How to Convert SFP to Ethernet?

SFP ports and RJ45 ports are the most common interfaces which are used in Gigabit Ethernet applications. And we complete the fiber to Ethernet or Ethernet to fiber conversion via these ports. How much do you know about SFP ports and RJ45 ports? And do you know how to convert SFP to Ethernet? This article will explain these questions.

What Are SFP Ports?

SFP ports are the input and output interfaces that are able to be hot-pluggable. They are seen in network switches or network interface cards. And SFP port is capable of working with the standards of 1000BASE-SX, 1000BASE-LX/LH, 1000BASE-ZX or 1000BASE- BX10-D/U.

At present, network switches are usually designed with two or more SFP ports, which comply with IEEE 802.3ab standard. Note that in all cases, the SFP transceiver module must be inserted then the SFP ports can work. The ports make it possible for Gigabit switches to connect to the fiber and copper cables, converting SFP to Ethernet or Ethernet to SFP and completing the switching function.

What Are RJ45 Ports?

RJ45 port, which stands for registered jack 45, is the ubiquitous Ethernet style data port seen on switches, routers and network cards, following the 1000BASE-T Ethernet standard. It only supports RJ45 cables like CAT5e, Cat6 with the transmission speed of 1Gbit/s. By far, the most common use of RJ45 port is with Ethernet data connections from computers network cards, wireless access points, network switches and routers in home and enterprises networks. RJ45 ports on a data switch use the built-in design. Connecting two RJ45 copper switches, we just need a Cat5e or Cat6 copper cables. But if we want to convert Ethernet to SFP, an RJ45 SFP transceiver is required.

FS Solutions to Convert SFP to Ethernet

From the above, we have a good understanding of SFP ports and RJ45 ports. They are the interfaces for converting SFP to Ethernet or Ethernet to SFP. But how? Here FS provides two solutions for you.

Solution 1: Using SFP Transceiver Module

As we have mentioned above, the network switches on the market are generally equipped with SFP ports. Thus, under this circumstance, we can use SFP modules to complete the interconnections between switches or servers. Insert the Ethernet SFP module into the network switches, then plug one end of Cat5e or Cat6 cables into the transceivers and the other end is connected with other terminal devices. This figure shows how we can use SFP transceiver for our conversion need.

We can see this is a full solution, covering the following equipment.

Sequence Number	Product ID	Description
①	11773	Cisco GLC-T Compatible 1000BASE-T SFP Copper RJ-45 100m
②	70595	3ft (0.9m) Cat6 Snagless Unshielded (UTP) PVC CM Ethernet Network Patch Cable with Transparent Sheath, Blue
③	69180	24 Ports Cat6 Feed-Through Patch Panel, UTP Unshielded, 1U Rack Mount
④	69066	3m (10ft) 6 Plug to 6 Plug Cat6 Unshielded PVC CMR (Blue) Pre-Terminated Copper Trunk
⑤	29127	S5800-48F4S (48*1GE+4*10GE) High Performance Data Center Switch
⑥	20057	Generic Compatible 1000BASE-T SFP Copper RJ-45 100m

Solution 2: Using Ethernet Media Converters

If your switch doesn’t have SFP ports, then you need an Ethernet media converter. It’s a device used to interconnect fiber and copper cables to facilitate communication between them. This device looks like a small box where fiber and copper cables could be plugged in. Here is the SFP to Ethernet converter from FS.COM. It has one RJ45 port and one SFP port. And the mini converter can support 1000Base-X to 10/100/1000Base-T UTP convention. Designed with compact package size, it’s a reliable plug and play converter. Therefore, just plug the fiber and copper cables into the slots and connect the other ends of cables to the terminal devices, ensuring the whole network works properly. The following video shows you how to use FS fiber optic media converters to convert SFP to Ethernet.

Conclusion

Using SFP transceiver module or Ethernet media converter can help us convert SFP to Ethernet, which can better expand network function. FS.COM offers an extensive choice of full SFP to Ethernet or Ethernet to SFP solutions. Choose FS.COM for the right product to meet your conversion project needs.

What Is Ethernet Leaf Switch

At present, with the massive increase in data transmitting and the need for real time data travel within the network, Ethernet switching technology has evolved greatly over the last decade. As a result, the existing aging three-tier design has been replaced by the new leaf and spine architecture in data centers. This new network architecture requires specially designed leaf switch in order to work. So how much do you know about leaf switch? Here we’ll explain this data switch in this article.

Leaf Switch Introduction

As the figure1 shows, a leaf-spine architecture is usually composed of spine switches and leaf switches. Leaf switch is used to gather the traffic from the server nodes, then link to the network core that consists of spine switches. In this case, every leaf switch connects to every spine, which contributes to minimizing the network latency and bottlenecks. Therefore, the leaf and spine architecture allows for huge amounts of bandwidth and provides a high level of redundancy.

Figure 1: Leaf-Spine Architecture

Traditional Three-Tier VS Leaf-Spine Architecture

Commonly, a traditional model includes three layers, core, aggregation and access. And most data center services and functions run on physical hardware that drives “north-south” traffic. If there are some east-west traffic that needed to be transferred across the traditional model, devices connected on the same access layer contend for bandwidth. Therefore, congestion will be created between the access and aggregation layer.

Figure 2: Traditional Three-Tier Topology

Unlike the traditional three-tier, the access layer of leaf-spine structure is formed by each leaf switch that is directly connected to each spine switch. And this direct connection helps to minimize the traffic bottlenecks and latency, and utilize the networking protocols and methodologies to create a dynamic network.

Leaf-Spine Architecture Advantages

As described above, we know the advantage of leaf-spine model is the improved latency and reduced bottlenecks. With this new approach, only a few data switches are needed to create a large and non-blocking fabric. This is the main advantage that makes it popular in networking system.

In addition, leaf-spine uses all interconnection links. This means an additional spine switch could be added and the uplinks can be extended to each leaf switch, which can increase the interlayer bandwidth. Therefore, it allows the network to scale without managing or disrupting the Layer 2 switching protocols as the traffic grows.

Leaf Switch Recommendation

To keep pace with the market needs, FS.COM has produced S5850 series 10GbE switches for using as leaf switches, including three products. We’re going to see these three leaf switches.

FS P/N	S5850-32S2Q	S5850-48T4Q	S5850-48S6Q
Ports	32-port 10GbE SFP+ and 2-port 40GbE QSFP+	48-port 10GBase-T and 4-port 40GbE	48-port 10GbE SFP+ and 6-port 40GbE QSFP+
Throughput	595.24Mpps	952.32Mpps	1071.43Mpps
Switching Capacity	800Gbps	1.28Tbps	1.44Tbps
Latency	612ns	low	612ns
Max Power Draw	120W/150W	350W	150W/190W
Price (US dollars)	$3199.00	$3800.00	$3699.00

These three leaf switches are made of the same robust materials. All of their airflow directions are front-back. From the table, we can see that all S5850 series products support MLAG, SNMP, SFLOW and son on. So you can choose one according to your demands.

Conclusion

Leaf switch and leaf-spine architecture make the network more flexible. And FS S5850 series data switches are the quite cost-efficient selections. FS provides a full line of network switches including 24 port switch, 48 port switch and 1G switch, 10GbE switch and 40GbE switch. Come and choose the suitable switch.

10G Network Switch Price Comparison

10G network switches are quite popular on the market since our modern business and home networking applications have become increasingly digital. However, it’s not easy to choose the best network switch for your network need from the abundance of available switches, and the network switch price varies greatly. Here focus on 10G network switch price comparison, to help you select a cheap network switch.

10G Network Switch On the Market

Defined by IEEE 802.3ae standard, 10 Gigabit Ethernet has become affordable for most companies, and 10Gb Ethernet switch has become their best choice for easing network pressure. A typical network switch has many ports to connect different devices like PCs, printer, etc. at the same time. And the ports are connected to the host separately. Then transmission medium such as transceiver modules, cables are inserted into the ports. And the network switch uses the ports to transmit data at a quick rate to the Ethernet devices on the other end. According to different connections, here we will discuss two kinds of 48 port switches from different vendors. One kind of network switch requires fiber cable connection, and the other kind needs copper cable connection.

These are two products of 48 port switches which rely on fiber cable connection. Cisco WS C3850-48XS-S switch has 48 SFP+ ports that support up to 10G, and 4 QSFP ports that support up to 40G. FS S5850-48S6Q switch has 48 10GbE SFP+ ports and 6 40GbE QSFP+ ports.

These are two products of 48 port switches which rely on copper cable connection. Netgear XS748T 48 port 10G switch includes 44 10GBase-T ports and 4 10G SFP+ ports. FS S5850-48T4Q switch is designed with 48 10GBase-T ports and 4 40GbE uplink.

10G Network Switch Price Comparison of Different Vendors

The following table 1 summarizes the Cisco and FS network switch price and compares the fiber network switches performance.

Model	Cisco WS C3850-48XS-S	FS S5850-48S6Q
Ports	48 SFP+ and 4 QSFP+ ports	48 SFP+ and 6QSFP+ ports
Switch Class	3	3
Switching Capacity	1280Gpbs	1.44Tbps
Latency	-	612ns
Forwarding Rate	909Mpps	1071.43Mpps
Price(US dollars)	7190.10(Amazon)	3699.00(FS.COM)

Table 1

From the table, we can see clearly that both of them are Layer 3 switches that support SFP+ and QSFP+ ports. Switching capacity of FS S5850-48S6Q switch is much more bigger than that of the Cisco WS C3850-48XS-S switch. However, the price between them varies greatly. Cisco WS C3850-48XS-S network switch price is almost the double of FS S5850-48S6Q network switch. Therefore, FS product is the cost-effective one.

Table 2 compares 48 port switches from Netgear and FS.COM.

Model	Netgear XS748T	FS S5850-48T4Q
Ports	44 10 Gigabit and 4 SFP+ ports	48 10 Gigabit and 4 40 GbE uplink
Switch Class	3	3
Switching Capacity	-	1.28Tbps
Latency	-	-
Forwarding Rate	714.2Mpps	952.32Mpps
Price(US dollars)	3426.35(Amazon)	3800.00(FS.COM)

Table 2

The two Ethernet switches are connected by copper cables. Forwarding rate of FS S5850-48T4Q network switch is bigger, which means it can process more network packets than the other one. Besides, FS S5850-48T4Q switch can support 40GbE uplink. Therefore, although FS S5850-48T4Q network switch price is a little higher than Netgear XS748T switch, I recommend you choose the FS product for its better performance.

Conclusion

From the above, we compare the network switch price from different vendors. FS switches are the highly cost-effective choice. FS.COM covers everything you need to make your network stronger and bigger, including 24 port switch, patch panel, transceiver module and so on. So raise your network with FS networking products.

What Is DWDM？

The Internet demand is always growing, especially the hugely popular video streaming services are increasing greatly. This provides a threat for the service provider. As the hottest topic in the telecommunication industry, DWDM offers unprecedented bandwidth which promises an effective solution to the challenges posted by the Internet growth. But what is DWDM, do you really know？

What Is DWDM?

DWDM wiki has defined it as an optical multiplexing technology. As one wavelength pattern of WDM system (the other pattern is CWDM), it stands for Dense Wavelength Division Multiplexing, which is used to increase bandwidth over existing fiber networks. This powerful technology can create multiple virtual optical fibers, so as to increase bandwidth on existing fiber optic backbones. It means that the fiber in DWDM system can transmit multiple signals of different wavelengths simultaneously. More specifically, the incoming signals are assigned to specific wavelengths within a designated frequency band, then the signals are multiplexed to one fiber. In addition, the most commonly used grid is the 100GHz grid, which consists of a spacing of 0.8nm per channel.

After knowing what is DWDM, we need to learn DWDM architecture. A typical DWDM architecture includes transmitter, receiver, optical amplifier, transponder, DWDM multiplexer and demultiplexer. Transmitter and receiver are the place where the source signal comes in and then multiplexed. Optical amplifier can amplify the signals in the wavelength range, which is very important for DWDM application. Transponder is the converter of wavelength. It’s responsible for converting the client optical signal back to an electrical signal. Multiplexer first combine multiple wavelengths of different fiber to one fiber, and at the receiving end, the demultiplexer separates all wavelengths of the composite signal onto individual fibers. Commonly, channels of DWDM Mux/Demux are available in 8, 16, 40 and 96 channels. All the DWDM basics work together to enable high capacity data flow in ultra-long distance transmission. The following figure is DWDM working principle.

Why Use DWDM Technology?

The most obvious advantage of DWDM technology is providing the infinite transmission capacity, which would meet the increasing Internet demand. And more capacity can be added just by upgrading several equipment or increasing the number of lambdas on the optical fiber. Thus, the investment of DWDM technology has been reduced. Besides, DWDM technology also enjoys several other advantages, like the transparency and scalability.

Transparency. Due to DWDM is a physical layer architecture, it can support Time Division Multiplex and data formats like Gigabit Ethernet, Fiber Channel with open interfaces over a physical layer.

Scalability. It’s easy to be expanded. A single fiber can be divided into many channels, thus there is no need to add extra fiber but the wavelength will be increased. All these advantages make DWDM popular in the network.

Application of DWDM

As a new technology more applications of DWDM are yet to be tapped and explored. It was first deployed on long-haul routes. And now, DWDM technology is ready for long distance telecommunication operators. Using point to point or ring topology, the capacity will be dramatically improved without deploying an extra fiber. In the future, DWDM will continue to provide a higher bandwidth for the mass of data. With the development of technology, the system capacity will grow.

Conclusion

As for the question what is DWDM, I believe you have a good understanding of it. This powerful technology is related closely with current industry advancements trend. Now, service providers are faced with the sharp growth in demand for network capacity, DWDM is the best solution. With DWDM technology, the transmission work is no longer limited by the speed of available equipment, because it provides the high bandwidth without limit. We believe, DWDM will shine in the network world.

Best Way to Set Up Ethernet Switch and Mesh Network

Want to connect all your wired and wireless devices and expand your network with ease? Setting up an Ethernet switch and mesh network may be the best way. Because today it becomes increasingly difficult to use only a router to make your all connections since the approach of IoT. However, Ethernet switch and mesh network will function adequately no matter how many connections you want to make. Here focus on the Ethernet switch and mesh networking.

Why Mesh Networking?

Unlike the stand-alone routers, which will arise signal loss or strength drops when you go away from them, while mesh Wifi networks can use another connection to create a continuous wireless link which minimizes the possibility of dead zones. For example, you put your router in the downstairs living room. When you are on the first floor, your phone can connect to the Internet with a strong signal. But when you want to search the Internet in the upstairs office, the signal would degrade. Of course, you can boost a Wifi router’s connection with a signal amplifier. But in that situation, you have to manually connect your phone to the amplifier’s Wifi network. And if you go back to the downstairs, you have to switch back to the main router’s wireless network again. What a pain! Luckily, working with mesh Wifi networks, things are different. In a wireless network, all the nodes are connected with each other which means any node could be an Access Point (AP). Therefore, through the APs, wireless mesh network allows your phone automatically connects to the strongest signal no matter you are in the upstairs or downstairs. That’s better than what we could do with the traditional router Wifi networks.

Figure 1: Mesh network exists in our life.

When to Set Up Ethernet Switch and Mesh network

If you want to build a wireless mesh network, using an Ethernet switch is a good choice. Before installation, you should consider how much coverage you need in your home. For many people, the money might be better spent on a Wifi router with good quality, since the mesh network equipment like the switches cost too much. But if you want to cover a large area with signal and your home brick is too solid for signal travel through, then use a switch to build wireless mesh network is a way to go.

Use FS Ethernet Switch to Build Mesh Network

Achieving a cheap mesh network is based on switches. FS.COM publishes a set of Gigabit Ethernet switch supporting 1G, 10G, 40G and 100G Ethernet, in order to meet different demands. All the Ethernet switches meet all design and safety standards made by international and industrial organizations like ISO9001, FCC etc.

The following is a 10Gb switch named S5800-48F4S. It has 48 1GbE SFP ports and 4 10GbE SFP+ ports. This switch is a Layer2/3 switch with low latency of 2.3us. With the switching capacity, it provides a throughput of 130.95MB. Besides, it supports functions like MLAG, SNMP and so, making it becomes popular on market. Following the S5800-48F4S switch installation guide, you can easily finish the switch installation. Then you can configure the bridge parameters of AP according to the installation instructions to build a mesh network.

Figure 2: S5800-48F4S 48 Port Ethernet Switch

Conclusion

Due to mesh network advantages and disadvantages, we understand why and when to use wireless mesh network. Based on Ethernet switch, mesh networking can spread out fast Wifi across a relatively large area, which makes our life and work more efficiently. So don’t hesitate, pick one Ethernet switch from FS.COM to optimize your Wifi network.