10Gb/s - Copper or Fiber?

Hardware Hub Networking
1

Hello everyone!

I was curious as to which you prefer for your connections between 10Gb/s modules - Copper of Fiber?

I have not used either at a 10Gb/s capacity, but the company I work for is moving forward with a faster network.  We need to run 10Gb/s from different closets in the building back to a primary switch.  

We will not need any cable longer than Cat-6 can handle(328ft), however, with the cost of running conduit, the cost of fiber is negligible.  So I am open to suggestions and would love some feedback from everyone elses experience.

 

Thanks!

Jesse

2

Save the future and go with fiber.
In new installations the only place where we pull copper these days are from the rack-shelves to the wall mounts.
It's almost freaking 2014 and we still use tech from the 30's. It makes pandas cry.

3

+1

4

Thanks for the response Baz!  I have been leaning really heavily towards Fiber already, you just helped the push a bit.

 

5

If you have someone in house that can install the MT-RJ on the fiber, I definitely say fiber. Cat 6a is hell on your fingers anyway.

6

no one else likes shiny copper?

7

Consider the scope of the upgrade (including requirement of HBA's etc.) and if you want to be running faster then 10Gb/s in the near future. Is there any requirement for low latency or just sheer throughput? I went through these same questions myself recently when upgrading EOR switches in one of my DCs. We ended up with fiber. 

8

fiber. do it while you can.

9

Since we have approval for anything we want in the conduit, we have decided on fiber.  Thanks everyone for your responses!  The fibers purpose is to get our IP phones and users back to our demarcation room.

10

Could I break in here with a related question? :) 

Since regular ethernet cables are copper I assume there is some kind of converter, from light to electricity, somewhere in the run. What's the name of such a module, where is such a thing placed and how do one use it? :P

11

Lindhea,

Yes there are such devices, SFP modules that you can insert into switches do alright, there are also cheaper alternatives such as this:

http://www.startech.com/Networking-IO/Media-Converters/Fiber/Gigabit-Fiber-Media-Converter-MM-LC-550m~ET91000LC2

We have two of those where I work, they don't always work great, but we only have them for testing purposes.  I would suggest a good switch instead for actual production.