The 10G copper / fiber comparison

Sven Tron 10. Aug 2016

Transceivers, transceiver ports, and cabling make up the fundamental components for transmitting data between network devices. As there are several types and sizes of all three, choosing the right combination can be a tricky task. Each organization will prefer a combination based on its unique needs, physical limitations, and budget.
Consider the following three solutions for network device connectivity. For this comparison, we’ll focus on the most ubiquitous kind of transceiver: the SFP+:

SFP+ Direct Attach Cable (DAC)
SFP+ Optical Transceiver Module
Fix 10GBase-T RJ45 ports

The most popular connector-type, the RJ45 for Cat 6A or Cat 5E cabling, is now available for 10GBase-T SFP+ transceiver modules.

1. SFP+ DAC

Besides low power consumption and low latency, became popular in datacenter cabling to connect servers, switches, or storage for short distances. Although less complex and cheaper in price compared to optical modules, DAC cables are typically 5m long. For longer distances, the more expensive are required. Otherwise, cabling across several racks with an SFP+ housing fixed to each end is a hassle.

2. SFP+ Optical Transceiver

Multimode 850nm transceivers, like our , are typically used for short distances of up to 300m in length, at 10G data-rates. In comparison to Cat 6A cabling, multimode is quite expensive. Also, since not every technician has knowledge regarding optical communication, the operational costs might increase.

3. 10GBase-T RJ-45 Ports

10GBase-T ports became more popular while it was possible to cut down the power consumption for these ports. However, using only fixed ports resulted in less flexibility. For optical transceiver ports there are different optics which lets you decide the application or link length.
To fill in the gap, a 10G SFP+ transceiver is now available: ().
This type of transceiver offers the following advantages: