 dB/Km. So it is obvious that OM4 fiber causes lower losses due to different construction.

—Modal dispersion

As is known to most people, modal dispersion attaches great importance to bandwidth. The lower the modal dispersion, the higher the modal bandwidth and the greater the amount of information that can be transmitted. The minimum OM3 and OM4 fiber cable bandwidth at 850nm: OM3 2000 MHz·km; OM4 4700 MHz· km. The higher bandwidth available in OM4 means a smaller modal dispersion and thus allows the cable links to be longer or allows for higher losses through more mated connectors.

OM3 And OM4 Fiber 10G/40G/100G Transmission Distance

The maximum transmission distance of OM4 fiber is 400-550m (depending on module capability) while OM3 fiber can only be up to 300m. And thus, OM4 can tolerate a higher level of loss at distances between 200-300m as it is designed to operate at longer distances than OM3 fiber. It may be a more flexible option for network managers to install OM4 fiber within these instances. You can check difference between OM3 and OM4 in transmission distance in the following table.

OM3 and OM4 fiber cable distance

OM3 And OM4 Fiber Price

In comparison to OM3 fiber, the cost for OM4 is higher due to the manufacture process and market fluctuations. In a large extent, cost depends on the construction type of the cable (loose tube, tight buffered, etc.). OM4 fiber cable is about twice as expensive as OM3 fiber cable. This means that the cost difference of lots of fiber products such as standard fiber patch panels, MTP cassette modules, fiber patch cords is very small (as the volume of cable is small).

OM3 And OM4 Fiber Selection Guide

Fifty micron OM3 fiber is designed to accommodate 10 Gigabit Ethernet up to 300 meters, and OM4 can accommodate it up to 550 meters. Therefore, many users are now choosing OM3 and OM4 over the other glass types. In fact, nearly 80% of 50 micron fiber sold is OM3 or OM4. If you require higher data rates or plan on upgrading your network in the near future, laser optimized 50 micron (OM3 or OM4) would be the logical choice. Compared to OM4, OM3 fiber is more future proofing for most applications, which allows speeds of 10 GB/s up to 100 GB/s. OM4 fiber provides users a transmission solution over longer distances and leaves more wiggle room in optical budgets.

OM3 and OM4 fiber cables are typically used in data center structured cabling environments running high speeds of 10G or even 40 or 100 Gigabit Ethernet, SAN (Storage Area Networking), Fiber Channel, FCOE (Fiber Channel Over Ethernet) with such manufacturers as Cisco, Brocade, EMC and others. Typical applications could be virtualized or internal cloud core data center applications. For 40G and 100G fiber cable applications, MTP/MPO cable would also be a great choice. MTP cabling assemblies (MTP/MPO trunk cable, MTP/MPO harness cable, MTP/MPO conversion cable, etc), with their overwhelming advantages, providing a fast, simple and economical upgrade path from 10 Gigabit to 40 or 100 Gigabit applications.

Conclusion

In this article, we mainly discussed OM3 fiber, OM4 fiber, their main differences, transmission guide and applications for 10G/40G/100G network. We put emphasis on OM3 and OM4 fiber 10G/40G/100G transmission distance and selection guide. OM3 and OM4 multimode fiber provide a cost effective solution for inside buildings or corporate campuses. Hope this article would be helpful for you to understand OM3 and OM4 fiber and to select right fiber cable for yourself.

QSFP-100G-SM-SR Vs QSFP-100G-CWDM4-S

With the thriving 100G market, QSFP28 has become the dominant form factor for 100G networks. The QSFP28 transceiver offers four channels of high-speed differential signals with data rates ranging from 25 Gbps up to potentially 40 Gbps, and meets 100 Gbps Ethernet (4×25 Gbps) and 100 Gbps 4X InfiniBand Enhanced Data Rate (EDR) requirements. As a world leader in IT and networking, Cisco 100G transceivers have been highly favored by many Ethernet users. Cisco 100G QSFP-100G-SM-SR and Cisco QSFP-100G-CWDM4-S are two different form factors of Cisco 100G optics. This article would give brief introduction to Cisco 100G QSFP-100G-SM-SR and Cisco QSFP-100G-CWDM4-S, and further analysis QSFP-100G-SM-SR Vs QSFP-100G-CWDM4-S.

Cisco 100G QSFP-100G-SM-SR

The maximum transmission distance of the Cisco QSFP-100G-SM-SR QSFP module is kilometers via a standard pair of G.652 singlemode fiber with duplex LC connectors. The 100 Gigabit Ethernet signal is carried over four wavelengths. Multiplexing and demultiplexing of the four wavelengths are managed within the device. The operating temperature range is from +10 to +60°C with an optical link budget of 4.2 decibels. This 4.2-decibel link budget offers the ability to support the loss from patch panels in the link in a data center environment. QSFP-100G-SM-SR is interoperable with QSFP-100G-CWDM4-S.

Cisco 100G QSFP-100G-CWDM4-S

As same as Cisco 100G QSFP-100G-SM-SR, Cisco 100G QSFP-100G-CWDM4-S supports link lengths of up to 2 kilometers as well. The QSFP-100G-CWDM4-S optical transceiver is for singlemode fiber. There are 4 CWDM-WDM lanes in the 12761-1331-nm wavelength window. This 100GBASE QSFP-100G-CWDM4-S Cisco 100G transceiver converts 4 input channels of 25Gb/s electrical data to 4 channels of CWDM optical signals and then multiplexes them into a single channel for 100Gb/s optical transmission. It uses a duplex LC connector on the optical interface and uses an MSA-compliant 38-pin edge type connector on electrical interface. This QSFP-100G-CWDM4-S Cisco 100G transceiver is equivalent to Cisco QSFP-100G-SM-SR.

QSFP-100G-SM-SR Vs QSFP-100G-CWDM4-S

From the above descriptions, it is obvious that the Cisco QSFP-100G-SM-SR is compatible with Cisco QSFP-100G-CWDM4-S 100G optical transceivers. They are used interoperably. And thus, they have many things in common.

—Technology

Multiplexing and demultiplexing of the four wavelengths are managed within both Cisco 100G QSFP-100G-SM-SR Vs Cisco QSFP-100G-CWDM4-S. They convert 4 input channels of 25Gb/s electrical data to 4 channels of CWDM optical signals and then multiplexes them into a single channel for 100Gb/s optical transmission.They all use a standard pair of G.652singlemode fiber.

—Transmission distance

The transmission reach of both Cisco 100G QSFP-100G-SM-SR and Cisco QSFP-100G-CWDM4-S all can be up to 2 kilometers.

—Price

The original Cisco 100G QSFP-100G-SM-SR and Cisco QSFP-100G-CWDM4-S optical module is pricey, so nowadays many enterprises and data center workers would choose to buy Cisco compatible optical modules from third party vendor. For the price of QSFP-100G-SM-SR Vs QSFP-100G-CWDM4-S, they are identical at fs.com.

Hot Cisco QSFP-100G-SR4 VCSEL/MMF/CDR/Data Center Buy Now
Hot Cisco QSFP-100G-LR4 DFB/≤3.5W/LC Duplex/SMF/CDR Buy Now
Hot Cisco QSFP-100G-CWDM4 DML/LC Duplex/SMF/CDR Buy Now

Conclusion

Through this article, we are clear that the QSFP-100G-SM-SR and QSFP-100G-CWDM4-S can be used interoperably. And they are totally identical at large extent. And thus, there are basically no difference on QSFP-100G-SM-SR Vs QSFP-100G-CWDM4-S. Nowadays, they have been applied to data center, high-performance computing networks, enterprise core and distribution layers, and service provider applications.

Mikrotik Switches Vs Cisco Switches

As a worldwide leader in IT and fiber optical networking, Cisco switches play a leading role in manufacturing network switches and in providing switching solutions for data center and enterprise networks with large and medium-size forms. MikroTik, a Latvian company which was founded in 1996 to develop routers and wireless ISP systems. Their cloud switches are highly favored by many Ethernet users in recent years. And thus, people are entangled with Cisco and Mikrotik switches. This article would give brief introduction to Cisco and Mikrotik switches, and put emphasis on Mikrotik Switches Vs Cisco Switches.

Cisco Switches

According to different usage, Cisco divided their switches into the following categories: LAN Access Switches, LAN Digital Building Switches, LAN Core and Distribution Switches, Data Center Switches, Service Provider Switches, Industrial Ethernet Switches, Virtual Networking and Small Business Switches. And every category has its switching series. The Cisco Catalyst series switch delivers ease of management and configuration for small to medium-sized enterprise wiring closets in a single system, without the need for additional modules. The following list is about the Cisco Catalyst series switch.

Cisco Catalyst series switch

Mikrotik Switches

Comparing to Cisco switches, the total amount of Mikrotik switches is much smaller. According to the official website of Mikrotik, there are only twelve Mikrotik switches. Ethernet smart switches and cloud core router switches are two series switches of Mikrotik switches. The cloud core switch, or cloud router switch, abbreviated as CRS, is a highly configurable switch, powered by RouterOS. They are the new products of Mokrotik switches. For the cloud router switch, there are nine models currently available. Here lists three different cases of the cloud core switch:

  • CRS125-24G-1S-2HnD-IN (integrated wireless, indoor case)
  • CRS125-24G-1S-IN (indoor case)
  • CRS125-24G-1S-RM (rackmount case)

Mikrotik Switches Vs Cisco Switches

—CPU

The CPU on both Cisco and Mikrotik switches is used for management purposes (snmp stats, cli management, etc) and it does not affect the data path. Switching is not done in CPU, neither on Cisco nor on Mikrotik. Switching is done on dedicated ASIC chips specifically designed for this job (thus giving wirespeed). So comparing the CPUs won’t mean much about forwarding performance – which is the metric you should care about.

—Power Consumption

One of big problems with Mikrotik switches is their power. The buyers would prefer to pay another couple hundred dollars to have dual power supplies that are removable. And thus, many Ethernet users cannot use Mikrotik in these cases. Comparing to Mikrotik switches, Cisco switches have less power consumption by their advanced technology.

—Network Monitoring Software Systems

Most network monitoring software systems natively understand, support and auto-detect Cisco devices and support Cisco SNMP OIDs (CPU, temp, load, bandwidth, errors, power supply status, and many other sub-system counters in a Cisco device.

When configuring your existing network monitor system(s), your network monitor system(s) may not even know what a Mikrotik is and probably does not have native built-in MIBs/OIDs used by SNMP to auto-check/monitor a network. Thus, an administrator would probably need to configure the Mikrotik graphic icons and configure all of the SNMP checks for MIBs/OIDs from/to a Mikrotik.

Mikrotik Switches Vs Cisco Switches: How to Select?

Mikrotik routers and switches are great. Most people like them and use them almost everywhere. However, because Mikrotik is still the new kid on the block when it comes to carrier-grade commercial-grade business grade high-throughput products, it may sometimes be a little difficult to find local network technicians or local phone support for Mikrotik products when adding new equipment into your network. So Cisco switch is more solid and people are more satisfied with them.

A Comprehensive Understanding of CFP Modules

As a new emerging technology, 100G is some sort of evolution and part of revolution. The new CFP (C form-factor pluggable) optics is now a revolutionary step as one form factor of 100G optic transceiver. The CFP modules offer the enabling step for cost-effective and successful 100G deployment. So what is it? And how does it work in 100G network? This article would give a comprehensive introduction to CFP module.

100G CFP module

CFP Wiki

Abbreviated as CFP module, C Form-Factor Pluggable transceiver is a multi-sourced pluggable transceiver used in the transmission of high-speed digital signals. It is specified by a multi-source agreement (MSA) between competing manufacturers. The c stands for the Latin letter C used to express the number 100 (centum), since the standard was primarily developed for 100 Gigabit Ethernet systems. It is a hot-swappable input/output transceiver that is used in the data communication and telecommunication networks.

The CFP module was designed after the small form-factor pluggable transceiver (SFP) interface, but is significantly larger to support 100 Gbit/s. While the electrical connection of a CFP module uses 10 x 10 Gbit/s lanes in each direction (RX, TX) the optical connection can support both 10 x 10 Gbit/s and 4 x 25 Gbit/s variants of 100 Gbit/s interconnects (typically referred to as 100GBASE-SR10 in 100 meter MMF, 100G CFP LR10 and 100G CFP LR4 in 10 km SMF reach, and 100GBASE-ER10 and 100GBASE-ER4 in 40 km SMF reach respectively.)

Core Features of CFP Modules

– Support to 103 Gbps and 112 Gbps aggregate bit rates.

– Connector Interface

– Operating Case Temperature

– Diagnostic Monitoring

– RoHS6 Compliant

– Single 3.3V Supply for Power and a Power dissipation < 12W

One distinctive feature of CFP modules is that they support digital diagnostic monitoring functions or the digital optical monitoring. This is the feature that gives users the ability to monitor the real-time parameters such as the optical output power, the optical input power, the temperature, the laser bias current and the transceiver supply voltage.

Inner Structure of CFP Modules

The basic CFP modules consist of the following parts.

1. An Integrated Coherent Optics Transmitter which sends the TX optical signal.

2. An Integrated Coherent Optics Receiver which receives the RX optical signals.

3. The CFP connector

4. Coherent DSP

Most of the CFP module adhere OIF CFP-ACO (Analog Coherent Signals) and are connectable to multiple DSP’s. The biggest engineering challenge that CFP2 faces is the adoption of the high-speed 25 Gbps electrical interface due to the reason that the CFP was based on the third generation.

It can be a multimode parallel optic transceiver module that is designed to offer high-density 100G Ethernet and Optical Transport Network (OTN). The device is designed to offer maximization of the delivery of the 10G data channels for the 100G networks that support 100 Gbps SR10 and 10 X 10 Gbps.

Development of CFP Modules

The original CFP specification was proposed at a time when 10 Gbit/s signals were far more achievable than 25 Gbit/s signals. As such to achieve 100 Gbit/s line rate, the most affordable solution was based on 10 lanes of 10 Gbit/s. However, as expected, improvements in technology has allowed higher performance and higher density. Hence the development of the CFP2 and CFP4 specifications. While electrical similar, they specify a form-factor of 1/2 and 1/4 respectively in size of the original specification. Note that CFP, CFP2 and CFP4 optical transceiver are not interchangeable (but would be inter-operable at the optical interface with appropriate connectors). The following table shows the basic parameter of CFP, CFP2 and CFP4 transceivers.

basic parameter of CFP, CFP2 and CFP4 transceivers

Conclusion

In this article, we mainly introduced the definition, core features, inner structure and development of CFP modules. Comparing to 100G QSFP28 transceiver, CFP price is not so competitive. But CFP optical transceiver is still the key to cost-effective and reliable 100G deployment, and it has been widely deployed in OTU4 411-9D1F, 100GBASE-LR4 Ethernet and data centers.

Related article:
100G QSFP28 and CFP Transceiver Cabling Solutions

25G Switch Vs. 40G Switch: How to Choose?

25G Ethernet and 40G Ethernet are two “transiting” approaches for upgrading network from 10G to 100G. Some analysts believe 25G could be the second highest Ethernet server connectivity technology sold and shipped in the next five years, behind 10G. Meanwhile, a number of comments from industry experts declaring that 40G Ethernet is dead. Is that true? And how to make a right decision? This passage would give a brief introduction on 25G switch and 40G switch and put emphasis on 25G switch Vs. 40G switch.

25G Switch

25G technology is the new standard that offer significant density, cost and power benefits for server to top of rack connections. Its single higher speed 25 Gb/s lanes maximize bandwidth and switch fabric utilization. A single lane per physical port maximizes the number of connected servers or uplinks per switch. Generally, 25G switch is a 48 port switch on the 25G switch market right now. Nowadays, many major brands of switch manufactures have launched their 25G switch, such as Cisco, Juniper, Arista, Mellanox, Dell.

fs-n-series-leaf-spine-switch-25g-switch

40G Switch

Comparing with 25G switch, 40G switch is much familiar to us. A 40G switch generally refers to the data speeds of the ports feeding into the switch. Hence, a 40G switch has 40 Gb/s ports. The overall switching capacity of the 40G switch will be much higher depending on the total number of ports and the power of the switching fabric itself. According to Infonetics Research in early 2015, 40Gb Ethernet switch has been popular in the data center market while 100G switch is more popular with service providers. And thus, 40G Ethernet and 40G switch are not so dead like being mentioned in the fast paragraph.

FS S8050-20Q4C 40G switch

25G switch Vs. 40G switch

—Switch Compatibility

Relatively speaking, 25G switch is less common on the market. In terms of 25G switch compatibility, that is depending the switch supplier. Just take Arista 25G switch for an example, the majority of their 25G switches and Network Interface cards offer backward compatibility to 10G, there is the flexibility to manage a gradual migration to higher speed servers and mix and match port speeds. All SFP based 25G ports on Arista switches and 25G NICs from Cavium can be used at 10G speed. The compatibility of 40G switch also depends on the switch brands. But as a new emerging technology, 25G switch has higher compatibility than 40G switch.

—Port and system density

High performance 25GbE chips use single-lane 25G serializer-deserializer (Serdes) technology similar in operation to 10GbE but delivering 2.5 times the performance, thus reducing the power and cost per gigabit significantly. 25G provides higher port and system density than a comparable 40G solution. Both power savings and higher density results in lower cooling requirements and operational expenditure for data center operators.

—Connection Option

Switch-to-server or switch-to-switch (or switch-to-blade switch) are two connection options for 25G switch connection. Right now, network vendors are positioning 25G only for switch-to-server. Until now, no network vendor advertising 25G for switch-to-switch—Cisco doesn’t even offer a 25G fiber transceiver, and HPE has priced theirs higher than 40G and 100G transceivers. In other words, no one is talking about 25G for switch-to-switch links right now. We shall see this in 2018.

—Cabling

25G twinax works best within a single rack with a top-of-rack switch and 1 and 2 meter cables. 25G with 3+ meter cables requires forward error correction (FEC), which adds ~250ns of one-way latency and may introduce vendor interop issues. If you’re adopting 25G, plan to densely pack compute into 10kVA–12kVA racks. 40G DAC cable is more expensive than 25G DAC cable based on the identical cable length.

25G Switch Vs. 40G Switch: How to Choose?

Through the above description and comparison, we are cleared about some pros and cons of 25Gb Ethernet switch and 40Gb Ethernet switch as well as 25G switch Vs. 40G. As for how to choose the best one, that depends on your demand and usage environment. 25G switch uses less power and produce less heat than 40G, but it is limited at 25G distance. For data center network connectivity, 100G switch is more of a smart choice than 25G switch and 40G switch. In campus and access networks with their long fiber runs and low bandwidth needs, 40G switch is more worthy to buy. So far it seems that 25G switch is not a cost-effective solution.

100G CFP to QSFP28 Adapter Converter Module Datasheet

With the explosive growth in mobile data traffic, data centers, and cloud services, people’s call for 100G Ethernet is more higher than ever before. To build and support the 100G Ethernet, a variety of technologies and devices are needed. 100G CFP modules, QSFP28 modules and 100G CFP to QSFP28 adapter converter module are of necessity. This article would put emphasis on introducing four 100G CFP to QSFP28 adapter converter modules and their applications.

Overview on 100G CFP to QSFP28 Converter Module

The 100G CFP to QSFP28 adapter converter module is a high performance, hot pluggable, and interconnect solution supporting 100G Ethernet and Telecom. The converter module converts a CFP MSA interface to 1-port of 100GE QSFP28. It is compliant with the CFP MSA. The converter module supports FEC (Forward Error Correction) function; the user can enable the FEC function through the register configuration.

100G CFP to QSFP28 Converter Module

100G CFP to QSFP28 adapter converter module converts 10 bidirectional 10G channels to 4 bidirectional 25G channels operating at up to 28Gbps per channel. By plugging 100G QSFP28 transceiver into the QSFP28 connector on the 100G CFP to QSFP28 adapter converter module, CFP module and QSFP28 module are interconnected. The 100G CFP to QSFP28 converter module datasheet is shown as below:

100G CFP to QSFP28 Converter Module

Cisco 100G CFP to QSFP28 Converter Module

Cisco CVR-CFP-100G supports modules with a 4x25G electrical interface. The CVR-CFP-100G supports modules with a 10x10G electrical interface such as 100G CFP. The CVR-CFP-100G CFP to QSFP28 converter module supports the two aggregate data rates of 100Gbps Ethernet and Optical Transport Network (OTN) rates. The CVR-CFP-100G CFP to QSFP28 converter module supports only the 100GBase Ethernet data rate. The Cisco CVR-CFP-100G CFP to QSFP28 converter module datasheet is shown as below:

Cisco 100G CFP to QSFP28 Converter Module

100G CFP2 to QSFP28 Converter Module

Like being mentioned 100G CFP to QSFP28 adapter converter module, 100G CFP2 to QSFP28 converter module converts 10 bidirectional 10G channels to 4 bidirectional 25G channels operating at up to 28Gbps per channel. By plugging 100G QSFP28 transceiver into the QSFP28 connector on the 100G CFP2 to QSFP28 adapter converter module, 100G QSFP28 transceiver is in the CFP2 port of your device. In this way, power consumes less than using an equivalent CFP2. The 100G CFP2 to QSFP28 converter module datasheet is shown as below:

100G CFP2 to QSFP28 Converter Module

Cisco 100G CFP2 to QSFP28 Converter Module

The Cisco CVR-CFP2-100G adapter converter module allows a Cisco 100G QSFP28 transceiver module to be plugged into a CFP2 port and to emulate an optical CFP2 100G Module. The Cisco CVR-CFP2-100G CFP2 to QSFP28 converter module datasheet is shown as below:

Cisco 100G CFP2 to QSFP28 Converter Module

Conclusion

This article mainly introduced four types of 100G CFP to QSFP28 converter module, the principles of converting, as well as the method of usage. The price of 100G CFP to QSFP28 converter module is just a little bit higher than CFP price. But the CFP to QSFP28 converter module has lower power consumption than CFP. Thus, the 100G CFP to QSFP28 converter is more cost-effective. Nowadays, the 100G CFP to QSFP28 converter modules have been widely deployed to high-speed core router connections, datacom/telecom switch, data aggregation and backplane applications, and proprietary protocol and density application.

How to Select The Perfect Fiber Jumper Cables?

Fiber jumper cables are mainly used for connection in the context of optical fiber communications including applications like cable TV (CATV), inside buildings and in fiber to the home (FTTH) installations. Nowadays, optical fiber jumpers are varied in cables and connector types. It is hard to determine the differences between one fiber optic cable jumper and another. This article would put emphasis on guiding you to select the perfect fiber jumper cables from the following six perspectives.

fiber-patch-cords

Cable Type of Fiber Jumper Cables

Fiber jumper cables comes in two general types, singlemode and multimode optical fiber jumper. They are different in fiber diameter, classifications of fiber strands, jacket color, transmission speed and etc.

Singlemode fiber jumper cable generally has a 9 micron diameter glass fiber. There are two sub groups (referred to as OS1 and OS2) but most cable is “dual rated” to cover both classifications. Multimode optical fiber jumper can have several different diameters and classifications of fiber strands. The two diameters currently in use are 62.5 Micron and 50 Micron. Within the 50 Micron diameter multimode cable, there are three different grades (referred to as OM2, OM3, and OM4). The cable types used in the patch cord should match that of the network cabling to which they are attached via the patch panel.

Jacket Diameters

The fiber optic cable jumpers may be available in different “jacket diameters” (such as 2mm or 3mm). Thinner diameters (1.6 or 2mm) may be preferable in dense installation within a single rack since they take up less space and are more flexible. Fiber optic cable jumpers that route from rack to rack (especially via cable tray) may be more suitable if they have the thicker jacket that results in larger diameters thus making them more rigid.

Jacket Material

Flammability of the jacket material could become an issue if the area they are in has special requirements for flame spread or products of combustion in case of a fire. In these cases, optical jumpers may have to be classified as “Plenum Rated” (OFNP) rather than “Riser Rated” (OFNR).

Connector Type

See the connector type descriptions below. Some fiber jumper cables may have different connector types on each end to accommodate interconnection of devices with dissimilar connectors. In some cases, there may be a connector on only one end, and bare or unterminated fiber on the other. These are usually referred to as “pigtails” rather than “patch Cords”.

fiber-optic-connector

Simplex or Duplex

Unlike copper patch cords which send information in both directions (having multiple pairs of conductors with which to do so), most fiber jumper cables have a single strand of fiber allowing for signal flow in one direction only.

Connecting equipment so that it can send and receive information requires two strands of fiber (one to transmit and one to receive information). This can be accommodated by using two “simplex” (single strand of fiber) cables for each equipment interconnection or a “duplex” cable, with conductors and/or connectors bonded together in pairs.

Length

Overall length of the fiber jumper cables may be specified in feet or meters, depending on your preference.

Conclusion

In this article, we mainly introduce six factors attaching to the fiber jumper cables—cable type, jacket diameters, jacket material, connector type, type of communication service as well as the length. You can select the proper patch cord you need through considering those six attributes. Hope this post is helpful for you to fully understand optical fiber jumper.

A Glimpse Into The Future: 25G & 50G Ethernet

With the ever growing usage of 10G network, 10G could not satisfy the requirement for some Ethernet network users who urge for a higher demand on speed, distance, media and cost. Under this circumstance, upgrading network is paramount. For 100G network upgrading, there are three available approaches, “10G—40G—100G”, “10G—25G—100G” or “10G—25G—50G—100G”. The latter two are announced to better satisfy the data center and cloud network. Comparing to 40G and 100G, people heard less about 25G and 50G. So what are they? This article would put emphasis on 25G Ethernet and 50G Ethernet as well as their optics.

25G-100G immigration

25G Ethernet

25 Gigabit Ethernet, abbreviating as 25G Ethernet, is standard for Ethernet network connectivity. Developed by IEEE P802.3by 25 Gb/s Ethernet Task Force, 25G Ethernet is a standard for Ethernet connectivity. The 25 Gigabit Ethernet Consortium is an open organization to all third parties who wish to participate as members to enable the transmission of Ethernet frames at 25 or 50 Gigabit per second (Gbps) and to promote the standardization and improvement of the interfaces for applicable products. The main features of 25G Ethernet are listed in the following:

  • A single lane per physical port maximizes the number of connected servers or uplinks per switch.
  • Single higher speed 25 Gb/s lanes maximize bandwidth and switch fabric utilization vs. 4 x 10 Gb/s lanes.
  • Overall higher port count, utilization and total server interconnect bandwidth vs. 40 GE.
  • Connections to switch ASICs is limited by SERDES count and bandwidth.

SFP28 Pluggable Modules

SFP28 is the abbreviation of Small Form-Factor Pluggable 28, which is the third generation of SFP interconnect systems. The SFP28 optical module is designed for 25G performance and developed by the IEEE 802.3by specification. According to the SFP28 Multi-Source Agreement (MSA) and SFP28 specification, the SFP28 is designed with a form factor, optical/electrical connection and digital diagnostic interface. In addition, the SFP28 optical transceiver has also been designed to meet the harshest external operating conditions including temperature, humidity and EMI interference. Below are the industry standard 25G optics:

industry standard 25G optics

50G Ethernet

Comparing to 40G Ethernet, 50G Ethernet is more rarely known by people. Being led by the 25G Ethernet Consortium, 50G Ethernet is initially based on 2 lanes of 25 Gb/s. IEEE802.3bs is the 50G per lane specifications to support Nx50G configurations. And the standard expected in September 2018 while the interface expected on the market in 2018+. Different from 40G Ethernet, 50G initial limited deployment as proprietary 2x25G. In terms of technology, 40G and 50G per lane (Serial) technology will be defined together (40G as reduced speed 50G). With the respect of cost, 40G and 50G Serial will have similar cost, i.e. 50G Serial will offer 25% more bandwidth for the same cost. The core features of 50G Ethernet are listed in the below:

  • A faster base signaling rate is needed to for higher capacity.
  • Similar to 25 GE, 50 GE extends existing common network topology for higher speed.
  • The server and data center market requirements vary widely.

50G Pluggable Modules

New 50 GE pluggable modules are in the same common form factor sizes as other common pluggable modules. There are two form factors of 50G modules, SFP56 and QSFP56. The SFP56 pluggable module has the same size as SFP, SFP+ and SFP28 while the QSFP56 pluggable module has the same size as QSFP, QSFP+ and QSFP28.

Conclusion

Through this article, we are cleared the 25G and 50G Ethernet as well as their optics respectively. With the ever increasing usage of network data due to millions of new connected devices to servers and storages data centers, 25G Ethernet and 50G Ethernet provide a flexibility, scalibilty, cost-efficient way for adapting to future network growth.

How to Select Fiber Optic Cables of High Quality?

With the growing numbers of fiber optic patch cord manufacturers, it is difficult to distinguish the quality of fiber optic cables. Poor fiber jumpers could result in many adverse consequences, such as data loss, signal delay and etc. When selecting fiber optic cables, you should pay much attention to the trap of the low price so as to avoid picking up production made by recovered materials. In this article, we would introduce some detailed process to guide you to make right decision for selecting decent fiber optic cables.

About Fiber Optic Cable

Fiber optic cable, also called fiber optic jumper or fiber optic patch cord, is a length of fiber cabling fitted with LC, SC, FC, E2000, DIN, MTRJ or ST connectors at each end. Ferrule is paramount to fiber, which is a ring or cap attached to an object to protect against damage, splitting, or wear. As an essential component in fiber optic, it is used to align and protect the stripped end of a fiber.

fiber optic cable

Manufacturing Process of Fiber Optic Cable

Place of origin attaches great importance to any products, so does the fiber optic cable. Besides the origin, method of manufacture also matters. The production process of fiber optic patch codes is very complicated unless you master it very well. Following is the production process of fiber optic patch cords.

Step1: Pretreatment of fiber optic. Peel fibers by using technical instrument, the main propose of it is to peel the fiber jacket.

Step2: Installment of Fiber ferrule. Fiber ferrule is an important part of fiber optic patch cables, so when installing fiber ferrule, the quality of it should be concerned.

Step3: Preparation of grouting glue.Get the glue ready since fiber stub need to be grouted later. Gel injection of fiber ferrule. The standard of a good gel injection is that a little glue can be seen at the front end of fiber ferrule.

Step4: Solidification of colloid. Insert the fiber into fiber ferrule which has been injected gel, and then put it in curing oven to be solidified. Usually, the temperature of solidification is 80 to 90 degree.

As being mentioned, fiber ferrule is a vital part in fiber optic cable, which is used together with the connector that connects the fiber cable either to another cable or to a transmitter or receiver. The ferrule keeps the fibers accurately aligned within the connector. And thus, the quality of fiber jumpers depends on the quality of fiber ferrule in a large extent. However, in order to achieve more benefits, many manufacturers buy in inferior fiber ferrule or reuse fiber ferrule. As a result, the fiber optic patch cables they made are of poor quality. So it is not a good way to buy cheap jumpers without putting the fiber optic patch cord manufacturers into consideration.

LC-patch-cords

Conclusion

So how to choose a decent fiber optic patch cord manufacturer? Here are some indispensable and refined characteristics of reliable fiber optic cable suppliers: have a good sense of service, treat customers as friends, provide reasonable price but not the cheapest, have a sense of service, and also conscientious, instead of those sell their products randomly just concerning about their performance and benefits.

10GBASE-T vs SFP+, Which is Preferred for 10G Network Cabling

As the basis of upgrading network, 10G network has been ubiquitous in data center, enterprise network and even home networking. 10GBASE-T and SFP+ transceiver are two different kinds of technology which transmit data via copper and fiber respectively. 10GBASE-T technology provides the most flexible and economical solution while 10G SFP+ offers the compatible and user-friendly solution for 10G Ethernet connectivity option. This article would shed light on 10GBASE-T vs SFP+.

10GBASE-T Technology

As the fourth generation of IEEE standardized Base-T technologies, 10GBASE-T is designed to reduce overall costs and improve flexibility. By using RJ45 connectors and unshielded twisted pair cabling, 10GBASE-T allows 10Mbps, 100Mbps, 1Gbps, and 10Gbps data transmission, while being backward-compatible with prior generations. Merits and demerits of using 10GBASE-T are listed in the below.

Pros of 10GBASE-T
  • Cheap twisted pair cables.
  • Patch panels can be used without messing around with transceivers.
Cons of 10GBASE-T
  • Higher power consumption.
  • People may get tempted to use substandard cabling, and this would have a negative influence on the speed.
  • No good way to extend length beyond 100m (though this can be somewhat mitigated by choosing switches with mostly 10GBASE-T but also a handful of SFP+ ports) limited choice of equipment.

10G SFP+ Technology

The 10G SFP+ transceiver meets the standard of Multi-Sourcing Agreement (MSA), and provides the cost effective solution for 10G optical data communication. It supports both duplex and simplex LC optics interfaces. The 10G SFP+ transceiver consists of 10Gbit/s DFB/EML optical transmitter and PIN receiver, which allow 300m~120km 10G Ethernet and 10G fiber channel applications. Advantages and disadvantages of using 10G SFP+ transceivers are listed in the below.

Pros of SFP+
  • Lower latency
  • Lower power consumption
  • Cheaper NICs and switches
  • More choice of connected equipment.
  • With transceivers and fiber basically any run length can be covered.
Cons of SFP+
  • Apparently, it is not a big deal for transmission within short distance.
  • For longer runs or runs that need to go through patch panels needs transceivers and optical fiber. Fiber itself is cheap but transceivers, termination, patch panels, and etc for fiber would cost a lot.

10GBASE-T vs SFP+

This passage would mainly demonstrate the difference between 10GbE base T and SFP+ options from the respective of technology, latency, and power consumption.

10GBASE-T vs SFP+: Technology

Generally, 10GBase-T is cheaper and easier to deploy than the alternative SFP+ technologies. You can further compare these two different technologies in the following table:

10GBASE-T vs SFP+ Comparison

10GBASE-T vs SFP+: Latency

Low latency is paramount to ensure fast response time and reduce CPU idle cycles. That increases data center efficiency and ROI. With the increasing of using private cloud applications, the need for low latency is growing fast in large scale data centers.

When it comes to 10GBase-T, the PHY standard uses block encoding to transport data across the cable without errors. The standard specifies 2.6 microseconds for the transmit-receive pair, and the size of the block requires that latency to be less that 2 microseconds. SFP+ uses simplified electronics without encoding, and typical latency is around 300 nanoseconds (ns) per link. You can further compare them in the below table.

10GBASE-T vs SFP+ latency comparison

Basically, there are only slight differences between 10GBASE-T and SFP+ in terms of application latency. Relatively speaking, 10G SFP+ has lower latency than 10GBASE-T. High latency would exert negative influence on CPU and therefore limiting data center efficiency and increasing operational costs.

10GBASE-T vs SFP+: Power Consumption

10GBase-T components today require anywhere from 2 to 5 watts per port at each end of the cable (depending on the distance of the cable) while SFP+ requires approximately 0.7 watt (regardless of distance). The difference is clearly shown in the below chart.

10GBASE-T vs SFP+ power consumption comparison

(Resource: http://www.datacenterknowledge.com)

10GBASE-T vs SFP+, Which Will You Choose

Through this article, we are clear about the pros and cons of 10GBASE-T and SFP+ as well as their differences in technology, application latency and power consumption. It is evident that SFP+ is the right technology to ensure optimal performance with lowest latency and lower power usage in the data center. The cost saving becomes obvious when deploying from 1000 to 10,000 cables in the data center.

Related Articles:

XFP vs SFP+, What’s the Difference? Can We Connect XFP and SFP+?

Understanding of 10GBASE-T SFP+ Copper Transceiver Modules

Choose 10GBASE-T Copper Over SFP+ for 10G Ethernet

Stacking Vs. Chassis Switch: How to Choose?

Maximizing scalability and optimizing performance are two paramount factors when you design or upgrade your network. It is hard to find the right balance. Given that you need more than 48 ports in a wiring closet, but you could not decide which type of switches to buy. Stacking switch or non-stacking switch? Or does a modular chassis switch solution make more sense? In this article, we would make a comparison between stacking and chassis access switches and guide you to make an appropriate decision.

Stacking Switches Solutions

Over the years, stacking network switches have been highly favored by lots of Ethernet users and been a core component of an enterprise-grade switch. So what is reason for the popularity of stacking switches? By using stacking switches, we can add ports as we need them by simply purchasing another switch and adding it to the stack. We can stack up to nine Cisco 3750-X switches and have 432 x 10/100/1000 ports and 18 x 10 Gbps ports. We can do this using only 9RU’s of rack space. A chassis would require over double the rack space to achieve this access port density. This makes these switches very popular as top-of-rack switches in the data center.

brocad-stackable-switches

Figure1: Brocade Stackable Switches (Resource: www.Brocade.com)

Pros of Stacking Switches
  • Pay-as-you-grow
  • Small Physical Footprint
  • Convenient 100v Power Standard
  • Virtual Chassis Capability
  • Cross-Stack EtherChannel
Cons of Stacking Switches
  • Management Difficulties
  • Power Demands
  • Software Complexity
  • Instability
Chassis Switches Solutions

Chassis devices, often being “premier” devices, may offer software and/or hardware features unavailable on a stack. They are the flagship models of every vendor’s switching line. In contrast to the fixed configuration switches, it is engineered to operate as single integrated system. Configuring high availability is simple and it works every single time. A failed line card will not bring down the entire chassis. Additionally, a chassis will drive consistency in deployment.

Cisco Chassis Switch

Figure2: Cisco Chassis Switches (Resource: www.Cisco.com)

Pros of Stacking Switches
  • Solid High Availability Features
  • Modular Design
  • Supports Wide Range of Line Cards
  • Simple to Deploy
Cons of Stacking Switches
  • Physical Space (twice the space of stacks)
  • Expensive Power Supplies
  • 220v Power for PoE Solutions
How to Choose?

Just as the same as the every comparison on the similar kits, the decision really depends on your actual requirements. Once we have this, finding the right hardware is very straightforward. It is important to balance the cost of acquisition versus the cost of operations and impact to the business due to outages. And that is what we always thinking about when we make a decision.

In this article, we mainly provide the detailed information about stacking and chassis switches solutions, and offer you relatively enough information to help you to make a decision on choosing the best switching solutions for setting up or upgrading your network. There are too many variables to give a one-size-fits-all recommendation, but in general chassis Ethernet switches’ solutions are our preference. In addition, you should keep in mind that pricing should not be the focused too much. We can get both designs for a pretty reasonable price, regardless of requirements. If your network can benefit from both stackables and chassis, the chassis solution would be a good choice.

Related Article: Stacked switches vs Chassis switch at the core

Cloud Core Switch—An Economic Choice for L3 Switch

MikroTik Switches have been popularly received favorable reviews, and this is inseparable with their keeping on the bleeding edge of switching technology. As a new member of MikroTik Smart Switch series, cloud core switch, also called cloud router switch, combing the best features of a fully functional router and a Layer 3 switch. That is to say, this cloud router switch works as both switch and router to connect the VLAN. This article would mainly discuss about cloud core switch, CRS226-24G-2S+RM switch and its connectivity solutions, as well as the reasons why they are economic choice for L3 switch.

About Cloud Core Switch

The cloud core switch, or cloud router switch, abbreviated as CRS, is a highly configurable switch, powered by RouterOS. It has 24 Gigabit Ethernet port. The Ethernet port 2-24 are switched, and the device can be accessed via these ports through the IP 192.168.88.1. Ethernet port 1 is configured as a DHCP client and has firewall on it. The SFP port is configured the same way as Ethernet 1, with a firewall and DHCP client on it. For the cloud router switch, there are nine models currently available. Here lists three different cases of the cloud core switch:

  • CRS125-24G-1S-2HnD-IN (integrated wireless, indoor case)
  • CRS125-24G-1S-IN (indoor case)
  • CRS125-24G-1S-RM (rackmount case)

MikroTik cloud router switch

Figure1: MikroTik cloud router switches(Resource: www.MikroTik.com)

Cloud Core Switch CRS226-24G-2S+RM

As one of the cloud core switches, CRS226-24G-2S+RM have been highly favored by most people. CRS226-24G-2S+RM is a fully functional layer 3 cloud router switch powered by Router OS, which is also available in 1U rackmount case. It comes with a special switch menu which includes all the specific configuration options for switches. It has 24 Gigabit ports and two SFP+ cages for 10G connectivity in which first SFP port supports 1.25G/10G modules and second port only 10G modules. Ports can be removed from the switch configuration and used for routing purposes if needed. The most distinctive feature of CRS226-24G-2S+RM is that uses a new class of switch chips, which allows us to have two SFP+ ports for 10G connectivity. The main features of this cloud core switch are listed in the following:

  • Fully manageable L3 switch, full wire speed switching
  • Configure ports as switch, or for routing
  • If required, full RouterOS power right there
  • SFP+ ports for 10G connectivity

CRS226-24G-2S+RM_big

Figure2: cloud core switch CRS226-24G-2S+RM(Resource: www.MikroTik.com)

Connectivity Solutions for CRS226-24G-2S+RM

As being mentioned, the cloud core switch CRS226-24G-2S+RM has 24 Gigabit ports and 2 SFP+ ports. For the twenty-four 10/100/1000 Ethernet ports, you could use both network cables and optical transceivers to connect. The transmission speed of Cat5 and Cat5e cables can be up to 100 Mb/s and 1G respectively. Besides, you can also use 10/100/1000BASE-T copper transceiver to make network connectivity. But it costs more than the network cables. In terms of 10G SFP+ ports, there are also two connectivity approaches. You can use both 10G SFP+ modules and 10G SFP+ DAC copper cable to connect. Relatively speaking, the 10G DAC cable is cheaper a lot than the 10G transceiver. But if transmission quality is your pursuit, and then 10GBASE SFP+ transceivers would be a good choice.

Why Are Cloud Core Switches Economic Choice for L3 Switch?

According to the above description, cloud core switches are powered by Router OS. RouterOS lets you add upper layer functionality. The cloud core switch is very far below wire speed when doing layer 3 or above. In fact, the cloud core switch is more of a bare-bones layer 2 switch that has an embedded low-horsepower router. In short, the switch features are useful for making bridges that work at wire speed, but they’re limited to simple forwarding and vlan handling. The bridge feature lets you glue almost anything together, and gives lots of filtering/manipulation tools, but it cannot perform at wire speed because it uses the main CPU. Last but not least, the average prices of Mikro Tik cloud core switches are not more than $150, you can check them by this link.

Conclusion

Cloud core/router Switch is a managed switch that runs RouterOS and SwitchOS, which delivers a high performance as a Layer 3 switch. They allow to manage port-to-port forwarding, apply MAC filter, configure VLANs, mirror traffic, apply bandwidth limitation and even adjust some MAC and IP header fields. The economic L3 switch including several switch models covering wide range applications, like enterprise network and home network.