The topic Your switch probably has an unused SFP port, and it’s the best networking… is currently the subject of lively discussion — readers and analysts are keeping a close eye on developments.
This is taking place in a dynamic environment: companies’ decisions and competitors’ reactions can quickly change the picture.
By far and away, one of the best things you can add to your home network is a managed network switch. They’re the backbone of your network, connecting your wired devices together and providing connectivity to wireless access points, while providing redundancy, VLANs, and a bunch more.
But it could be much more. Most consumer hardware uses 8P8C connectors for twisted-pair connectivity. And that means the most versatile socket on your network switch might be left unused. That’s the SFP/SFP+/SFP28/QSFP+/QSFP28 slot, which are designed to use Direct-Attached-Copper (DAC), fiber optics, or copper transceivers to go beyond the capabilities of copper twisted-pair cabling. You don’t have to spend a lot to get one either, with low-cost managed switches often coming with one or two these days.
SFP (Small Form-factor Pluggable) has been around since 2001, when it was introduced to replace larger fiber transceivers capable of up to 1 GbE data rates. It can travel up to 160 km (depending on the type of fiber used), but it’s also on the way out, as newer versions of the connector standard take over.
SFP+ increased the data rate to 10 GbE, and that’s probably the most common variant today, although data centers have moved on to QSFP+ (40 GbE), SFP28 (25 GbE), QSFP28 (100 GbE), and beyond.
The biggest of these is reduced latency or power consumption, which is why it shows up in managed switches and other hardware designed for business or data center use. It is starting to crop up in consumer devices now, often as a WAN port for quick connectivity to multi-gig ISP connectivity.
While most SFP users use DAC or fiber, sometimes the other side has 10 GbE RJ45 connectors, as on many NAS units. The problem with these transceivers is that they run hot because the signal conversion generates a lot of heat. They’re not ideal, but sometimes you have to work with what you’ve got.
My current managed switches use SFP28 connectors, which are compatible with SFP+ for 10 GbE and SFP28 for 25 GbE. Maybe a little overkill for my current needs, but it’s being used for the backplane between devices, and I’m sure future usage will warrant the upgrade.
SFP+ is the most common standard for 10 GbE networking, which might feel like overkill for home networks but not if you consider where it’s best used. That’s fast connections between your networking appliances, so your backhaul doesn’t become the bottleneck of your network. As with all networking equipment, the “do you need it” question is always down to a multitude of use cases where they’re best used, but best in this case is what’s best for your environment.
Links to desktops and the like can still be handled with twisted copper, but if you have SFP+ available on your network switch and router, why wouldn’t you use it? SFP+ DACs are inexpensive, and you typically won’t need many for a network rack. It’s also handy for in-wall runs that can’t be far enough from power lines, as fiber optics isn’t affected by electrical fields.
It’s also worth noting that SFP+ and SFP28 are pin-compatible. SFP can be used in SFP+ (but at the lower 1 GbE data rate), while plugging SFP+ into SFP can damage the cable or the network appliance. And that’s before you get into whether you need single-mode or multimode fiber cable.
Most home use is probably better with multimode, since you’re unlikely to need the distance single-mode offers, but it does mean you have to pay attention when buying transceivers. And not every switch or NIC is compatible with every transceiver or DAC; some are notoriously picky about the brand used.
With the versatility to reach staggering networking speeds of up to 100 Gb/s and reach up to 80 km over fiber optics, your network switch is incredibly powerful. That port is perfect for backhaul between two locations, the floors of your home, or between the high-bandwidth parts of your network rack, whether that’s between your gateway and switch, or switch and NAS, or any other link that will be used by multiple users at a time.