Networking

In the previous articles, a variety of transceiver module knowledge have been introduced here. But a special type of transceiver module which called  SFP+ converter module  including X2 to SFP+ adapter module and XENPAK to SFP+ adapter module has never been covered in this blog. What is it? Today, we are going to unveil its mysterious veil. Actually, the SFP+ converter module is not a new product in the market. As early as 2009, Cisco has launched the similar product and announced that it is an ideal option for those users who want to use the 10G XENPAK / X2 interface port of a switch with EXNPAK / X2 modules or SFP+ modules. In general, the SFP+ converter module includes 10G XENPAK to SFP+ converter module and 10G X2 to SFP+ converter module. In the previous posts, we have introduced the  XENPAK  and  X2 modules , as well as the  SFP+ modules . As we know, the XENPAK and X2 modules are the earlier 10G transceiver products, and the SFP+ is the most popul...

Cisco Catalyst 3750 series switches are widely used in today’s access layer of the network, which can provide Ethernet speed of Gigabit. There are a variety of configurations in this series of Cisco switches. They can fit different applications and offering forward data rates from 32G to 128G by using Cisco StackWise technology. It is an economical solution to many midsize enterprises and office. However, to make full use of these switches, how to connect them to network becomes very important. This post will illustrate Cisco Catalyst 3750 series switches connection in details. Do You Know Cisco Catalyst Series Switches? The ports on switches decide what types of connectors and cables can be connected with the switches. Thus, let’s get a close look at Cisco Catalyst 3750 switches ports details first. As mentioned, one of the biggest advantages is that Cisco Catalyst 3750 can support Cisco StackWise technology. Up to nice physical Catalyst 3750 switches can be interconnected into...

Enterprise networks face a condition called fiber exhaust when the demand for backbone fiber exceeds the availability of installed fiber strands. The most obvious and expensive solution to fiber exhaust is to install more fiber. However, it’s a costly proposition. It is estimated at about $70,000 per mile, most of which is the cost of permits and construction rather than the fiber itself. There is another solution to solve fiber exhaust is to increase the bit rate of existing systems. Using TDM, data is now routinely transmitted at 2.5 Gbps and, increasingly, at 10 Gbps. Recent advances have resulted in speeds of 40 Gbps and 100 Gbps. The electronic circuitry that makes this possible, however, is complex and costly, both to purchase and to maintain. DWDM Gives the Most Cost-effective Solution for Fiber Exhaust Since two solutions mentioned above are not cost-effective enough, how to solve this problem? In fact, there is a third solution that is to...

As 40/100G fiber network becomes a popular option in data centers, how to connect 40/100G devices with existing 10G devices in a cost-effective manner becomes a primary challenge for most of the data center operators. Breakout cables and breakout patch panels are two main solutions to address this challenge. So, what’s the difference between them, and which is better for your project? Continuing this tutorial, you may find more information about this. Breakout Cabling Solution Unlike 10G structures using duplex fiber (usually LC) cabling, the 40/100G or beyond 100G network uses parallel fibers (MPO/MTP) for transmission. Taking 40G network for example, it uses 4 x 10 Gbps parallel transmission mode to achieve the total data rate up to 40 Gbps. According to this principle, using a 40G to 4 x 10G breakout cable can achieve the migration from 10G to 40G network. What’s Breakout Cable? A breakout cable is a cable with multi-fiber strands. In general, a breakout cable is with one MPO...

The high-performance Juniper Networks QFX3500 Switch addresses a wide range of deployment scenarios, which include traditional data centers, virtualized data centers, high-performance computing, network-attached and iSCSI storage, FCoE convergence, and cloud computing. This article may display some specific interfaces used for QFX3500 Switch. Hope it can help you complete your network installation and deployment. QFX3500 Switch Overview There are Forty-eight 10-Gbps access ports in the device use small form-factor pluggable plus (SFP+) transceivers and operate by default as 10-Gigabit Ethernet interfaces. Optionally, you can choose to configure up to 12 of the ports as 2-Gbps, 4-Gbps, or 8-Gbps Fibre Channel (FC) interfaces, and up to 36 of the ports as 1-Gigabit Ethernet interfaces (shown in the picture below). When used as a standalone switch, four 40-Gbps uplink ports in the device use quad small form-factor pluggable plus (QSFP+) to four SFP+ copper breakout cables to support a...