Connectivity Options for 10 Gigabit Ethernet

Since March 1999, the Ethernet industry has been working on providing solutions to increase the speed of Ethernet from 1 to 10 gigabits per second. For enterprise LAN applications, 10 Gigabit Ethernet enables network managers to scale their Ethernet networks from 10 Mbps to 10,000 Mbps, while leveraging their investments in Ethernet as they increase their network performance. There are various types of cables and transceivers available for making Ethernet connections at speeds of 10 Gigabit per second. This article will illustrate both the copper and fiber connectivity options for 10 Gigabit Ethernet.

Transceivers

Standards bodies initially offered several options for the 10-Gigabit transceiver. The one that ultimately evolved as most popular in commercial data center usage was the XFP transceiver. In recent years an extension of the SFP transceiver was standardized for use with 10 Gigabit Ethernet and named SFP+. SFP+ has three outstanding advantages. First of all, it was smaller than the XFP form factor allowing for much more dense packaging of ports on (primarily) switches. Secondly, a new type of very short distance copper cable was developed which uses the same mechanical form factor as the optical transceiver and is capable of carrying 10Gbps Ethernet data. This cable type is called direct attach copper cable which will be introduced later. SFP+ has now become the predominant 10G Ethernet connector type.

Fiber Cables

Fiber cables consist of the cable itself and the connectors on the ends. There are multiple choices for cable type and for connector type. The difference in cable choices come from the distance limitations encountered with the various types of optical transmission. The commonly available types of fiber cables include: SR for connections of up to 300 m in length, LR for connections of up to 2 km in length and ER for connections of up to 10 km in length.

Copper Cables

• 10GBASE-T
  For 10-Gigabit Ethernet cabling, the standards body determined that even enhanced Cat5e UTP traditional Ethernet cable would not be able to carry the signal reliably for any significant distance. So a new specification which still uses RJ45 connectors was introduced and is commonly referred to by its standards name 10GBASE-T. It calls for a 4-wire twisted pair cable with even more strinent limitations on cross-talk.
• CX4
  CX4 is a cable type generally associated with an alternative networking technology called InfiniBand. CX4 cable can also be used in 10Gigabit Ethernet connections. It uses a coaxial copper cable and can support cable lengths of up to 15m.
• SFP+
  As discussed above, one of the advantages of the SFP+ connector type was that a new type of very-short-distance copper cable was developed which uses the same mechanical form factor as the optical transceiver and is capable of carrying 10Gbps Ethernet data. This cable type namely SFP+ direct attach copper cable is a fixed assembly that is purchased at a given length, with the SFP+ connector modules permanently attached to each end of the cable. It provides high performance in 10 Gigabit Ethernet network applications, using an enhanced SFP+ connector to send 10 Gbps data through one paired transmitters and receivers over a thin twinax cable.

To conclude, 10 Gigabit Ethernet has become the technology of choice for enterprise, metropolitan, and wide area networks. Choosing the right kind of connectivity options helps you ensure the proper and efficient performance of your networks. Fiberstore offers various kinds of fiber optical transceivers for 10 Gigabit Ethernet, such as the HP J9151A, NETGEAR AXM761 SFP+ transceiver and so on. Besides, cables for 10 Gigabit Ethernet can be customized according to your special requirements. 

HP SFP Transceiver vs Third-Party SFP Transceiver

In order to cut down the costs on the expensive SFP transceiver modules, many users are seeking for a compatible SFP to use. For example, if your network contains HP routers, firewalls, and switches, you might think that only HP SFP branded transceivers will ensure your equipment functions optimally. However, that seemingly reasonable assumption could cost your company thousands of dollars. Compared to the compatible SFP transceiver produced by third-party companies, HP SFP transceiver comes with dramatically inflated price tags while a third-party compatible one is roughly 80 percent less expensive than HP branded SFP transceiver. Although price isn't everything, it's important to know that you're getting your money's worth. That calls for a comparison of what HP SFP transceiver has to offer next to a third-party compatible one.

Performance

Many people worry that the performance of a third-party compatible SFP is not as good as HP SFP. In fact, HP's own branded SFP transceivers aren't the only ones that work well with their other devices. Compatible third-party SFP transceivers are designed with the specifications of HP technology and function smoothly but have no problem with HP devices such as switches, firewalls, and routers. For example, the following JD092B compatible SFP transceiver provided by Fiberstore offers the same function with HP JD092B and it is fully compatible with HP devices. So you needn’t necessarily buy HP branded SFP transceiver to run your system without glitches or snags.  

Failure Rates

Price implies reliability, is it always true? When you pay more for a product, you must expect that higher cost has some added benefits attached. But it is not always the case. Sometimes you're just paying for the brand name. Third-party compatible SFP transceivers often have lower rates of failure than branded HP SFP transceivers, which makes them more reliable but with less money.

Warranty

HP offers a one-year warranty on their branded optical products, plus whatever coverage may be offered under your service contract, for which you must pay separately and these service contracts don't come cheap. But if you have a lot of experience in shopping around, you'll find that many third-party manufacturers of compatible SFP transceivers and resellers even offer significantly better guarantees. It's not hard to find a lifetime warranty for your compatible optical products.

Availability

Time is money. Everyone prefers to get products earlier rather than later. The last thing you concern when trying to construct or upgrade your network is to find out that the SFP transceivers you have paid are on backorder. That kind of situation often happens when you rely on a single brand for the products you need. Expanding your search to a third-party compatible one can make it easier to get your network up and running faster without having to wait for the parts to be restocked.

If you're still hesitant about trying a third-party compatible SFP transceiver, the best way to ensure that you're getting a reliable product at a good deal is to choose a vendor you trust, one with a proven track record of quality products and great customer service. HP compatible SFP transceivers offered by Fiberstore are fully compatible with HP switches & routers. These SFP modules can be mixed and deployed with genuine HP SFP transceivers for seamless network performance and interoperability. We provide a series of HP compatible SFP transceivers as equivalent to J9151A, JD092B, J8177C, J4859B, etc.