Using Fiber Optic Transceiver to Achieve Long Distance Transmission

Recently we met a big project that involved the network channel installation about digital optical transmission equipment, in fact, it is not so complex as the organization network ways, just we can use with SDH and downward access with switches over backbone line, but because of the SDH equipment covers all the site in the progress of construction, so it need to be solved for long distance network connections by another way. Fortunately, we have much experiences in using fiber optic transceiver, this page we will introduce the application of fiber optic transceiver in the network construction progress which combines with this experience.

1. Multimode fiber optic transceiver and multimode fiber optic cables

Fiber optic transceiver is an ethernet transmission device that can exchange the light signal and electrical signal, fiber optic cables that can transfer data over network can be divided into multimode fiber optic cables and single-mode fiber optic cables, fiber core diameter of multimode fiber cable is 50~62.5 μm，and the single-mode fiber cable core diameter is 8.3 μm. In fact, these data are not intuitive for us, we can judge it only by colors, the multimode fiber pigtail's color is orange and the single-mode fiber cable is yellow. From the network applications, because of multimode fiber optic cable can transmit for not tool long distance, it just can be used between the buildings, but because of the price is relatively cheap, so there are still some people like to use it. HP J4858C SFP transceiver in figure 1.

Figure 1. HP J4858C SFP 850nm 550m Multimode Optical Transceiver

2. Single-mode fiber optic transceiver series

With the development of technology, this phenomenon that single mode fiber cables applied into the long distance network installation is more and more popular, nowadays many customers use fiber optic transceiver directly, just we call it FTTH (fiber to the home), and these different types of fiber optic transceivers we will introduce to you all based on single mode fiber cables. HP transceiver JD119B Single-Mode SFP in figure 2.

Figure 2. HP JD119B X120 1310nm 10km Single-Mode Optical Transceiver

Dual Fiber Single Network Port

The dual fiber single network port fiber optic transceiver just use two fibers, a fiber is used to receive and another is used to transmit. A group of fiber optic transceivers can achieve the exchange of electrical signal and light signal. The network device may a switch, also may a server, well, we can see the fiber optic transceiver as PC, which connected with the switch is straight through cable, and with the server is cross cable. With the development of technology, the fiber optic transceiver ports have been generally made adaptive mode (automatic matching cross-line and direct line), it also bring conveniences to the projects.

Single Fiber Single Network Port

With the continuous development of business, we are faced with an unavoidable problem that the shortage of fiber resources. Some companies want to connect the network but there is only a fiber, it is time to use the single mode fiber optic transceiver, it means that receive and transmit signal over a fiber, this product use WDM technology, related product: passive cwdm mux (shown as the figure). The wavelength usually are 1310nm and 1550 nm, and the 1310 nm stands for transmission, and the 1550 nm stands for receiving.

Single Fiber Dual Ethernet Port

With the development of business, some units put forward higher requirements, for example, we organized network for one bank, he asked us to provide two Ethernet lines to separate from. it needs mature and safe fiber optic transceiver device technology, in order to simply the cost of fiber optic devices and achieve the networks over one fiber, we try our best to save the fiber sources. Our solution is that using 10/100 m adaptive port devices, access into the Ethernet link which can reach 60 km, also keep it to support network management functions.

3. Gigabit fiber optic transceivers and integrated optical interface switches

The advantages of using fiber optic transceiver to connect the network, not only stable, but also it has fast speed, 100M full duplex and even 1000M duplex. For example, there is a Engineering machinery manufacturing enterprise, they use the 100M link to network at the beginning, but due to the requirements of the developments of business, we need to provide higher speed to them, fortunately, the progress of the technology provide good products for us, just gigabit fiber cable, from the appearances of fiber cable, it has no differences with 100M fiber transceivers. Yeah, the fiber optic transceiver we used can be directly plugged into the original power supply unit box, which just needs to change the fiber optic transceiver and then upgrade the bandwidth from Fast to Ethernet. Otherwise, we found that the education industry prefer to use an integrated gigabit fiber interface on the switches.

Article Source: Fiber Optical Networking

Fiberstore SFP+ DAC Cable Solution

SFP+ Direct Attach

Also known as Direct Attach (DA), Direct Attach Copper (DAC), 10GSFP+Cu, 10GBASE-CR, 10GBASE-CX1, SFP+, or 10GbE Cu SFP cables. Direct Attach uses a passive twinax cable assembly and connects directly into an SFP+ housing. SFP+ Direct Attach has a fixed-length cable, typically 1 to 7 m (passive cables) or up to 15 m (active cables) in length, and, like 10GBASE-CX4, is low-power, low-cost and low-latency with the added benefits of using less bulky cables and of having the small form factor of SFP+. SFP+ Direct Attach today is tremendously popular, with more ports installed than 10GBASE-SR.

SFP+ Direct Attach Copper (10GSFP+Cu)

SFP+ direct attached Twinax copper is a copper 10 Gigabit Ethernet cable which comes in either an active or passive Twinax (twinaxial) cable assembly and connects directly into an SFP+ housing. The active Twinax cable has active electronic components in the SFP+ housing to improve the signal quality; the passive Twinax cable is just a straight "wire" and has no active components. Generally Twinax cables less than 5 meters in length are passive and greater than 5 meters in length are active, but this is a general rule of thumb and will vary from vendor to vendor. SFP+ Direct Attach Copper (DAC) is expected to be the optimum solution for 10G Ethernet reaches up to 10 m.

One of major applications includes Cisco, Juniper, Brocade and others' network hardware with SFP+ interfaces. This kind of connection has the capacity to transmit at 10 Gigabits/second full duplex speed over 5 meter distances. Moreover, this setup offers 15 to 25 times lower transceiver latency than current 10GBASE-T Cat 6/Cat 6a/Cat 7 cabling systems: 0.1 μs for Twinax with SFP+ versus 1.5 to 2.5 μs for current 10GBASE-T specification. The power draw of Twinax with SFP+ is around 0.1 watts, which is much better than 4-8 watts for 10GBASE-T.

As always with cabling one of the consideration points is bit error ratio or BER for short. Twinax copper cabling has BER better than 10-18 according to Cisco, and therefore is acceptable for applications in critical environments.

AWG cable size	Sustained bend radius
24	1.5 inches (38 mm)
26	1.3 inches (33 mm)
28	1.0 inch (25 mm)
30	0.9 inches (23 mm)

Cables must not be bent below their minimum bend radius, which is depending on cable size expressed in AWG. The table on the right summarizes minimum values typically admitted for SFP+ sustained bend radiuses.

This SFP+ Twinax DAC is also referred to as "10GBASE-CR" by some manufacturers, even though there is no IEEE or other standard with that name.

Cisco SFP+ Twinax Copper Cables

Cisco SFP+ Copper Twinax (Figure 1) direct-attach cables are suitable for very short distances and offer a cost-effective way to connect within racks and across adjacent racks. Cisco offers passive Twinax cables in lengths of 1, 1.5, 2, 2.5, 3, 5, 7 and 10 meters, and active Twinax cables in lengths of 7 and 10 meters.

Figure 1. Cisco direct attach passive SFP+ cables

Cisco SFP+ Active Optical Cables

Cisco SFP+ Active Optical Cables (Figure 2) are direct-attach fiber assemblies with SFP+ connectors. They are suitable for very short distances and offer a cost-effective way to connect within racks and across adjacent racks. Cisco offers Active Optical Cables in lengths of 1, 2, 3, 5, 7, and 10 meters.

Figure 2. Cisco active optical SFP+ cables

Platform Support

Cisco SFP+ modules are supported on a wide range of Cisco switches and routers^*:

Catalyst 4500 and 4500-X Series Switches CRS Router MDS 9000 ME 4500 ME 4900NCS 6000 Series Router Nexus 2000, 3000, and 4000 Series Switches Nexus 9000 and 9500 (modular) Series Switches RF Gateway Series SCE 8000 Shared Port Adapter (SPA) Unified Computing System (UCS) Switches

7600 Series Router ASR 901 ASR 903 ASR 1000 Series Router ASR 9000 Series Router ASR 9000v Series Router Catalyst 2350 and 2360 Series Switches Catalyst 2960-S, 2960-X, and 2960-XR Series Switches Catalyst 3100 Blade Switches Catalyst 3560, 3560-E, and 3560-X Series Switches Catalyst 3750, 3750-E, and 3750-X Series Switches Catalyst 3850 Series Switches

Ordering Information

SFP+ Passive and Active Copper Cable Assembly, 10G

Part No.	Data Rate	Length	Wire AWG	Connector Type	Temp. Range
Cisco SFP-H10GB-CU1M	Up to 10.5G	1m	30	Passive Copper	0-70℃
Cisco SFP-H10GB-CU1-5M	Up to 10.5G	1.5m	30	Passive Copper	0-70℃
Cisco SFP-H10GB-CU2M	Up to 10.5G	2m	30	Passive Copper	0-70℃
Cisco SFP-H10GB-CU2-5M	Up to 10.5G	2.5m	30	Passive Copper	0-70℃
Cisco SFP-H10GB-CU3M	Up to 10.5G	3m	30	Passive Copper	0-70℃
Cisco SFP-H10GB-CU5M	Up to 10.5G	5m	24	Passive Copper	0-70℃
Cisco SFP-H10GB-CU7M	Up to 10.5G	7m	30	Active Copper	0-70℃
Cisco SFP-H10GB-CU10M	Up to 10.5G	10m	28	Active Copper	0-70℃

SFP+ Active Optical Cable Assembly, 10G

Part No.	Data Rate	Length	Wire AWG	Connector Type	Temp. Range
SFP-10G-AOC1M	Up to 10.5G	1m	Fiber	SFP+ AOC	0-70℃
SFP-10G-AOC2M	Up to 10.5G	2m	Fiber	SFP+ AOC	0-70℃
SFP-10G-AOC3M	Up to 10.5G	3m	Fiber	SFP+ AOC	0-70℃
SFP-10G-AOC5M	Up to 10.5G	5m	Fiber	SFP+ AOC	0-70℃
SFP-10G-AOC7M	Up to 10.5G	7m	Fiber	SFP+ AOC	0-70℃
SFP-10G-AOC10M	Up to 10.5G	10m	Fiber	SFP+ AOC	0-70℃

Notes

Direct Attach Copper (DAC) Cable is widely used in storage, data center, and high-performance computing connectivity. The DAC cables are widely-used to connect one mobility access switch with another when forming a stack. Fiberstore supplies different kinds of high-speed interconnect DAC cable assemblies including 10G SFP+ Cables, 40G QSFP+ Cables, and 120G CXP Cables. Fiberstore offers customized service for cable length.

References:

• http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Twinaxial_cabling
• DAC Cable

Optical Transceivers for 10 Gigabit Ethernet

Introduction

As 10 Gigabit Ethernet (10GbE) is introduced into networks the physical limitations and properties of optical fiber introduce new challenges for a network designer. Due to the increased data rate, fiber effects, such as dispersion (intermodal, chromatic or polarization), become a factor in the achievable distances of 10GbE links. This leaves the network designer with new decisions and trade-offs that he/she must understand and overcome.This paper provides an introduction to the world of optical fiber and covers the unique network design issues that 10GbE introduces into an optical fiber network.

In multimode fiber, the time it takes for light to travel through a fiber is different for each mode resulting in a spreading of the pulse at the output of the fiber referred to as intermodal dispersion. The difference in the time delay between the modes is called Differential Mode Delay (DMD). Intermodal dispersion limits multimode fiber bandwidth. This is significant because a fiber’s bandwidth determines its information carrying capacity, i.e., how far a transmission system can operate at a specified bit error rate.

10 Gigabit Ethernet

The IEEE 802.3ae 10 Gigabit Ethernet specification includes a serial interface referred to as 10GBASE-S (the “S” stands for short wavelength) that is designed for 850 nm transmission on multimode fiber. Table 2 provides the wavelength, modal bandwidth, and operating distance for different types of multimode fiber operating at 10 Gbps. Technical issues relating to the use of laser sources with multimode fibers (discussed in the previous section) has significantly limited the operating range of 10GbE over “FDDI grade” fiber. The “FDDI grade” multimode fiber has a modal bandwidth of 160 MHz*km at 850 nm and a modal bandwidth of 500 MHz*km at 1300 nm.

To address the operating range concern, a new multimode fiber specification had to be created for 10GbE to achieve multimode fiber operating distances of 300 m (as specified in the TIA/EIA-568 and ISO/IEC 11801 cabling standards). This new fiber is referred to by some as “10 Gigabit Ethernet multimode fiber” and is an 850 nm, laser-optimized, 50/125 micron fiber with an effective modal bandwidth of 2000 MHz*km and is detailed in TIA-492AAAC. Its key difference, relative to legacy multimode fibers, are the additional requirements for DMD specified in TIA-492AAAC enabled by a new measurement standard for DMD (TIA FOTP-220). As shown in Table 1, this fiber can achieve 300 m of distance with a 10GBASE-S interface. Many leading optical fiber vendors are actively marketing this new multimode fiber for 10GbE applications.

Description	62.5 micron fiber		50 micron fiber			Unit
Wavelength	850	850	850	850	850	nm
Modal bandwidth (min)	160	200	400	500	2000	Mhz km
Operating range	2-26	2-33	2-66	2-82	2-300	m

There are two major factors which will likely drive use of this new “10GbE multimode fiber”:

1. the popularity of short reach (300 m or less) 10GbE applications and
2. the cost of 10GBASE-S interfaces relative to the others.

Evidence of the popularity of low cost, short distance 850 nm multimode Ethernet applications can be found in the number of 1000BASE-SX ports shipped for 1 Gigabit Ethernet. 1000BASE-SX operates up to 550 meters on multimode fiber and has garnered a large percentage of the total number of 1 GbE switch ports shipped. Ultimately the marketplace will determine the popularity of “10GbE multimode fiber”. The alternative is to use single-mode fiber over a 10GBASE-L or 10GBASE-E interface or the 10GBASE-LX4 interface, which supports both single-mode and multimode fiber over distances of 10 km and 300 m, respectively.

Where to Buy Optical Transceiver

Fiberstore is a professional manufacturer and supplier of optical networking solutions. We can supply 100% compatible fiber optic transceiver modules of many brands, SFP transceiver brand compatible such as, Cisco SFP, Dell SFP, HP SFP transceiver.. with a incredible discount. Especially, you can find a full product line of our New Cisco 10G SFP+ with a good price and enjoy same-day shipping (eg.SFP-10G-SR, SFP-10G-LR and SFP 10G LRM).. According to your requirements, we welcome any inquiry for customized fiber optical transceiver. In addition, a variety of fiber patch cables are also offered with a good price and high quality. Fiberstore will give you a pefect solution for your network transmission.

Some Knowldege About HP ProCurve Mini-GBICs and SFPs

About HP ProCurve

HP ProCurve was the name of the networking division of Hewlett-Packard from 1998 to 2010 and associated with the products that it sold. The name of the division was changed to HP Networking (also called HP ProCurve Networking) in September 2010 after HP bought 3Com Corporation. As the then-ProCurve division began to offer LAN switches, Core, Datacenter, Distribution, Edge, Web managed and Unmanaged Switches. The ProCurve was also used with Network Management, Routing and Security products. HP ProCurve transceivers as the part of its networking accessories that are applied to their corresponding switches or routers. Today, we will introduce some knowledge of the HP ProCurve Mini-GBICs and SFPs.

Products Involved In This Paper ProCurve Gigabit-SX-LC Mini-GBIC (Product No. J4858A/J4858B/J4858C)

A small form-factor pluggable 1000BASE-SX SFP fiber optic transceiver with 1LC port that provides a full-duplex Gigabit solution up to 550 m on multimode fiber.

Fiberstore Solution:

• NEW HP J4858A X121 Compatible 1000BASE-SX SFP 850nm 550m Transceiver Module
• NEW HP J4858B X121 Compatible 1000BASE-SX SFP 850nm 550m Transceiver Module
• NEW HP J4858C X121 Compatible 1000BASE-SX SFP 850nm 550m Transceiver Module

ProCurve Gigabit-LX-LC Mini-GBIC (Product No. J4859A/J4859B/J4859C)

An SFP format gigabit transceiver with LC connectors using LX technology.

Fiberstore Solution:

• NEW HP J4859A Compatible 1000BASE-LX SFP 1310nm 10km Transceiver Module
• NEW HP J4859B Compatible 1000BASE-LX SFP 1310nm 10km Transceiver Module
• NEW HP J4859C Compatible 1000BASE-LX SFP 1310nm 10km Transceiver Module

ProCurve Gigabit-LH-LC Mini-GBIC (Product No. J4860A/J4860B/J4860C)

A small form-factor pluggable (SFP) Gigabit LH transceiver that provides a full-duplex Gigabit solution up to 70 km on single-mode fiber.

Fiberstore Solution:

• NEW HP J4860A Compatible 1000BASE-ZX SFP 1550nm 80km Transceiver Module
• NEW HP J4860B Compatible 1000BASE-ZX SFP 1550nm 80km Transceiver Module
• NEW HP J4860C Compatible 1000BASE-ZX SFP 1550nm 80km Transceiver Module

Knowledge You Should Know About HP ProCurve Mini-GBICs and SFPs

For the above products, there usually are many questions about them. The following infomation will make you to know more about them.

Supported Platform According to HP ProCurve Networking Mini-GBIC Support Matrix, we can easily find out which Mini-GBICs and SFPs are supported on which ProCurve Systems. General rules are:

• Please use only genuine or high-quality 100% compatible ProCurve Mini-GBICs and SFPs on ProCurve System.
• Newer ProCurve products require revision "B" or later Mini-GBICs and SFPs (product number ends with the letter "B" or later, for example J4858B, J4859C).

About the Version A, B, C

HP ProCurve Mini-GBICs and SFPs have three version, but you may not find A and B anymore in HP's official website. In fact, the version A, B and C are the development of HP ProCurve Mini-GBIC and SFP. Though there is no big difference between these three version, some improvement will be added in the newest version, and the supported platforms adjustment. The "revision C" Mini-GBICs (eg. J4858C, J4859C, J4860C) are supported in all ProCurve products that support Mini-GBICs. In addition, "revision B" and "revision C" mini-GBICs can be used together in any ProCurve switch that supports mini-GBICs. Actually, as the transitional products, HP stops offering the version A and version B. But version C are not supported on some old switches, thus, some users have still used the version A or version B. Fiberstore can support the 100% compatible HP ProCurve Mini-GBICs and SFPs at version A, B and C, such as J4858A/B/C, J4859A/B/C, J4860A/B/C.

Mini-GBICs and SFPs hot-swappable

All ProCurve Mini-GBICs and SFPs are hot-swappable (they can be installed and removed while the switch is powered on). However, the network cable should be disconnected before removing the Mini-GBIC or SFP from the switch.

Best practice tip: After inserting a transceiver into a ProCurve switch, the Mode LED will come on for two seconds while the transceiver is initialized. Do not remove the transceiver until the Mode LED has turned off. For the Switch 2600 and 2800 Series: After inserting a transceiver into a 2600 or 2800 switch, the "M" LED will come on to indicate that the mini-GBIC slot is active. Wait at least two seconds after the "M" LED comes on if you need to remove the transceiver.

About Fiberstore

Fiberstore is a professional manufacturer and supplier of optical networking solutions. We can supply 100% compatible fiber optic transceiver modules of many brands, like HP, Cisco, Dell, D-link etc. with a incredible discount. About HP, you can find a full product line of our New HP transceivers with a good price and enjoy same-day shipping. In addition, according to your requirements, we welcome any inquiry for customized fiber optical transceiver. Fiberstore's aim is offering the best quality products and perfect solutions, saving customers's time and money, making customers enjoy personalization.

Recommendation of The Best-selling Brand Compatible Transceivers

• Netgear SFPs: Netgear AGM731F, AGM731F 1000BASE SX SFP module
• Juniper SFPs: SFP-1GE-FE-E-T, EX SFP-1GE-SX and Juniper SFP 1000BASE-T
• Finisar SFPs: FCLF-8521-3, FTLF1319P1BTL and Finisar FTRJ8519P1BNL

Article Source: HP SFPs

When It's Best to Use GBIC and When to Use SFP?

Recently many users ask when they choosing a card for their switch/router, they should choose either cards that take SFP or cards that take GBIC. It seems to be a headache for them because they are not clearly know the differences of them. Thus, today, we are mainly going to discuss that when it's best to use GBIC and when to use SFP.

GBIC (gigabit interface converter)

GBIC is a hot-swappable input/output device that plugs into a Gigabit Ethernet port or slot, linking the port with the network. GBIC is a standard for transceivers, commonly used with Gigabit Ethernet and fiber channel. GBIC module is hot pluggable, this feature allows a suitably designed enclosure to be changed from one type of external interface to another simply by plugging in a GBIC having the alternative external interface. Generally, GBIC is with the SC connector. The GBIC standard is non-proprietary and is defined by the Small Form Factor committee in document number 8053i. The first publication of the proposal was in November 1995. A few corrections and additions were made through September 2000.

SFP (small form-factor pluggable)

SFP is a specification for a new generation of optical modular transceivers. The form factor and electrical interface are specified by a multi-source agreement (MSA). SFP is also known as a Mini GBIC as its function is somewhat similar to the GBIC transceiver while SFP is smaller than it. SFP transceivers are designed to support SONET, gigabit Ethernet, Fibre Channel, and other communications standards. Due to its smaller size, SFP is now more and more widely used for both telecommunication and data communications applications.

GBIC & SFP Interface Types

For every type of GBIC and SFP transceivers, it works with different wavelengths at a designated location or distance. For examples, SX SFP uses 850nm for a maximum of 550 meters, LX SFP uses 1310nm for a maximum 10km, ZX SFP could reach 80km or copper SFP RJ45 interface. We can easily distinguish via the information in their names or models, ie. 1000BASE-T SFP, 1000BASE-SX SFP, 1000BASE-LX/LH SFP, 1000BASE-ZX SFP, 1000BASE-CWDM SFP, or 1000BASE-DWDM SFP. In addition, the DOM function for an SFP is discretionary. It supports the users to locate the real-time working status of SFP. The famous brand of GBICs or SFPs are Cisco, Finisar, HP, Juniper, Extreme Network and so on. There is a little difference in the features of each brand's GBICs and SFPs and they support their corresponding brand's switches/routers.

When it's best to use GBIC and When to use SFP?

According to the above definitions of GBIC and SFP, you may have a further understanding on both of them. There is only one difference of them. SFP is smaller than GBIC. Because the smaller size of SFP (almost half the volume of GBIC), we can configure double number of ports on the same panel which increases the utilization rates of switches/routers. Other basic functions of SFP is almost the same with the GBIC and they are equal in performance. Though there are some users still using the GBIC as their old divice which can not be updated to support SFP, GBIC will gradually be obsoleted and replaced by SFP. So the answer to the question "When it's best to use GBIC and When to use SFP?" is obvious. SFP is your choice. Of course, except GBIC and SFP, there are SFP+, XFP, QSFP/QSFP+ etc. new generation of transceivers which can meet all kinds of your requirements. These new types of transceivers will be discussed in other aticle and not state here one by one. If you are interested in them, please focus continuously on my blog. Or if you need these products, Fiberstore will be a good place for you.

Recommendation of The Best-selling Brand Compatible Transceivers

• Cisco: GLC-SX-MM, GLC-SX-MMD, GLC-LH-SMD, GLC-T, SFP-GE-T
• Finisar: FCLF-8521-3, FTRJ8519P1BNL, FTLX8571D3BCV
• Netgear: AFM735, AGM734, AGM731F
• HP: J4858C, 455883-B21, J9143B, JD089B
• D-Link: DEM-310GT, DEM-311GT

Article Source: GBIC or SFP transceiver

How to Identify The Refurbished Optical Transceiver Module

Nowadays, there is a variety optical transceivers on the market and some of them may be the refurbished optical transceivers. Driven by the huge economic profit, some unscrupulous manufacturers mislead customers to use the refurbished or inferior optical transceiver modules on their switches, servers, base station equipment or storage devices. What's worse, they have even faked the famous brand optical transceiver modules. These shoddy refurbished optical transceivers illegally entered the markets may result in heavy losses to us. This article is explaining how to identify the refurbished transceiver modules, and buy a high-quality transceiver module.

Sources & Disadvantages of the Refurbished Optical Transceiver Module

Source

In general, the sources of refurbished transceiver module include the following two ways.

• Some transceiver modules have been used for certain years, and they will be eliminated due to the update of equipment or damaged due to improper use. The unscrupulous manufacturers recycle these old or damaged transceiver and refurbish them, these refurbished transceiver modules generally have serious impact on the service life.
• Some unqualified transceiver modules can not pass the on line tests and ready to destroy. These unqualified transceivers are used by the unscrupulous manufactures to fake the high-quality transceivers. However, the parameters of these transceivers are not standard. It will have a great impact on the stability of data transmission, and even have serious damages on the equipment.

Disadvantages

The generally speaking refurbished transceiver modules are referred to the secondhand or unqualified transceiver modules mentioned above. They are bought by some unscrupulous businessmen of low prices and renewed with a number of technical renovation (for example: replacing the shell, replacing the clasp, or replacing the labels, etc). These refurbished transceivers have a lower price than the original one and can easily attract the users. However, many issues have been occurred when using:

• Pollution on the light path
• Easy to damage
• Short using life
• Low receiving sensitivity
• Cannot meet the high or low temperature working environment

How to Identify The Refurbished Optical Transceiver Module

Here are three methods to identify the refurbished optical transceiver module:

• Appearance recognition. Check the appearance of the transceiver modules: new module's appearance generally has good consistency while the refurbished module is not glossy, and have some wear and scratches in the rim angle. Many refurbished transceivers are replaced with a new shell, in this case, we can see the interface of the modules, if there is dust and not smooth, it is the refurbished modules.
• Check the ferrule. Pulled out of the dust cap, we can see the ferrule in the bore. In general, the multimode transceiver has plastic ferrules or metal ferrules while the singlemode transceiver has the metal ferrule. A second-hand old module is lack of glossy, and generally rough and with scratch that has a bad consistency. The ferrules of a new quality module is brightness of color and lustre and has a good consistency.
• Put the modules working under the status of 50-60 °C and see if it is working properly. In generally, a refurbished optical transceiver module can not work well or even disconnect.

Avoiding Refurbished Transceiver Module, A Quality Vendor Is Necessary

No matter there are how many tips or methods on how to identify, the best way to avoid buying refurbished transceiver module is to choose a quality vendor. The reason why many users have bought the refurbished transceivers is the attractive low price of them. As we know, the costs for transceiver modules modules keep adding up over time. In order to save more, a low cost option of the transceiver is the expectation of the users. How and where to find a quality vendor? Fiberstore is your best choice. Fiberstore provides a full set of compatible fiber optic transceiver module solution cover all the famous brands, such as Cisco, HP, Finisar and so on, which can satisfy you with a full range of services. In addition, we can also offer the custom service for your special requirements. The following figure shows us a 10 gbps SFP 10km 1310nm transceiver module.

All our fiber transceivers are 100% compatible with major brands

Cisco, Juniper, HP, Finisar, Brocade, Extreme, Source Photonics, Netgear, Force10, Dell, Foundry, Huwei, Intel, Allied Telesis SFP and Custom SFP...

A full range of optical transceivers

SFP Transceivers (eg. 1000BASE-SX, 1000BASE-LX/LH, 1000BASE-ZX, 1000BASE-T), SFP+ transceivers (eg. 10GBASE-LR, 10GBASE-SR), QSFP+ & CFP Transceivers, XFP transceivers, 10G X2 & XENPAK and GBIC. Get more information can visit Fiberstore.com.

Recommendation of The Best-selling Brand Compatible Transceivers

• Cisco: GLC-SX-MMD, GLC-LH-SMD, GLC-T, SFP-GE-T;
• HP: 455883-B21, J9143B, JD089B;
• Netgear: AFM735, AGM731f, AGM734
• Finisar: FCLF-8521-3, FTRJ8519P1BNL, FTLF1319P1BTL

Related Articles: D-Link SFP Transceivers Alternative Solution

D-Link SFP Transceivers Alternative Solution

Introduction

D-Link is the world leader in connectivity for small, medium and large enterprise business networking. The company is an award-winning designer, developer and manufacturer of networking, broadband, digital electronics, voice and data communications solutions for the digital home, Small Office/Home Office (SOHO), Small to Medium Business (SMB) and Workgroup to Enterprise environments. D-Link's products are aimed at the networking and communications market. There is a number of products provided by D-link. Today, we'll only introduce an essential part of the switches product line - the transceiver module and mainly be centered on its 100/1000 Mbps SFP modules.

D-Link's SFP Module Series

D-Link's highly integrated transceivers offer low jitter performance for extended optical link support without degradation. D-Link's new line of Gigabit Interface Converters (GBICs) and Small Form-Factor Pluggables (SFPs) transceivers represent an industry leading combination of performance and affordability. D-Link's new Gigabit transceivers are available in two form-factors: standard (GBIC) or (SFP) /mini-GBIC.

100BASE-FX SFP

D-Link's DEM-211 100BASE-FX Multimode LC SFP Transceiver provides a high performance solution for serial optical data communication applications. The DEM-211 has a duplex LC connector and provides an IEEE 802.3u compliant link for up to 100Mbps in half duplex mode (200Mbps full-duplex mode) for fiber cable applications. The high performance DEM-211 enables reliable data transfer in short, intermediate, and long distances for building, factory, campus, and metropolitan networking applications. When two switches are connected together using a DEM-211 transceiver on both ends, link speeds of up to 155Mbps can be attained. The DEM-211 allows you to provide 100BASE-FX SFP fiber optic connectivity on Gigabit combo SFP ports for D-Link switches.

1000BASE-T SFP

D-Link's DGS-712 1000BASE-T Copper SFP transceiver is based on the SFP Multi Source Agreement. It is compatible with the Gigabit Ethernet and 1000BASE-T standards as specified in IEEE 802.3z and 802.3ab and supports a maximum cable distance coverage up to 300m link lengths. The DGS-712 plugs into any standard SFP interface allowing for 1000Base-T Gigabit transmission over standard Category 5 twisted pair copper.

1000BASE-SX SFP

D-Link's DEM-311GT 1000BASE-SX SFP is a high performance 850nm multimode SFP/mini-GBIC transceiver which is with duplex LC connector interface. Supporting full duplex, Gigabit speeds on multimode fiber for distances of up to 220m/550m on 62.5µm/50µm fiber respectively. The unit features a metal housing to reduce EMI and to increase durability. The DEM-311GT is hot pluggable and is 30-day money back guarantee and with a lifetime advance replacement warranty.

1000BASE-LX SFP

D-Link's 1000BASE-LX SFP, the DEM-310GT is a high performance 1310nm multimode/Singlemode SFP (mini-GBIC) transceiver. Supporting full duplex, Gigabit speeds on multimode/Singlemode fiber for distances of up to 550m/550m/10km on 62.5µm/50µm/9µm respectively. The unit features a metal housing to reduce EMI and to increase durability. Its interface is duplex LC connector. The DEM-310GT is hot pluggable and is 30-day money back guarantee and with a lifetime advance replacement warranty.

D-Link's SFP Module Alternative Solution

Fiberstore offers third party optical transceivers and all the D-Link SFP transceiver is certified 100% compatible with D-Link switch and router product lines.These D-Link SFP transceivers can be mixed and deployed with D-Link OEM SFP transceivers for seamless network performance and interoperability. Our cost-effective D-Link SFP optical modules are delivered to worldwide from our factory directly.

Warm tips: Other brands solution is available. All Fiberstore SFP transceivers are fully compatible with major brands (Cisco, HP, NETGEAR, Finisar, Juniper, etc.) and backed by a Lifetime Warranty.

More infomation about D-Link's SFP: D-Link SFP Transceiver Specifications.
Article Source: D-Link SFP solution

1000BASE-T SFP,1000BASE-SX SFP,1000BASE-BX SFP,Extreme SFP

Introduction

Extreme Networks is a networking company that designs, builds, and sets up Ethernet computer network products for business and company grade (metro) networks while using speed and scale of 10 Gigabit Ethernet, 40 Gigabit Ethernet and 100 Gigabit Ethernet. Extreme Networks switches support both optical and copper SFP (small form factor pluggable) modules. The kinds of switches and the I/O modules determine the compatible type of SFP module. This paper will introduce the Extreme Network SFP modules and the matching switches. In addition, an alternative solution is provided here which could provide you with a cost effective option.

Kinds of Extreme SFP Interfaces and Extreme Networks switches offer the following kinds of optical SFP interfaces:

SX SFP module

The SX SFP module supplies a 1000BASE-T optical connection using LC connectors and multimode fiber cable up to 300 meters long. The 1000BASE-SX SFP module conforms to the 1000BASE-SX standard.

Matching Switches: BlackDiamond 10808\BlackDiamond 8800 series\BlackDiamond 12800 series\Summit X150 series\Summit X250e series\Summit X450 series\Summit X450a series\Summit X450e series

LX SFP module

The LX SFP module supplies a 1000BASE-T optical connection using LC connectors and single-mode fiber (SMF) cable up to 10 km long. The LX SFP module conforms to the 1000BASE-LX standard.

Matching Switches: BlackDiamond 10808\BlackDiamond 8800 series\BlackDiamond 12800 series\Summit X150 series\Summit X250e series\Summit X450 series\Summit X450a series\Summit X450e series

ZX SFP module

The ZX SFP module is a long-haul SFP which offers a 1000BASE-T optical connection using LC connectors and SMF cable up to 80 km long.

Matching Switches: BlackDiamond 10808\BlackDiamond 8800 series\BlackDiamond 12800 series\Summit X150 series\Summit X250e series\Summit X450 series\Summit X450a series\Summit X450e series

1000BASE-BX bidirectional SFP modules

The 1000BASE-BX SFP modules include the 1000BASE-BX-U SFP module and the 1000BASE-BX-D SFP module. Both of these SFP modules are used together to permit a bidirectional Gigabit Ethernet connection using a single strand of SMF cable and LC connectors. The 1000BASE-BX-D SFP operates at wavelengths of 1490 nm TX/1310 nm RX, and the 1000BASE-BX-U SFP operates at wavelengths of 1310 nm TX/1490 nm RX. The 1000BASE-BX-U SFP module is usually connected to the 1000BASE-BX-D SFP module. The maximum transmission distance for this connection is 10 km. The 1000BASE-BX SFP modules conform to the IEEE 802.3ah 1000BASE-BX10 standard.

Matching Switches: BlackDiamond 10808\BlackDiamond 8800 series\BlackDiamond 12800 series\Summit X150 series\Summit X250e series\Summit X450 series\Summit X450a series\Summit X450e series

10/100/1000BASE-T Copper SFP Module

The Extreme Networks 10/100/1000BASE-T Ethernet SFP module is compatible with the Gigabit Ethernet standard and 1000 Base-T standard as specified in the IEEE 802.3:2002 standard. This SFP module supplies a 100-Mbps connection using Category 5 cable.

Matching Switches: BlackDiamond 8800 series\Summit X450 series\Summit X450a series

Fiberstore Fiber Optic Transceiver Solution

Extreme compatible SFP transceiver support Ethernet, Sonnet/SDH and Fiber Channel applications across all Extreme switching and routing platforms. Fiberstore is a professional manufacturer and supplier of optical networking solutions. We can supply 100% compatible fiber optic transceiver modules of many brands, like Cisco, Dell, D-link.. with a incredible discount. Especially HP, you can find a full product line of our New HP SFP with a good price and enjoy same-day shipping, such as HP 455883-B21 SFP, HP J4858C module and J4859A transceiver module, etc.. In addition, according to your requirements, we welcome any inquiry for customized fiber optical transceiver. Fiberstore's aim is offering the best quality products and perfect solutions, saving customers's time and money, making customers enjoy personalization.

Article Source: Overview of Extreme SFP Modules

What's Your Opinion Of Using 3rd Party SFP Modules On Cisco Catalyst Switch

In general, the cost of an original brand SFP module is more expensive than a 3rd party one. Take Cisco 1000BASE-SX SFP (GLC-SX-MMD) for example, the list price of Cisco is about $ 500.00, but you can easily find a 3rd party SFP modules that can take a discount at up to 90% off. As the cost of SFP transceiver keep adding up over time, many labs or companies are seeking for SFP alternatives to help cut down the costs on these expensive modules. However, a frequent customer problem with Cisco's new line of Catalyst switches is that they do not support 3rd party (non-Cisco) SFPs - or at least they do not seem to. If you've just replaced your network switches and tried using any 3rd party SFPs to connect your network backbone, you'll quickly stumble across an error similar to the following:

Error message

%PHY-4-UNSUPPORTED_TRANSCEIVER: Unsupported transceiver found in Gi1/0/0 %GBIC_SECURITY_CRYPT-4-VN_DATA_CRC_ERROR: GBIC in port 65538 has bad crc

When you see this error, it means that your Cisco Catalyst switch has just disabled the GBIC port. Why? When a SFP is inserted into a switch's GBIC port, the switch immediately reads a number of values from the SFP and if it doesn't like what it sees, it throws the above error message and disables the port. Simple to understand, your Cisco Catalyst switches are configured by default not to work with the 3rd party (non-Cisco) SFPs.

As we know, all SFP modules contain a number of recorded values in their EEPROM that include:

• Vendor Name
• Vendor ID
• Serial Number
• Security Code
• CRC

How To Solve This Issue & Successfully Use 3rd Party SFPs On Your Cisco Switch

When the errors displayed, many users will be very nervous and even begin to regret using the 3rd party SFPs. Is there no hope for a solution when facing such situation? Just be relax, the following content will give you some tips on it.

There are two undocumented commands which can be used to force the Cisco Catalyst switch to enable the GBIC port and use the 3rd party SFP.

3750G-Stack(config)# service unsupported-transceiver

Warning: When Cisco determines that a fault or defect can be traced to the use of third-party transceivers installed by a customer or reseller, then, at Cisco's discretion, Cisco may withhold support under warranty or a Cisco support program. In the course of providing support for a Cisco networking product Cisco may require that the end user install Cisco transceivers if Cisco determines that removing third-party parts will assist Cisco in diagnosing the cause of a support issue.

3750G-Stack(config)# no errdisable detect cause gbic-invalid

When entering the "service unsupported-transceiver" command, the switch (eg. 3750G) will automatically throw a warning message as a last hope to prevent the usage of a 3rd party SFP. The "no errdisable detect cause gbic-invalid" command will help ensure the GBIC port is not disabled when inserting an invalid GIBC. In addition, since the service unsupported-transceiver is undocumented, if you try searching for the command with the usual method "service ?", you won't find it.

According to the test, Cisco 2960G, 3560G, 3750G, 4507R and 4507R-E Catalyst switches all accept both "service unsupported-transceiver" & "no errdisable detect cause gbic-invalid commands" commands without a problem. In fact, if the Catalyst switch is running IOS 12.2(25)SE and above, the undocumented commands are available.

Opinion on 3rd Party SFP Modules

People have different opinions on "Whether I should use 3rd party SFPs". It seems a difficult question for them as the attractive price but unknown performance of the 3rd SFPs. In fact, take Catalyst 3750 Series Switches for example, starting from 12.2(25)SE release, the user has the option via CLI to turn on the support for 3rd party SFPs. However, you should remember that the Cisco TAC will not support such 3rd party SFPs. In the event of any link error involving such 3rd party SFPs the customer will have to replace 3rd party SFPs with Cisco SFPs before any troubleshooting can be done by TAC.

Thus, it is very necessary to use quality assurance SFP modules. Actually, there are some high quality SFP modules OEM vendors, such as Fiberstore. You would not worry about the compatibility of the usage. Because there is a perfect system from the production to shipment. All the products are tested before they shipped and ensure the 100% compatible and high quality. In addition, you can save more as the price is also very competitive.

Some common types of SFPs supported on Cisco Catalyst 3750 Series Switches

• 1000BASE-LX/LH SFP (GLC-LH-SM=)
• 1000BASE-SX SFP (GLC-SX-MM=)
• 1000BASE-ZX SFP (GLC-ZX-SM=)
• 1000BASE-T SFP (GLC-T=)
• 1000BASE-BX SFP 1490nm (GLC-BX-D=) (12.2(25)SEB and later)
• 1000BASE-BX SFP 1310nm (GLC-BX-U=) (12.2(25)SEB and later)

Related Article: Finisar 1000BASE-T FCxx-8520/8521-3 SFPs

Difference Between Finisar 1000BASE-T FCxx-8520 and 8521-3 SFPs

Finisar's 1000BASE-T SFP transceivers are SFP RJ45 modules, wihch depend on the SFP Multi Source Agreement (MSA). Additionally, these are appropriate for Gigabit Ethernet and 1000BASE-T standards as specified in IEEE Std. 802.3:2002. FCxx-8520/8521-3 is its product model, which includes four goods, ie. FCMJ-8520-3, FCMJ-8521-3, FCLF-8520-3 and FCLF-8521-3. Most of the time, both are 1000BASE-T SFPs and also have the similar functions. However, there is several difference between them which you can distinguish via the difference in the model, like FCMJ and FCLF, the 8520 and 8521. This paper will discuss the difference between them.

What Does 1000BASE-T Mean?

Before we begin to discuss the main difference between the FCxx-8520/8521-3 SFPs, we first know the "1000BASE-T". 1000BASE-T is defined in IEEE802.3:2002. The "1000" in the designation means the transmission speed of 1000 Mbps. The "BASE" refers to BASE band signaling, indicating that only Ethernet signals are carried on the medium. The "T" represents twisted-pair copper cable (as an example Cat 5). Therefore we offer called this type of transceivers as the copper transceivers. If the "T" is replaced by the "X", it represents fiber optic cable.

What Is The Difference Between The FCxx-8521-3 & The FCxx-8520-3?

The FCxx-8521-3 was designed to be a 1000BASE-X compliant device that functions properly in any slot made for optical SFP's, without any software or hardware changes to the host system. The PHY is configured to perform 1000BASE-X auto-negotiation with the host system. The FCxx-8521-3 does not have to link detection circuitry the RxLOS pin is internally grounded. The FCxx-8520-3 is much like the FCxx-8521-3, however the 1000BASE-X auto negotiation is disabled. Because of this device to control, auto-negotiation also need to be disabled in the host system. Within the FCxx-8520-3, the RxLOS pin functions as a link indicator-RxLOS is asserted when the 1000BASE-T link is lost. Typically, this device is used in systems where the host cannot determine the link status without using RxLOS as a link indicator.

What Is The Main Difference Between The FCMJ-8520/8521-3 &?The FCLC-8520/8521-3?

The FCMJ-8520/8521-3 versions are RoHS 5/6 while the FCLF-8520/8521-3 versions are fully RoHS compliant.

What Cable Type Is Recommended For Use With The FCxx-8520/8521-3?

The FCxx-8520/8521-3 was designed to operate using standard Cat 5 cables that're been configured per IEEE802.3:2002. You can safely use Cat 5e or Cat 6 cables, because these are improved versions of Cat 5. For short cable runs, with an intricate routing, stranded cable is recommended, as it is more flexible.

Better Choice of Compatible Finisar 1000BASE-T FCxx-8520/8521-3 SFPs

With a starting point of saving cost, lots of people want to use the compatible SFP transceivers. Once you doing some research for your purchase plan, you will notice that there is a number of selections for compatible SFP transceivers of the famous and widely used brands, for example Cisco, HP, Finisar or Dell etc. in the market which are provided by different manufacturers or vendors. It is really a headache for choosing the best compatible SFPs that can fully satisfy your demands. We canot do any of this except comparing the price and shipping time in the ocean of the compatible transceivers. For better choice of the compatible SFPs of the Finisar 1000BASE-T SFPs, we strongly suggest you Fiberstore NEW Finisar FCxx-8520/1-3 Compatible 1000BASE-T SFP Transceiver Module as its cost effective, high quality and excellent service. In addition, more compatible 1000BASE-T SFP transceivers of other brands can be found in Fiberstore, for example Cisco GLC-T 1000base-T SFP, Cisco SFP-GE-T compatible, Netgear AGM734, HP JD089B and Dell 1000BASE-T SFP 310 7225, etc. You can save more time on searching for a good vendor or good compatible transceivers. Just have a try, Fiberstore will bring you the best experience.

Related Article: Difference Between Singlemode SFP and Multimode SFP