Optical Solution Sharing

Driven by the undeniable growth in demand for bandwidth of private and public cloud data centers, 25G Ethernet over a single lane has become the new trend for sever-to-switch interconnections. And the increasing requirements of higher speeds in data centers have enhanced the adoption of 25G switch, which is the new buzz in recent years. In this post, a simple analysis of 25G switch market and comparison of commonly used 25G switches will be explored. 25G Switch Market Analysis As we know, before 25G technology advent, the existing options are one lane for 10G, four lanes for 40G, or four lanes at 25Gbps for 100G. The 25G technology meets the specification for existing module form factors like SFP28 and QSFP28, and allows for a breakout connection between 25G and 100G without changing the port on the front of many 100G switches. Besides, driven by the high speed and bandwidth, various switch manufacturers have announced their new 25G switches in recent three years, just to occupy

Stacking switch is a common technology used in network design, especially when large numbers of ports are required in data centers or large size networks. Stack switch not only provides high performance, but also maximizes network scalability and simplify network management. That’s why stackable switches are popular among network builders. Then what is stack switch? What’s the common way for switch stacking in the market? What Is Stack Switch? Stack switch, also called stackable switch by vendors, allows several switches to stack via specific stackwise port or uplink port. Traditionally the switches stacked together usually is limited to the same series of network switches. Mixed switch stacking is allowed for today’s switches. The number of stacked switches is often determined by switch brand. For example, Cisco 3850 stack switch can have a maximum of eight switches to be stacked, while Dell N4000 series stack switches are up to twelve. When switches are stacked, all members in t

Gigabit network switches connect Ethernet devices in a network while providing great performance capabilities. In many network structures, gigabit Ethernet switches are often used as access switches that connect devices in a local area network. As the pace of network migration is getting fast, the need for gigabit switch with 10G uplink is growing too. And numbers of network administrators desire to apply 1G switch with 10G uplink in their systems. Understanding Gigabit Switch with 10G Uplink Port and Its Market Gigabit switches with multiple port configurations enable the network capacity to expand in consumer or corporate environments. For example, an 8-port gigabit switch can provide fast transmission speed for office users, and an 24-port gigabit switch works effectively for small and mid-sized business networks (SMBs). While 802.11ac has changed the way business support the quantity of devices connecting to each other. For network switches in last three years, 10G uplink adde

As the growing of business and the increasing awareness of security, IP cameras are widely deployed in areas like schools, public areas and even at home. All these arouse the increasing demand for PoE (power over Ethernet) switches which enabling big benefits for IP surveillance system. However, many users may ask a question: how to choose a PoE switch for my IP cameras? 8-port PoE switch or 24-port gigabit PoE switch? Cisco PoE switch or Netgear PoE switch? This post intends to explore the necessary considerations for buying PoE switch. Understanding How PoE Switch Works for IP Cameras As we know, power consumption of different IP cameras is different. The power consumption of PTZ (pan-tilt zoom) cameras is up to 20W, while other IP cameras like indoor/outdoor dome IP cameras may just consume as little as 3 or 4W. In addition, PoE switches transmit both data and power for PoE-enabled devices via a single network/Ethernet cables such as Cat5e, Cat6 and Cat6a. Usually, PoE switch c

Purpose built for converged networks where video, voice and data are carried over a single network platform, PoE switches with 8 port, 24 port and 48 port represents an ideal solutions for different size networks like home or SMBs (small and mid-size business networks). 24-port gigabit PoE switch is a relatively commonly used network switch, which in turn cause hot discussions in forums and communities. Then what to consider when choosing a 24-port PoE switch? What’s the popular 24-port gigabit PoE switch to select? This post will give an answer. Considerations to Choose a 24-port PoE Switch As we know, the basic types of a network switch are managed switch, smart managed switch and unmanaged switch. Usually, managed and smart managed switches are an optimal choice for SMB applications because of its better control of networks. Power budget —PoE switches are designed to power devices like IP cameras, VoIP phone, AP, etc. The power the 24-port PoE switch provides should m

The performance of Ethernet switches is important in network design, for it will affect the whole network system working. Therefore, to achieve high performance, network managers may use different methods to improve performance of network switches, which cause a hot topic: switch stacking vs trunking. In the article, the knowledge of switch stacking and trunking will be explored as well as the comparison between them. Switch Stacking vs Trunking: Differences in Basic Definition Switching Stacking Switch stacking is to connect two or more stackable switches, usually up to nine, through a stack cable and uses Cisco propriety StackWise protocol. Stacked switches can be regarded as one unit, and use the same IP address. The stack master which contains the saved and running configuration files for the switch stack controls the whole stack units and can be replaced if it fails. And stacking connects the backplane of the switches thus having full backplane speed connectivity between th

Ethernet switches can be regarded as the “brain” of a network. In today’s market of network switches, there are mainly three types of Ethernet switches: managed switch, smart switch and unmanaged switch. Like the discussion about managed vs unmanaged switch, the topic of “smart switch vs managed switch” is also be discussed heatedly. Then what’s the true difference between smart switch and managed switch? Let’s have a further look. Smart Switch vs Managed Switch: Differences lies in Definition What Is a Smart Switch? A smart switch provides basic managed switch features such as QoS, security, and web management. Usually, smart switches are managed via a web browser, which provides intuitive guidance for users to manage their networks. If there is no advanced applications needed, smart switch is an optimal solution for simple applications like small and mid-sized business networks. What Is a Managed Switch? Managed switch, such as FS S3800-24T24S stackable managed switch

As the ever-increasing of small business, Ethernet switches with PoE (power over Ethernet) technology to realize real-time monitoring and management. 8-port PoE switch is one of the commonly used PoE switches in business networks. Considering different factors, it’s common for users to find a matched cheap PoE network switch to replace the expensive one. In this post, the alternative—FS S1130-8T2F 8-port PoE managed switch—for D-Link DGS-1100-10MP 8-port PoE switch and why it can replace DGS-1100-10MP switch will be talked about in details. Overview of DGS-1100-10MP and FS S1130-8T2F 8-Port PoE Switch D-Link DGS-1100-10MP 8-Port PoE Switch D-Link DGS-1100-10MP smart managed PoE switch offers 8 10/100/1000 ports and 2 gigabit SFP ports, providing an affordable solution for business of all sizes. It’s mainly deployed for Video IP surveillance applications. Different from other 8-port PoE switches like Cisco and HP, D-Link DGS-1100-10MP is much cheaper for users. FS S1130-8T2F

When network designers build their networks, there is a common problem that they may meet: whether to stack switches or not. Because, limited by the switch port counts, designers have to get more switches or stack switches to meet network build requirements. In the article, the stack of 48-port PoE switch will be used as examples to explore how to achieve optimized network performance through switch stacking, and when network designers need to stack their network switches. How to Decide Whether Switch Stacking Is Need? Switch stacking is to connect two or a group of network switches to form a single stack unit that can be managed in a simple way. In this way, available switch ports are increasing as well as management simplicity. For example, in an small business network (PoE is necessary), if 48 gigabit ports are needed, two 24-port gigabit PoE switches can be stacked to achieve the target. Of course, one 48 port PoE gigabit switch also can be used. However, whether to choose

As the total expenditure decreases of 10GbE network and the increasing data traffic in modern business, the specific demands for 10GbE switches have been put forward. As we know, there are 8-port 10GbE switch, 12-port 10GbE switch, 24-port 10GbE switch and 48-port 10GbE switch in the market. With so many types to choose from, many users have troubles in making a decision. In this tutorial, several kinds of 12-port 10GbE switch will be introduced, aiming to offer a reference for users’ selection of 12-port 10GbE switches. 10GbE Netework Switch Overview of Popular 12-Port 10GbE Switches in Market As we can search on many forums and communities, Cisco 10GbE switches are the hottest topic. However, not every user, especially some SMB (small and mid-sized business) network builders will hesitate to choose Cisco switches due to its high price. Considering this point, here are some 10GbE switches that much cheaper. D-link DXS-1210-12SC D-link DXS-1210-12SC is a 12-port 10Gb

Each power supply has a separate power cord to support its work. Server power cord connecting the servers and PDU (power distribution unit) plays a critical role in this process. Since the power cords standard for connector types and voltage levels varies from country to country. It’s important to choose the most suitable one for network systems. This post intends to give a simple introduction to server power cords and their applications in different systems. Power Cords Overview Usually standard power cords or jumper power cords are available for connection to the server. Power cord consists of three necessary parts: plug, cord and receptacle. And there are many different types of power cords used all over the word. The most commonly seen types are the IEC60320 power cord and NEMA power cord. The former one is often used in US. While the latter is usually seen in North America and other countries that use the standards set by the NEMA. Among these two types of power cords,

DWDM MUX/DEMUX plays a critical in WDM network building. 16 channels transmission is very common in DWDM networks. How to realize it in a simple way? This article intends to introduce two solutions to achieve 16 channels with different types of components. Which one is more cost-effective and competitive? The comparison between the them also will be explored. Hope it will help you when choosing fiber mux for your DWDM networks. Solutions to Achieve 16 Channels Transmission in DWDM Network In order to illustrate the solution more clearly, I take two types of DWDM MUX/DEMUX as an example. One is the traditional 16 channels dual fiber DWDM MUX/DEMUX. Another is two FMU 8 channels dual fiber DWDM MUX/DEMUX. The latter has an expansion port. Solution One: Using Traditional 16 Channels DWDM MUX/DEMUX The 16 channel DWDM MUX/DEMUX is a passive optical multiplexer designed for metro access applications. It’s built fiber mux and demux in one unit and can multiplex 16 channels on

CATV technology has matured steadily over the past several years, and has expanded into diverse applications. However, as the quick expansion in technology and services, it’s important to improve CATV network component performance for higher visual and audio signals transmission. Optical amplifier for CATV application is the key element in such transmission. This post intends to give a clear introduction of optical CATV amplifier and its application in CATV transmission. Introduction to CATV Amplifier CATV amplifier is also a type of EDFA (Erbium Doped Fiber Amplifier) amplifier which is the most popular optical amplifier in optical network communications. It is mainly used to amplify damped TV signals (compensation for loss) for improved signal quality before sending them to each subscriber. Moreover, CATV amplifiers not only amplify the signal, but also amplify the noise on the line, and bring some return loss. That’s why a quality CATV amplifier price is a little high, becaus

Wavelength division multiplexing (WDM) is a commonly used technology in optical communications. It combines multiple wavelengths to transmit signals on a single fiber. To realize this process, CWDM and DWDM mux/demux are the essential part. As we all know, there are several different ports on the WDM mux and demux. This article will give a clear explanation to these ports and their applications in WDM network. Overview of Different Ports on WDM MUX/DEMUX Line Port Line port, sometimes also called as common port, is the one of the must-have ports on CWDM and DWDM Mux/Demux. The outside fibers are connected to the Mux/Demux unit through this port, and they are often marked as Tx and Rx. All the WDM channels are multiplexed and demultiplexed over this port. Channel Port Like the line port, channel ports are another must-have ports. They transmit and receive signals on specific WDM wavelengths. CWDM Mux/Demux supports up to 18 channels from 1270nm to 1610nm with a channel sp

CWDM network, as an easy-to-deploy and cost-effective solution, has been applied in many areas. Although CWDM network is not as perfect as DWDM networks in data capacity, it still can satisfy a wide range of applications in optical applications. And CWDM is a passive network, allowing any protocol to be transported over the link, as long as it is at the specific wavelength. This article is going to describe several application cases of 10G CWDM networks in different areas. Benefits of 10G CWDM Network Although 40G and 100G networks are developing rapidly, many of them still need to grow on the basis of 10G networks. And due to the high cost of 40G and 100G, 10G networks are still the most common networks to be deployed. Here are the main benefits of 10G CWDM networks. CWDM Mux/Demux is a passive component and requires no extra power, offering a cost-effective choice for network designers. Increased network connections and easy to evolve from 10G to 40G and 100G networks. For