Why Should You Use Open Source Switch?

Open networking seems to be more and more popular compared with traditional networks at present. As one of the most important parts in open network, open source switch has raised much attention. Then, what is open source switch? Why should you use it? Just read through this post to get all the answers as well as the introduction on different types of open source switches.

What Is Open Source Switch?

Normally, an open source switch is a network switch whose hardware and software are provided by separate entities and can be changed independently without affecting each other. That is to say, the open source switch hardware can support multiple operating systems of different vendors, or the same operating system can be run on multiple hardware configurations.

It is obvious that the open source switches are contrary to closed switches, whose hardware and software are always purchased together. For example, if you buy a Juniper EX or MX, you need to buy JUNOS. If you buy a Cisco Catalyst switch, you have to buy IOS. By contrast, open source switch is full of choice. It gives vendors choice of rebranding an open switch by adding their own software and selling it all as a package.

Open Source Switch Types

Normally, open source switch can be divided as three types, namely, bare metal switch, white box switch and brite box switch.

Bare metal switch

A bare metal switch is an open source switch which is not loaded with any operating system and the open source switch hardware in it only has basic support from original design manufacturer. It comes with a boot loader called the Open Network Install Environment (ONIE), which allows you to load an operating system onto the switch. For such switch, you can choose to load the open source switch OS you want at any time. You can choose the applications you need to run first, and then choose the operating system that best supports the applications or best fits your operational environment. Finally, you choose the hardware to run it all. This is kind of like how we've been building servers.

White Box Switch

A white box switch can be regarded as a bare metal switch with network OS preloaded. Such switch is also non-branded. It's still an open switch because the OS and the hardware are not integrated. You just got a package of a bare metal switch and an operating system.

Brite Box Switch

A brite box switch is made by an Original Design Manufacturer (ODM), and is often the same switch offered by the ODMs as bare metal but with a brand name like Dell or HP. It can be regarded as a branded white box switch.

Why Should You Use Open Source Switch?

From the definition and different types of open source switch, you may find it beneficial to use it. It has the following advantages:

• Multiple choice: There's a multitude of operating systems you can load for different needs, such as Broadcom's FastPath, Big Switch Networks' Switch Light, Cumulus Networks' Cumulus Linux, Pica8's PicOS, etc.
• Flexible software solution: It offers composable networking solution with open source Network Operating System (NOS). You can replace the NOS you installed before and then choose another one for your actual needs.
• Enable premium NOS applications: It enables you to selectively load an open source switch OS, which offers a scalable solution to enable both network operators and vendors to get premium open source NOS applications rapidly. Some software (Cumulus Linux, PicOS, etc.) support a rich set of L2/L3 networking features that are compatible with a wide variety of 10G, 25G, 40G and 100G hardware platforms from multiple vendors.
• Realize customizable infrastructures in network: It gives you option to deploy the right combination of hardware platform, network operating system and individual software components to best suit their specific use scenarios.
• Reduce failure domains and improve overall performance: The flexibility of combination on open source switch hardware and software enables you to install and operationalize individual protocol stacks as applications or micro-features. This facilitates the design of composable networks, thus reduces failure domains and improve performance.

Last but not least, compared with open source switch, the traditional analytics tools are not good enough to take advantage of the new opportunities offered by SDN such as network programmability, automation and optimization.

Conclusion

From all the above, you may have a general understanding of what an open source network is and why you should use it. Among the three open source switch types, bare metal switches only matter to commercial software providers (like Facebook or Google). White or brite box solutions are the only real open switching choices for normal-sized network operators. For example, you can use the combination of an open 10Gb switch with a NOS you want as white box solution for your small-to-medium-sized network construction.

Original Source: http://www.cables-solutions.com/open-source-switch-wiki.html

Everything You Should Know About Cumulus Linux

Nowadays, many new small-and-medium-sized internet companies choose to use a bare metal switch with a third party network operating system (NOS) for network construction. The NOS they choose is consistent with the Open Network Install Environment (ONIE), a network OS installer which supports loading a network OS of choice, and then changing to a different network OS later. Among all the network operating systems, Cumulus Linux is a very popular choice. Then, what is Cumulus Linux? What are the advantages of this NOS? Is it reliable to use? Let’s find out the answers together in the following text.

What Is Cumulus Linux?

Cumulus Linux is a powerful open network operating system designed for data center network infrastructures. It accelerates networking functions on a network switch, acting as a platform for modern data center networking tools to get networks managed like servers. This Debian-based network operating system (NOS) can be run on hardware produced by a broad partner ecosystem. That is to say, you can accelerate networking constructs on a broad range of industry-standard switches from different vendors with various port densities, form factors and capabilities.

Advantages of Cumulus Linux

In addition to the functions such as BGP and OSFP that a normal NOS enables, the Cumulus Linux has three main features that many other operating systems don’t support, namely Automation, EVPN and MLAG.

• Automation: The biggest advantage of this feature is that it saves manpower by using automation tools. What’s more, it helps deployment and benefits from troubleshooting as well.
• EVPN: The full name of “EVPN” is Ethernet virtual private networks. This modern interoperable technology can not only help you get rid of the complexity of the layer 2 but also allows legacy layer 2 applications to operate over next-generation layer 3 networks.
• MLAG: It is an abbreviation for multi-chassis link aggregation group. As a new multi-device link aggregation technology for data center switch, MLAG configuration centralizes constituent ports on separate chassis, mainly serves as reliable load functionality to increase bandwidth and provide redundancy in emergent breakdown of one of the device.

Last but not least, in addition to the three main features, NCLU is another feature developed by Cumulus Networks to help those who have no idea how to use the Cumulus Linux OS. This is a function similar to the traditional CLI (Command Line Interface). It acts as a prompt command during configuration. Therefore, you don’t have to worry about the unfamiliarity to such a NOS you haven’t used before!

Is Cumulus Linux Stable?

Will the fault processing time be longer using the combination of a bare metal switch and an open network operating system Cumulus Linux? Actually, compared with the traditional network switch, the processing speed form this combination is basically the same as that of an Arista switch. It has very low latency as well.

In addition, the third-party systems such as Cumulus Linux based on Linux development have been very mature in today’s networking market just like the current operating systems (Windows, Linux, Redhat, Ubuntu, etc.) does. For example, FS N-serious switches are highly compatible with Cumulus Linux, and they both support EVPN and MLAG deployment.

Is Cumulus Linux Secure for My Data?

Of course it is secure. This NOS only process at the Control Plane. Your data is processed on hardware with chip and CPU. This is commonly known as isolation of the data layer and control layer.

Conclusion

From all the above, you may have a general understanding of the open network operating system Cumulus Linux. It is ideal to match with a bare metal switch in data center deployment. With this open NOS, you can accelerate networking constructs on switches from different vendors with various configurations easily and get easy deployment for future network construction.

Original Source: http://www.cables-solutions.com/cumulus-linux-wiki.html

What Is Open Source Networking and How to Achieve It?

The traditional network architecture has been unable to meet the needs of enterprises, operators and network users. It has complicated configuration on equipment and is slow in iteration. To solve this problem, open source networking has emerged! Then, what is open source networking? How to achieve it? Just read through this post to find the answers!

What Is Open Source Networking?

Open source networking, or open source network, is a new-generation network that offers you programmable customization service, centralized unified management, dynamic traffic monitoring, and automated deployment. It makes the transformation of the data center architecture change to virtualization and automation. This new-generation network focuses on technology decoupling, which Dell EMC calls an open network, is the core of the transformation to software defined network (SDN).

The SDN is a new network architecture proposed by the ONF (Open Networking Foundation) to facilitate the whole open source networking environment. This architecture separates the control plane from the data plane. It has central management for network state information Logically. And the underlying network hardware infrastructure is abstracted and defined by the upper layer application. With this architecture, enterprises and operators have unprecedented programmability, automation, and network control capabilities to build a highly scalable and flexible network to adapt to their changing business needs.

How to Achieve Open Source Networking?

The open source network involves the open networking stack from top to bottom. It starts from networking hardware disaggregation and modern 100G or 400G data center switch, and then to network operating systems, network controllers, virtualization, and orchestration. Therefore, to realize open source network, many aspects are involved. Among all these, the network operating systems and data center switches are essential in almost all the networks. Therefore, I’ll take a network switch from Dell as an example.

To realize the open source networking, the underlying open hardware platform is required. This can offer an open source network operating system. For example, the new Dell EMC Z9264F-ON switch offers optimum flexibility and cost-effectiveness for the web 2.0, enterprise, midmarket and cloud service provider with demanding compute and storage traffic environments.

Actually, there are many other examples as well. For instance, the FS bare metal switch N5850-48S6Q works well with the open source network operating system (NOS) Broadcom ICOS. It supports current and future data center requirements, including a x86-based control plane for easier integration of automation tools. Of course, it offers an ONIE installer for 3rd party network operating systems and compatibility with SDNs via OpenFlow 1.3.11 as well. Such combination can centrally manage and control network devices of different vendors and use the common API abstracted from the underlying network. It facilities the automation and management capabilities of the whole network.

Open Source Networking Advantages

• With an open source networking, there is no need to configure each device as in the past or wait for vendors to release new products.
• It offers a common open programming environment for operators, enterprises, third-party software vendors and network users, accelerating the innovation speed of new services and functions of network deployment.
• The network reliability and security can be improved through automated centralized network device management, unified deployment strategies and fewer configuration errors.

Conclusion

From all the above, you may have a general understanding of “what is open source network” and how to achieve it. This new-generation network offers you a programmable, automated system to help build a highly scalable and flexible network. It is promising in future network reconstruction. You can achieve it with common solutions involved with network switch, open source network operating system, etc.

Original Source: http://www.cables-solutions.com/open-source-networking-wiki.html

Network OS Systems for Bare Metal Switch

As you may know that a network switch with no network operating system (NOS) is referred to as a bare metal switch. Unlike a white box switch with vendor’s own or 3rd party already loaded NOS, a bare metal switch allows you to load a network OS according to your own will. After installing the NOS, these two types of switches are normally regarded as the same. Then, how to choose network OS systems for bare metal switches? Listed below are three popular choices, namely Cumulus Linux, IP Infusion OcNOS™ and Pica8 PICOS.

Option 1: Network OS Cumulus Networks Cumulus Linux

Cumulus Linux is a powerful open network OS designed by Cumulus Networks to help build and operate large data center networks. Therefore, the Cumulus Linux is a perfect match for a data center switch which operates in bigger networks such as enterprise, data center and metro Ethernet scenarios. It is a true Linux distribution with a hardware abstraction layer that runs on a variety of commodity hardware. Cumulus Linux uses automated tools to manage the network infrastructure and hopes to automate the configuration of network switches with these existing tools.

Additionally, Cumulus Linux offers economical scalability and choice flexibility to run multiple network paths without the need for multiple switches. The main features of Cumulus Linux lie in the following aspects:

• Economical Scalability: Customers can get increased operational efficiency with commodity hardware and a standardized Linux stack.
• Built for the Automation Age: This Debian-based Linux distribution offers a completely open architecture and is designed for easy automation.
• Standardized Toolsets: It allows open source and commercial Linux applications to run natively. You can use your own automation or other tools to improve efficiency and multiply the number of switches per operator.
• 70+ Hardware Platforms for Choice: You can choose compatible hardware based on your needs and your budget flexibly.

Cumulus Linux enables modern data center architectures while providing a transition path for traditional data center architectures. It supports layer 2, layer 3 and overlay architectures. This open architectural approach enables a wide range of solutions such as Clos, L3 network, L2 network, campus expansion, out of band management, etc.

Option 2: Network OS IP Infusion OcNOS™

OcNOS™ is designed to address the needs of public, private or hybrid cloud networks. It offers Carrier-grade network OS for bare metal switches. It includes many advanced capabilities such as extensive switching and routing protocol support, MPLS, SDN, etc.

In addition to providing industry standard CLI, OcNOS™ supports all standard MIBs , other standard operation and management tools as well. The main features are:

• Support Multiple Deployments: The several abstraction layers allow seamless portability across diverse network hardware.
• Modular Software Design: This design can make it customized, built and packaged with minimal software features to reduce CapEx and device footprint.
• Wide Interoperation: With CLI and SNMP management, the the OcNOS-based network node is easy to operate and interoperate with another vendor node.
• Support for disruptive networking technologies: It enables SDN support through OpenFlow and can provide custom programmable network operations.

Option 3: Network OS Pica8 PICOS

The PICOS is also an open Linux-based network OS built on the robust Debian Linux environment for bare metal switches. It supports all major L2 and L3 switching. What’s more, it can leverage a vast array of standard Linux tools and supports IPv4 and IPv6 static routing as well.

In addition to the basic features mentioned above, the PICOS supports other functions depending on its two different editions. For PICOS enterprise edition, it supports CrossFlow dual control plane technology for improved OpenFlow integration, scale, and management. For PICOS SDN edition, it uses OpenFlow to control MPLS, GRE, NVGRE or VXLAN tunnels, delivering on the promise of open programmability.

Conclusion

From all the above, you may have a general understanding of the three main network OS systems. You can choose a proper one according to your actual needs. For example, if you need a Debian-based Linux distribution NOS with Clos solution for a 40GB switch, Cumulus Linux is a wise choice.

Original Source: http://www.cables-solutions.com/network-os-systems-bare-metal-switch.html

12-Port 10GbE SFP+ Switch Recommendation

Nowadays, network users tend to have multiple requirements on a single network switch, especially on the functions and ports. Much evidence shows that the 10GbE SFP+ switch is getting more popular with greater demand. Listed below are some typical examples gathered from different forums on what switch they really need:

- “I want a 10G switch (8 or 12 SFP+ ports are better) with several Gigabit RJ45/SFP ports. And the switch must support VLAN and STP/RSTP. Any suggestions?”

- ”Looking for a layer2/layer3 10GbE switch with 8-12 ports and in the US$2,500 range. By the way, I prefer SFP+ rather than copper 10GbE since all the cables I have got are SFP+ DACs.”

- “Help! Need a 12-port or 16-port 10GbE SFP+ switch with relatively cheap price. Any suggestion would be appreciated!”

From the three thread descriptions above, the common Gigabit Ethernet switch can no longer meet the needs of many people. To meet all the requirements mentioned above, several 10G switches are recommended below:

FS S5800-8TF12S 12-Port 10GbE SFP+ Switch

The S5800-8TF12S 12-port 10 GbE SFP+ switch provided by FS.COM can meet all the demands mentioned above. This switch is a high-performance Ethernet switch with several highlights. It offers 8 x 1GbE SFP/RJ45 combo ports and 12 x 10GbE uplink ports in a compact 1RU form factor, which is ideal for hyper-converged infrastructure. In addition, this 10G switch supports both L2 and L3 packet processing. It has very low system power consumption of 65W at most.

D-link DXS-1210-12SC 10GbE SFP+ Switch

D-link DXS-1210-12SC is also a 12-port 10G switch. However, it can not meet all the demands mentioned from the three threads. This 10GB SFP+ switch only has 2 x 10GBASE-T/SFP+ combo ports. While, it has 10 x 10-Gigabit SFP+ Ports. It supports auto surveillance VLAN, L2 and L3 packet processing as well.

Mellanox SX1012X 10GbE SFP+ Switch

Mellanox SX1012X is an ideal 10GbE ToR switch with 12 ports. It is a high-performance small-scale switch in a half-width 1U form factor. It has 12 QSFP+ ports for uplink connection. If you buy this switch, you have to buy the corresponding DACs and optical modules together since it does not have other port for simple copper connection.

Netgear XS712T 10GbE SFP+ Switch

The Netgear XS712T is a 12-port 10-Gigabit copper smart switch with 10 dedicated 10GBase-T copper ports and 2 copper/SFP+ combo ports. The 10GBase-T copper ports can support 10G/1G/100M speeds and the combo ports are used for 10G connection. It is designed for SMB network with advanced L2+/Layer 3 lite features.

FS S5800-8TF12S vs D-link DXS-1210-12SC vs Mellanox SX1012X vs Netgear XS712T

How to choose a proper 10GbE SFP+ Switch for your network? Look at the following chart to compare the four different 10Gb SFP+ switches mentioned above:

From the comparison chart, it is clear that the biggest differences between these 10GbE SFP+ switches are the port types and numbers they support. You can choose a switch according to your actual needs. Of course, the price is another big factor which may affect your decision.

Conclusion

For the four 10GbE SFP+ switches recommended above, you can choose from the ports and the functions you need. For example, if you need the switch for hyper-converged infrastructure with 12 x 10 Gbps SFP+ ports, the FS S5800-8TF12S is a better choice. By the way, this switch offers a competitive price of US$ 1,899.00.

Original source: http://www.cables-solutions.com/10gbe-sfp-switch-recommendation.html

FS S5850-32S2Q 10GbE 32-Port Switch With Two 40G QSFP+ Uplinks

Network switch has become unprecedented important in today’s networking market for its rapid update in performance. In the meanwhile, network users tend to have more requirements on a single switch, such as more port numbers, bigger switching capacity, higher bandwidth, etc. Here, we will introduce FS S5850-32S2Q 10GbE 32-port switch featuring all these requirements.

FS S5850-32S2Q 10GbE 32-Port Switch Overview

FS S5850-32S2Q 10GbE 32-Port Switch Ports

The S5850-32S2Q switch has 32 ports for 10Gb SFP+ connection and 2 ports for 40G QSFP+ Uplinks. That is to say, it has a non-blocking bandwidth of up to 400Gbps. In addition, It offers a switch fabric capacity of up to 800Gbps and forwarding rate up to 596Mpps.

FS S5850-32S2Q 10GbE 32-Port Switch Key Features

The key features of this 32-port switch lie in that it provides high-performance, high interface density, and low latency to facilitate the rapid service deployment. The detailed key features are listed below:

• Supports advanced data center features including MLAG, VXLAN, IPv4/IPv6, SFLOW, SNMP, Priority Flow Control (PFC) and data center TCP.
• Provides L2 and L3 network service.
• Supports a complete set of security features like IEEE 802.1x, DHCP Snooping and L2/L3/L4 multi-layer ACLs (Access Control Lists).
• In case of an Ethernet ring network failure, the backup link will quickly recover the communication between the ring network nodes.

FS S5850-32S2Q 10GbE 32-Port Switch Main Uses

The two main uses of this 32-port switch lie in that it is not only an aggregation or access switch in Metro L2 ring network but also a leaf switch in enterprise data center.

1)Metro L2 Ring Network Application:

Ring network, also known as ring topology, is one of the network topologies in which each node is exactly connected to two other nodes. Therefore, it can form a ring-like pathway by transmitting signals through each node. The ring network reduces chances of data collision since each node releases a data packet after receiving the token. The picture below shows FS S5850-32S2Q switches for Metro L2 ring network topology as aggregation or access devices. These aggregation switches mainly use QinQ or ERPS features to deliver Metro Ethernet service.

2)Enterprise Data Center Network Application

The S5850-32S2Q 10GbE 32-port switch can provide access ports for high density 10GE servers and 40GE uplink ports to aggregation or core switches as well. It can be used as leaf switch in data center access network topology with features such as VLAN, LACP, RSTP&MSTP, MLAG, DCB, etc.

FS S5850-32S2Q Buyer’s Guide

In addition to the information mentioned above, there are other specifications you need to know about FS S5850-32S2Q when choosing a 32-port switch. Listed below are the most important specifications for reference before buying this 10GB switch.

Conclusion

All in all, it is clear that the FS S5850-32S2Q 10GbE 32-port switch supports comprehensive protocols and applications. It plays an important role in data centers, Metro, enterprise network, campus network, etc. This 10GB switch is ideal to facilitate the rapid service deployment in both traditional L2 or L3 networks. You can enjoy a non-blocking bandwidth of up to 400Gbps! By the way, if you want an additional Gigabit switch for other use, FS offers multiple choices for you as well.

Original source: http://www.cables-solutions.com/fs-32-port-switch-two-40g-qsfp-uplinks.html

FS 1U Rack Mount Enclosure Comparison: FHD-1UFMT-N vs FHD-1UFCE

Nowadays, rack mount enclosure (or rack enclosure) is widely used in enterprise data centers, server rooms, schools, etc. to manage network cables. As one of the most popular options, 1U rack mount enclosure is a priority choice in many situations. While, normally, there are two styles (slide-out style and removable style) of enclosures in the same 1U rack space. Then, how to choose a proper one for your cabling? Next, let’s take the comparison on two types of FS 1U rack mount enclosures as an example.

FS FHD-1UFMT-N 1U Rack Mount Enclosure

FHD-1UFMT-N is one of the FHD series products that self-developed by FS.COM. The FHD series products focus on easy-to-manage high density fiber cabling. It is a cost-effective and reliable solution for fiber cable management in data centers, server rooms, CATV (Cable TV), etc.

FS FHD-1UFMT-N 1U Rack Mount Enclosure Technical Information

• Net Weight: 3.65KG
• Dimensions: 44mm(H) x 430mm(W) x 281.9mm(D)
• Material: Steel with black powder coating
• Modular Design: 4 x FAPs or 4 x HD MTP/MPO cassettes can be loaded, up to 96 fibers
• Accessories: Mounting hardware and accessory kit with labels included

FS FHD-1UFMT-N 1U Rack Mount Enclosure Key Feature: Removable Lid in Design
FHD-1UFMT-N is a 1U rack mount enclosure with an easy-to-move cover. That is to say, this rack mount fiber patch panel has a removable lid. You can remove its cover and then organize your cables with different solutions. It can hold up to 4 x fiber adapter panels or 4 x MTP/MPO cassettes of up to 96 fibers for cable management.

FS FHD-1UFMT-N 1U Rack Mount Enclosure Three Main Uses
This FHD-1UFMT-N enclosure can provide you with multiple solutions on fiber optic patching, terminating and splicing applications. Here are the three main uses of this 1U rack mount enclosure:

1) It enables fiber splice tray installation and removement. In addition, one FHD-1UFMT-N enclosure can hold up to 4 splice trays.

2) It can hold up to 2 slack spools for cabling.

3) It supports high-density cabling management with up to 4 MTP or MPO cassettes.

FS FHD-1UFMT-N 1U Rack Mount Fiber Enclosure Inside Cabling

FS FHD-1UFCE 1U Rack Mount Enclosure

FHD-1UFCE enclosure is also one of the self-developed products provided by FS.COM. This 1U rack mount enclosure offers you easy and quick installation within its 1U space.

FS FHD-1UFCE 1U Rack Mount Enclosure Technical Information

• Net Weight: 5.6KG
• Dimensions: 44mm(H) x 448mm(W) x 467.5mm(D)
• Material: Steel with black powder coating
• Modular Design: 4x FAPs or 4x HD MPO/MTP cassettes can be loaded, up to 96 fibers
• Accessories: Mounting hardware and accessory kit with labels and bend radius bracket included

FS FHD-1UFCE 1U Rack Mount Enclosure Key Feature: Slide-out Style in Design
FHD-1UFCE is a 1U rack mount enclosure with a parallel sliding drawer. Compared with the normal design with removeable lid, this unique design saves your time and energy without removing the top cover whenever installation is needed. You can slide the drawer out and then install matching products to organize your cables with ease. It can hold up to 4 x fiber adapter panels or 4 x MTP/MPO cassettes of up to 96 fibers for cable management as well.

FS FHD-1UFCE 1U Rack Mount Enclosure Uses
The main uses of this 1U rack mount enclosure are the same as FHD-1UFMT-N rack enclosure. The FHD-1UFCE supports patch cord connections with slack spools, storage of spliced fiber pigtails and cabling management with MTP or MPO cassettes as well.

FS FHD-1UFCE 1U Rack Mount Enclosure Cabling Solution

Buyer’s Guide: FHD-1UFMT-N vs FHD-1UFCE
Normally, these two styles (slide-out style and removable style) of enclosures have much in common. However, they still differ from each other.

Conclusion

For 1U rack mount enclosure choosing, you can take many factors into consideration. As for FHD-1UFMT-N vs FHD-1UFCE, the main applications are the same. They both can be used for patch cord connections, storage of spliced fiber pigtails and high-density MTP or MPO cabling management. Therefore, you can focus on their differences in price, installation design, dimensions, weight, etc. By the way, FS offers other rack mount enclosures such as 2U, 4U as well. You can choose a proper fiber enclosure according to your actual needs.

Original source: http://www.cables-solutions.com/fs-fhd-1u-rack-mount-enclosure-comparison.html

FS 24-Port Managed Switch With Both Fanless & Stackable Features

From an application point of view, the current market demand for products is becoming more and more multi-functional. For example, different industries have different functional requirements for network switches, especially for the currently popular 24-port managed switch. You may often see the questions on Reddit seeking for help like the situations below:

- “I am looking for a quiet or fanless switch to install in my office. It is better to have at least 24 ports and support SFP+ uplinks. Any suggestions on where to buy one?"

- “Looking for a 24-port stackable switch for home lab. It would be nice if it could support 10G interconnection. Any advice would be appreciated!”

It seems that a 24-port fanless switch or stackable switch is a popular trend for network construction. Then, can I own a 24-port managed switch with both the characteristics of these two switches? Yes, FS S3900-24T4S 24-port managed switch can meet your needs.

FS S3900-24T4S 24-Port Managed Switch Meets All Your Needs

Key Features: Fanless & Stackable in Design

The key features of FS S3900-24T4S 24-port managed switch are that it is not only a fanless switch but also a stackable switch.

The fanless design of S3900-24T4S ensures noiseless operation and increases the reliability and energy efficiency of the system. And the stackable feature of S3900-24T4S simplifies network administration. Whether it operates alone or “stacked” with other units, there is always just a single management interface for the network administrator to deal with. This simplifies the setup and operation of the network. The S3900-24T4S 24-port managed switch is almost an omnipotent switch for choice under many circumstances.

In addition to the two main features mentioned above, this 24-port managed switch has other significant features.

Specification of S3900-24T4S 24-Port Managed Switch

How to Install and Use FS S3900-24T4S 24-Port Managed Switch?

Installation Tips:

Temperature: Check if the operation temperature is within the specified operating temperature range. Make sure to keep a sound air flow of the rack environment.
Avoid additional weight: Do not place any other device or equipment on this switch.
Grounding: Keep this switch well grounded.
Note: If you want to mount this switch on a rack, pay attention to the circuit capacity as well. Check whether the circuit will be overload or not before installing S3900-24T4S on the rack. If the circuit can not bear the load of the switch, do not install it at your own will.

How to Use S3900-24T4S 24-Port Managed Switch:

For copper connection: You can use Cat5 cable for 10/100Base-T connection and use Cat5e, Cat6, Cat6a or above to reach 1000Base-T connection.

For fiber connection: Since the S3900-24T4S 24-port managed switch has four 10G SFP+ ports, you can use a variety of 10G optical transceivers and cables to connect with other network devices. The supported transceivers include 10G SFP+, BiDi SFP+, CWDM SFP+, DWDM SFP+, 10GBASE-T SFP+, etc. While the supported cables could be 10G DAC cable and AOC cable. In addition, this switch allows backwards compatibility on 1G SFP. All third-party modules and DAC/AOC cables can be used on the SFP+ ports of this switch, which can save a lot of deployment costs.

Conclusion

From all the above, you may have a general understanding of FS S3900-24T4S 24-port managed switch. Endowed with so many powerful features such as fanless and stackable design, this switch offers unique advantages over many switches in the market. If you want a switch with both fanless and stackable features, FS S3900-24T4S is a priority choice!

Original source: http://www.cables-solutions.com/fanless-stackable-24-port-managed-switch.html

SFP Slot Definition and Its User Guideline

It is obvious that optical transceiver is widely used in telecommunication and data center. Speaking of this, SFP module is inevitably involved. However, have you ever heard of SFP and SFP slot? Do you have any idea about how to use SFP slots? If not, read through this post to find what SFP slot is and how to use it.

What Is SFP Slot?

What is SFP port/slot? To figure this out, you must know what SFP is in the first place.

SFP, an acronym of small form-factor pluggable, is a compact and hot-pluggable transceiver used for both telecommunication and data communication applications. It connects motherboards of network devices (such as switches and routers) with optical or copper cables. By doing this, it converts Gigabit electrical signals into optical signals, and vice versa.

Therefore, just as its name implies, SFP slot is designed for use with SFP transceivers or modules. It offers a place where a SFP transceiver can plug into and then support fiber connection or copper cable connection. Different connection can support different transmission speed and distance. Normally, a Gigabit SFP inserted into a SFP port can reach a speed of up to 1 Gbps!

How to Use the SFP Slot?

SFP slot is also known as SFP port. Thus, this question can be referred to as how to use SFPs with SFP ports. SFP and SFP port usually work in pairs. That is to say, you should use SFP slot with a corresponding SFP. Normally, optical transceivers used in SFP slots can be divided into optical and copper SFPs. They can be used on a wide variety of products and intermixed in combinations of 1000BASE-T, 1000BASE-SX, 1000BASE-LX/LH, 1000BASE-EX, 1000BASE-ZX, or 1000BASE-BX10-D/U on a port-by-port basis.

The common match for SFP ports are copper SFP module applied with network cable and fiber SFP module applied with fiber optic cable. Network cable or copper cable includes Cat5e, Cat6, Cat6a, etc. While, fiber optic cable includes single mode fiber and multimode fiber. Therefore, if you want to know how to use SFP slot, you need to know how to choose right copper SFP modules or fiber SFP modules for SFP slots. As for how to choose the right SFP modules, go ahead for more details in the next two paragraphs.

Copper SFP module for SFP Slot

A copper SFP module inserted into a SFP port has a RJ45 connector. It can transmit data within 100m over copper twisted pair cable. And the data transmission rate can reach up to 1000 Mbps. It is normally divided into two types, 1000BASE-T and 1000BASE-TX copper SFP. The former uses the IEEE 802.3ab standard using four bidirectional copper pairs, and each pair supports a data rate of 250 Mbps. While, the latter uses the TIA/EIA-854 standard using two unidirectional copper pairs (one pair for transmitting, one for receiving), each of which supports a data rate of 500 Mbps.

Fiber SFP module for SFP Slot

A fiber SFP module inserted into a SFP port has a LC duplex interface. It consists of seven types, namely 1000BASE-SX, 1000BASE-LX, 1000BASE-LX10, 1000BASE-LX/LH, 1000BASE-LH, 1000BASE-EX and 1000BASE-ZX. They are used under different circumstances shown in the picture below:

Conclusion

From all the above, you may have a general understanding of what a SFP slot is and how to use it properly. SFP ports are found in Ethernet switches, routers, firewalls and network interface cards, etc. If you want to transfer data in 100m, then either a copper SFP or fiber SFP is a right choice to match the SFP port. If you want to transfer data over 100m, then a fiber SFP is needed.

Original source: http://www.cables-solutions.com/sfp-slot-wiki.html

What Is the Purpose of a Switch in Networking?

A switch may refer to one of many different things. For example, it may refer to part of the physical circuit components that control the flow of signals. It can be a button or lever to turn a device on or off. However, the switch we discussed in this post is a switch or fiber optic switch in networking. Then, what is a switch in networking? What is the purpose of a switch? Let’s find out together in the following text.

What Is a Switch in Networking?

In a network, a switch is a hardware device that filters and forwards network packets from one networking device (switch, router, computer, server, etc.) to another. It is widely used in local area networks (LANs) to send each incoming message frame by looking at the physical device address, known as the Media Access Control address (MAC address).

Actually, a switch is considered as a multiport network bridge that uses hardware addresses to process and forward data at the data link layer (layer 2) of the OSI model. Some switches can also process data at the network layer (layer 3) by combining routing functions. Such switches are often referred to as layer 3 switches or multilayer switches.

What Is the Purpose of a Switch in Networking?

You may have a blurry understanding about the function of switch in networking simply from its definition. Then, what is the purpose of a switch on earth? Listed below are main purposes or functions of switches:

• Connect multiple hosts: Normally, a switch provides a large number of ports for cable connections, allowing for star topology routing. It is usually used to connect multiple PCs to the network.
• Forwards a message to a specific host: Like a bridge, a switch uses the same forwarding or filtering logic on each port. When any host on the network or a switch sends a message to another host on the same network or the same switch, the switch receives and decodes the frames to read the physical (MAC) address portion of the message.
• Manage traffic: A switch in networking can manage traffic either coming into or exiting the network and can connect devices like computers and access points with ease.
• Keep electrical signal undistorted: When a switch forwards a frame, it regenerates an undistorted square electrical signal.
• Increase LAN bandwidth: A switch divides a LAN into multiple collision domains with independent broadband, thus greatly increasing the bandwidth of the LAN.

Applications of Switches in Networking

Nowadays, switches are used almost everywhere from small office/home office (SOHO) to major ISPs (Internet Service Providers). You can use them at home office or small-sized area as you wish. For these places, a 10/100/1000BASE-T Gigabit Ethernet switch is enough. In addition, there are many switches that feature high speed uplink ports to offer speed of 10 Gbps, 40 Gbps, or even 100 Gbps! These high-speed switches are commonly adopted by enterprises for data center construction. Under such circumstance, you may need a 10GbE switch or 40/100G switch.

Conclusion

From all the above, you may have a general understanding of “what is the purpose of a switch in networking?”. In addition to connecting networked devices, a switch plays an important role in traffic management, message forwarding, bandwidth increase, etc.

Original source: http://www.fiberopticshare.com/what-is-the-purpose-of-a-switch-in-networking.html

Managed Switch vs Router: Difference Between Router and Switch

“I am going to buy a managed switch for my business network. I wonder whether a managed switch can act as a router or not. What’s the difference between managed switch vs router? Can someone help? Thanks in advance!”

Nowadays, managed switch has become increasing popular in most business networks to connect computers, printers, servers, etc. in a building or within a campus. However, another networking device, router, is also widely used to connect different devices, for example, computers. Then, what is the difference between managed switch vs router? Next, let’s read through this post to find the answer.

What Is a Managed Switch?

A managed switch is a configurable network switch, which offers greater security, flexibility, and capacity than an unmanaged switch or normal switch. It serves as a controller, enabling networked devices to talk to each other efficiently. As a network switch, it works at the second layer (data link layer) of the OSI reference model.

Managed switches are usually used to offer the most comprehensive functions for a network. Endowed with various function managements such as VLAN, CLI, SNMP, IP routing, QoS, etc, a managed switch is often seen in the core layer of a network, especially in large and complex data centers. With the increasing needs, parts of the most common two network switches, Gigabit Ethernet switch and 10GbE switch, are designed as managed switches.

Here is a related video of a managed switch from FS, you can learn more about how to use it and the multiple functions it supports:

What Is a Router?

A router is a networking device that connects to various local area networks and wide area networks in the Internet. It allows multiple computers or devices to connect to the Internet through a single connection. It transfers packets of data between networks to establish and sustain communication between two nodes in an internetwork. Besides, it automatically selects and sets routes according to the channel conditions, and sends signals in the optimal path in order.

Router works at the third layer (network layer) of the OSI model. A router uses the destination IP address in a data packet to determine where to forward the packet. In addition, it manages the flow of data so that each computer gets the right information it needs. Routers also can be used to connect multiple networks.

Managed Switch vs Router: Difference Between Router and Switch
Speaking of managed switch vs router, there are many aspects for comparison. Listed below are main differences between them:

• Layer: Managed witch works at data link layer (layer 2) while router works at network layer (layer 3).
• Function: Managed switch can connect multiple devices and manage ports and VLAN settings. However, router just directs data in a network and passes them between computers or between computers and the modem.
• Firewall service: Routers offer firewall service while managed switches don’t.
• Address used for data transmission: A managed switch uses Mac address while a router uses IP address.
• Ports: Normally, a router only has 4 LAN ports and one WAN port, while switches have much more ports such as 12, 24, 48, etc.
• Applications: Routers are used to connect two or more different networks, while managed switches are used to connect two or more nodes in the same network.

Conclusion

Among all the differences, the biggest difference between a managed switch vs router is their operation layers. Managed switch operates at layer 2 (data link layer), while router operates at layer 3 (network layer). However, routers and switches are both computer networking devices that allow one or more computers to be connected to other computers, networked devices, or to other networks. Therefore, sometimes, they can be used for the same purpose.

Original source: http://www.fiberopticshare.com/managed-switch-vs-router.html

What Is Layer 3 Switch?

Layer 3 switch has roused much attention with the quick renovation of the network upgrade. It plays an important role in data exchange inside a large local area network. Then, what is layer 3 switch? Read this post to learn more about layer 3 switch involved with the comparison of layer 3 switch vs layer 2 and layer 3 switch vs router.

What Is Layer 3 Switch and Layer 3 Switching?

What is layer 3 switch? Simply to say, a layer 3 switch is a network switch with some router functions. The most important purpose of the layer 3 switch is to speed up the data exchange within a large LAN. The routing function is also used for this purpose. It can accomplish one route and multiple packet forwarding processes.

Regular processes such as packet forwarding are implemented by hardware at high speed, while functions such as routing information update, routing table maintenance, route calculation, and route determination are implemented by software. Layer 3 switching technology is layer 2 switching technology combining with layer 3 forwarding technology. The traditional switching technology is operated in the second layer of the OSI network standard model (the data link layer), and the third layer switching technology implements the high-speed forwarding of data packets in the third layer of the network model. It not only realizes the network routing function but also achieves optimal network performance according to different network conditions.

Layer 3 Switch vs Layer 2

Why Is Layer 3 Switch Popular?

Normally, for the sake of safety and management with convenience, a LAN is divided into small LANs according to different factors such as function or geography to reduce the harm of broadcast storms. Therefore, VLAN technology is applied in a large number of networks. However, communication between different VLANs must be forwarded through routers. Such inter-network access is limited because of the limited number of ports and the slower routing speed. Based on this situation, a three-layer switch emerges. The layer 3 switch is designed for IP. The interface type is simple and has strong layer 2 packet processing capability. It is very suitable for data routing and switching in large LANs. In the third layer of the protocol, the function of the traditional router is replaced or partially completed, and at the same time it has almost the speed of the second layer exchange, and the price is relatively cheaper.

Advantages of Layer 3 Switch

From the paragraph above, you may have a blurry concept when it comes to layer 3 switch vs layer 2. Don’t worry. Here are the main advantages of layer 3 switch when comparing layer 3 switch vs layer 2:

• Function: A layer 2 switch can only switch packets from one port to another, whereas a layer 3 switch is capable of both switching as well as routing.
• MAC vs. IP Address: Layer 2 switches use devices’ MAC addresses to redirect data packets from source port to destination port. While, layer 3 switches use IP addresses to link various subnets together utilizing special routing protocols.
• Applications: Layer 2 switch is hardware-based switch and uses ASICs (application specific integrated circuits) to maintain MAC address table. It uses layer 2 switching to break up a large domain into multiple smaller domains. Layer 3 switch is a mix of switch and router, which is commonly used for routing within virtual LANs (VLANs).
• Speed: Normally, switches operating at layer 2 take less time than that operating at layer 3. Layer 2 switches just need to assign MAC addresses to reroute packets from source port to destination port in layer 2 switching.

Layer 3 Switch vs Router

In addition to layer 2 switch, router is another concept which is usually referred to when concerned with layer 3 switch. This is obvious to find from layer 3 switch definition. Then, what are their differences when comparing layer 3 switch vs router? Look at the following aspects:

• Main function: The main function of a router is the routing function. The same is true for layer 3 switch as well. It is still a switch product but with some basic routing functions. Its main function is still data exchange.
• Main applicable environment: The routing function of a layer 3 switch is usually relatively simple, because it is mainly a simple LAN connection. The router is designed mainly to meet different types of network connections including LANs and WANs. Its main function is routing and forwarding.
• Differ in performance: Technically, routers and layer 3 switches have significant differences in packet switching operations. Routers typically perform packet switching by a microprocessor-based software routing engine, while layer 3 switches perform packet switching through hardware.

Conclusion

After all the above, you may get clearer about “what is layer 3 switch” and the main difference between layer 3 switch vs layer 2 and layer 3 switch vs router. In short, a layer 3 switch can implement both switching as well as routing function. It can define a plurality of ports as one virtual network, and it has no limit to the transmission bandwidth between networks.

Original source: http://www.cables-solutions.com/what-is-layer-3-switch.html

What Is Fiber Optic Cable and How Does It Work?

With the increasing needs for quicker data transmission speed in network, fiber optic cable is getting increasingly popular over the past few years. However, some people may still be all at sea of what fiber optic cable is. What is fiber optic cable and how does it work? Read this post below to get information about fiber optic cable definition and how a fiber optic cable works.

What Is Fiber Optic Cable?

Fiber optic cable, also know as optical fiber cable, is a type of Ethernet cable which consists of one or more optic fibers that are used to transmit data. It is an assembly similar to an electrical cable while it is used to carry light and the fiber optic cable price is much higher than that of copper cable. Designed to use light pulses, fiber optic cables support long distance telecommunication and high-speed data transmission. Normally, fiber optic cable can run at a speed of 10 Gbps, 40 Gbps and even 100 Gbps. Therefore, it is widely used in much of the world’s internet, cable television and telephone systems.

What Is Fiber Optic Cable Composed Of?

Generally, one fiber optic cable is made up of five parts: core, cladding, coating, strengthening, and outer jacket. The “core” is incredibly thin strands of glass or plastic known as optical fibers. The “cladding” is an insulated casing closely surround the “core” providing lower refractive index to make the optical fiber work. The ”coating” is a protective layer of the optical fiber. The “strengthening”, or strengthen member, helps to protect the core against crushing forces and excessive tension during installation. As the name implies, an outer jacket is used to protect the cable from environmental hazards.

How Does Fiber Optic Cable Work?

After solving “what is fiber optic cable”, “how it works” may be the top question related to it. Actually, light travels down a fiber optic cable by bouncing repeatedly off the walls. The fiber core and the cladding bend the incoming light at a certain angle with their own refractive index. When light signals are sent through the fiber optic cable, they reflect off the core and cladding in a series of bounces, which a process called total internal reflection.

Fiber Optic Cable Types

Normally, fiber optic cable comes in two types, namely, single mode fiber (SMF) and multimode fiber (MMF). Single mode fiber has a very thin core about 5-10 microns in diameter while multimode fiber has a core diameter about 10 times of a single mode fiber. Generally, single mode optical fibers used in telecommunications operate at 1310nm or 1550nm wavelength while multimode fiber at 850nm and 1300nm. Compared with single mode fiber, multimode fiber has a limited transmission distance by model dispersion because it has a large core size and supports more than one light mode (from OM1 to OM5). Single mode fiber is suitable for long distance applications such as 100km between buildings while multimode optical fiber is used in short distance transmission within buildings such as computer network linking.

Conclusion

From all the above, you may have a general understanding of what fiber optic cable is and its working theory. Designed to use light pulses, optical fiber can offer quicker data transmission speed. In addition, it can meet different needs in transmission distance with both SMF and MMF.

Original source: http://www.fiberopticshare.com/what-is-fiber-optic-cable.html

What Is an Ethernet Switch and How to Use It?

Nowadays, Ethernet switch has become an important part in data center or computer networking to meet different needs. You may heard about it but not so familiar with it. Then, what is an Ethernet switch? How does an Ethernet switch work? Let’s find out the answers in the following text.

What Is an Ethernet Switch?

Ethernet switch, the most common form of network switch, is a computer networking device used in Ethernet to connect various Ethernet devices. It connects devices together by using packet switching to receive, process, and forward data from one source device to another destination device.

Ethernet Switch Types
There are various types of Ethernet switches designed for different needs. Normally, they are divided into two main categories, namely, modular switch and fixed configuration switch. The former one allows you to add expansion modules into the switch as needed while the latter one is not expandable with a fixed number of ports.

Nowadays, fixed configuration switches are the mostly used. They can come in various different speeds with particular names such as fast Ethernet switch with a speed of 10/100 Mbps, Gigabit Ethernet switch of 10/100/1000 Mbps, 10GbE switch of 10/100/1000/10000 Mbps. Currently, Gigabit Ethernet switch is still the most common one and is the most widely used switch among its kind. In additional, 10GbE switch is also very popular for its higher transmission speed of up to 10 Gbps and a relatively not expensive price. Of course, there are other switches of 25G, 40G or even 100G for you to choose as well. You can choose the best Ethernet switch according to your actual needs.

How Does An Ethernet Switch Work?

As a hardware device, Ethernet switch centralizes communications among multiple connected Ethernet devices in one local area network (LAN). Normally, multiple data cables are plugged into an Ethernet switch to enable communication between different networked devices. Then, the Ethernet Switch manages the flow of data across the network by transmitting a received network packet only to the one or more devices for which the packet is intended. An Ethernet switch can identify every device connected to it and direct the traffic flow of the device, which maximizes the security and efficiency of the network. Therefore, it is more intelligent and efficient than an Ethernet hub which is unable to distinguish different recipients.

How to Choose and Use an Ethernet Switch?How to Choose an Ethernet Switch?
As for how to choose an Ethernet switch, there are different factors you should consider:

• Transmission speed: Although there are different transmission speeds for you to choose, you still need to use an Ethernet switch according to the actual speed you need.
• Number of ports: Fixed configuration switches typically come in 5, 8, 10, 16, 24, 28, 48, and 54-port configurations. You should choose a switch with the number of ports equal to, or greater than that of computers you are connecting.
• Network infrastructure: For small network of up to 50 users, one Ethernet switch might enough. While, additional switches are needed if more users are added in.
• Specific feature: If you have special requirements for your switch, you can search it accurately. For example, you can only search managed or unmanaged switch for precise localization among various switches.
• Reliable vendor: There are many popular brands of networking equipment, such as Cisco, 3com, Linksys, FS, etc. Just choose a company you trust and buy the switch you want.
• Price difference: Normally, price might be the priority over everything when choosing a product. You can search a certain switch of the same external conditions and then compare them in price. If the functions are nearly the same, you can choose a relatively cheaper one.

How to Use an Ethernet Switch?

Speaking of how to use an Ethernet switch, you can follow the guidance below:

• Configure your switch: Set up the IP address for the switch with switch manual.
• Configure your switch with right VLANs setup if needed. If multiple VLANs are being used, make sure the computers are on the correct VLAN.
• Log into your switch to hard code each port if necessary.
• For more details, you can refer to the post of how to use a network switch.

Conclusion

After the introduction of “What is an Ethernet switch?” and “How does an Ethernet switch work?” above, one can have a general understanding of an Ethernet switch. In short, An Ethernet switch is a telecommunication device used to connect multiple computers or devices together and can expand network with ease.

Original source: http://www.cables-solutions.com/what-is-an-ethernet-switch-and-how-to-use-it.html