A Simple Application of 10GBase-T Transceiver in Copper Network

Besides fiber optic cables, 10G Ethernet SFP+ transceivers can transfer data over copper cables, like twin-axial cabling or twisted pair cabling. This kind of SFP+ transceiver is equipped with a RJ-45 connector on one side, as the below figure shows. It is called 10GBase-T SFP+ transceiver. With cat6, cat6a or cat7 copper cables, 10GBase-T SFP+ transceiver could make a link length up to 30 meters.

 

Why SFP+ 10GBase-T transceiver?

 

Since optic fiber could make transmit faster and further and build a complete network system, why SFP+ 10GBase-T transceiver is needed? This is a key question encountered by 10GBase-T SFP+ transceiver. As a star member of 10G SFP+ transceiver family, 10GBase-T SFP+ transceiver is popular for a wide range of applications in copper-based infrastructure of network system. When connecting 10G modules to copper networks, 10GBase-T SFP+ transceiver can directly connect into the copper networks, while the other 10G SFP+ transceivers using optic fibers need to connect with media converter to realize this connection. Let me show you this application with a good example.

 

A Specific Application

 

Sometimes, due to the consideration of cost savings, there are some devices equipped with RJ-45 port still working in 10G Ethernet standard in many data centers, workstation, or servers network. For these devices, the only way to connect them to a host switch is using the RJ-45 port over a cat6a or cat7 copper cable. But what if this host switch has no RJ-45 port but only SFP+ slots? There are two solutions answering this question.

 

The first solution is using a SFP+ 10GBase-SR transceiver, a fiber patch cord with duplex LC port, a media converter and finally a cat6a copper cable connecting to the endpoint.

 

Like the table shown above, the second solution is very simple. Just a SFP+ 10GBase-T transceiver and a cat6, cat6a or cat7 copper cable are enough. No optical fiber and no media converter mean lower cost.

 

Now note the point in this application. First, you do have a endpoint with RJ-45 port. Second,  you have a host switch equipped with SFP+ slots but no RJ-45 port. Third, you don’t want to dissipate neither of them and hope put them together to build a network. Then, being the cable system within 30 meters is under application. So SFP+ 10GBase-T transceiver is a good and advisable choice.

 

10Gtek provides the 100% compatible SFP+ 10GBase-T transceiver with many switch vendors such as Cisco, HP, Juniper, Arista, Brocade and etc. Since it has the interoperability for a ranges of brands, 10Gtek SFP+ 10GBase-T transceiver certainly will run well in this kind of application.