The Distances of your Approved Cisco Optics

The Distances of your Approved Cisco Optics:
GLC-SX-MM, SFP-GE-S, GLC-SX-MMD, GLC-SX-MM-RGD
GLC-LH-SM, SFP-GE-L, GLC-LH-SMD, GLC-LH-SM-RGD

We have been getting a lot of questions recently about the true maximum distances of our optics and wanted to spend some time going over the technical details. It seems some vendors have been touting a 1 km distance on their Multi-Mode Optics, but that is not always the case.

Technically, and like some our competitors would suggest, our 1GB Multi-Mode Optics (Like a GLC-SX-MM, SFP-GE-S, GLC-SX-MMD, GLC-SX-MM-RGD) can achieve a distance of 1 km. However, it depends entirely on the quality of your fiber. To reach 1 km you would need to use laser-optimized 50 µM multimode fiber cabling. Which, as many of our data centers would attest to is more than rare; most people aren't running a mile of laser-optimized multimode fiber. If you are, then by all means our 1GB Multi-mode products for Cisco and even Juniper, Brocade, etc are for you. But more often than not, the following information will be more accurate:
"The 1000BASE-SX SFP, compatible with the IEEE 802.3z 1000BASE-SX standard, operates on legacy 50 μm multimode fiber links up to 550 m and on 62.5 μm Fiber Distributed Data Interface (FDDI)-grade multimode fibers up to 220 m."
For the LH (GLC-LH-SM, SFP-GE-L, GLC-LH-SMD, GLC-LH-SM-RGD):
"The 1000BASE-LX/LH SFP, compatible with the IEEE 802.3z 1000BASE-LX standard, operates on standard single-mode fiber-optic link spans of up to 10 km and up to 550 m on any multimode fibers. When used over legacy multimode fiber type, the transmitter should be coupled through a mode conditioning patch cable."
That being said, most transceivers will operate effectively at 10-12% further distances than stated in our data sheets...but that will always be contingent on the quality of your cabling.

For questions, please don't hesitate to call us. We are always available: 800.590.9535.

OEM, Approved Optics and Internet Brokers

There are many differences between OEM, Approved Optics and Internet “Manufacturers” of optical transceivers. As one of the oldest third party distributors of optical transceivers, the three areas our clients always focus on are: price, availability and compatibility. At Approved Optics we believe quality is the backbone of our success and that quality permeates evenly between price, compatibility and availability.

The truth is Price is always an issue; whether  you are buying a car or skateboard price is always on the forefront of your buying decision. So why is there such a price difference between the OEM (Cisco, Juniper, HP, IBM), Approved Optics and other Internet Distributors?

Lets look at Approved Optics in comparison to the OEMs. Lets take Cisco for this discussion. By purchasing Approved Optics part number: GLC-SX-MM-A compared to Cisco’s GLC-SX-MM you would save 90% off of Cisco’s Best Customer Pricing. Why is that? Is Cisco’s manufacturing process that much different than Approved Optics? Well no, actually Approved Optics doesn’t manufacturer optical transceivers, never has…. but neither does Cisco. The truth is Cisco has never built its own Optical Transceivers (Or memory or cables either). A designated Contract Manufacturer builds the transceivers for Cisco. Cisco purchases the transceivers preprogrammed with their code on them and ships for fulfillment, sometimes straight from these factories.

Approved Optics has a unique relationship with the exact same Contract Manufacturers that build for the OEM’s such as Cisco. We purchase the same MSA Spec, OEM quality optical transceivers that Cisco does. So why the price difference if both Approved Optics and Cisco are buying from Contract Manufacturers? Is it because of testing? No (and we will get into that a little later). Are we buying them that much Cheaper? No, We actually purchase our product for much more than a huge OEM like Cisco does. So, why? It is quite simple.

Cisco charges 1000% more because it can. The ridiculous amount Cisco charges for its optical transceivers are well documented (read: Cisco Secret Franchise). Cisco’s profit margin and stock price are directly related to a product accessory they did not design, develop or manufacture. In a sense, there’s nothing truly wrong with this, they have done an excellent job of taking their strong Ethernet position and extracting value out of what is a commodity device. They threaten with the loss of SmartNet (Illegal – because of the Magnuson-Moss Act) and even go so far as putting anti-competitive coding on standard transceivers (Illegal – see Your Rights) in what has been an incredible retention of their margins.

So now we know Approved Optics’ transceiver line carries the highest level of quality in discrete hardware, algorithm/firmware, serial number sequence, packet integrity, and light strength… for all intensive purposes the same exact product as the OEM at a fraction of the cost. What separates Approved from the other online “manufacturers” out there? Everything.

Approved Optics is unique in our industry, we are priced affordably but program and test our product more extensively than the actual OEM’s (Remember: They purchase pre-programmed from their Contract Manufacturer) and certainly more than online resellers, refurb broker or memory manufacturers that have added the line to their offerings. No company has the extensive programming experience and test facilities like we do at Approved.

Why is programming so important? As we mentioned before, it is because Cisco and other manufacturers have placed specific attributes and firmware on the EEProm of the transceivers for it to function properly in their particular switch platform. It’s part of their margin retention efforts! They take a standard MSA Spec part and code it so they can charge 10x’s more than a part by a third party supplier. It’s great for them and bad for you! What Approved does is engineer the unique, independent code to work within their unique platforms. It’s engineering and it’s what we do! No other transceiver vendor does this to the extent of our capabilities, not the CM’s, they can’t; they are under contract with the Network OEM’s that they build for.

Being a programmer of transceivers leads us to the most important part in Approved’s Quality Process: testing. Since Approved purchases transceivers from Tier One Contract Manufacturers then programs them in-house, the only way to make sure they are 100% compatible in the platform they are intended for is to test them in the actual switch or router they are intended for. What this means, is that Approved has one of the largest multi-environmental testing labs that facilitates the testing and operation of hundreds of switches and routers spanning over 40 Network Equipment Manufactures, including: Cisco, Juniper, Force 10, IBM, HP, Brocade and on. It’s a huge expenditure for us and an incredible benefit for you. Purchasing an Approved Optical transceiver means you are purchasing a product that is Guaranteed Compatible in the system you intend to use it in. We aren’t a middleman like most of the other suppliers out there who depend on overseas distribution from China for programming and testing. We are an engineering and test house - it’s what we do! It’s why we are the fastest growing transceiver vendor in the industry, and why we might not be as cheap as some of the Internet Brokers but offer Tier One Quality Transceivers at a fraction of the cost of the OEMs.

Lastly, and for many of our high-end Telco and Data Center Engineers who have purchased and evaluated our product over the years, most importantly is availability. Approved carries a huge amount of inventory. Since we program in-house, we must stock a large amount of product; this means we can offer same day shipping on almost our entire product line, as well as offer expedited shipments for constrained DWDM and CWDM transceivers that take the OEM sometimes 12 weeks to ship. We ship in days what many OEMs ship in months.

Quality. Compatibility. Availability. Price. They are the cornerstone of what have made us successful. Although we would never call ourselves smart, we sure make the Data Centers/Telco Engineers and Purchasing Departments that use us look smart. After all, that is our goal. Give us a call; we are more than just a pretty site. Approved Optics, For the Smart Data Center!

Did you know?

Dense wavelength-division multiplexing (DWDM) revolutionized data transmission technology by increasing the capacity signal of embedded fiber.  This increase means that the incoming optical signals are assigned to specific wavelengths within a designated frequency band, then multiplexed onto one fiber. This process allows for multiple video, audio, and data channels to be transmitted over one fiber while maintaining system performance and enhancing transport systems. This technology responds to the growing need for efficient and capable data transmission by working with different formats, such as SONET/SDH, while increasing bandwidth. The fiber optic amplifier component of the DWDM system provides a cost efficient method of taking in and amplifying optical signals without converting them into electrical signals. In addition, DWDM amplifies a broad range of wavelengths in the 1550 nm region. For example, with a DWDM system multiplexing 16 wavelengths on a single optical fiber, carriers can decrease the number of amplifiers by a factor of 16 at each regenerator site. Using fewer regenerators in long-distance networks results in fewer interruptions and enhanced efficiency.

What is DWDM Channel Spacing?

DWDM channel spacing governs system performance; 100 GHz is the most commonly used and reliable channel spacing. This spacing allows for several channel schemes without imposing limitations on available fiber amplifiers. However, channel spacing depends on the system's components. Channel spacing is the minimum frequency separation between two multiplexed signals. An inverse proportion of frequency versus wavelength of operation calls for different wavelengths to be introduced at each signal. The optical amplifiers bandwidth and receivers ability to identify two close wavelengths, sets the channel spacing.

Red and Blue Bands

The ITU approved DWDM band extends from 1528.77 nm to 1563.86 nm, and divides into the red band and the blue band.  The red band encompasses the longer wavelengths of 1546.12 nm and higher.  The blue band wavelengths fall below 1546.12 nm.  This division has a practical value because useful gain region of the lowest cast EDFAs corresponds to the red band wavelengths.  Thus, if a system only requires a limited number of DWDM wavelengths using the red band wavelength yields the lowest overall system cost.

All About Dense Wave Division Multiplexing (DWDM)

The Dense Wave Multiplexing DWDM channel or light wavelength matrix (please see chart below) has brought tremendous benefit to the metropolitan and long haul data transmission world. Bandwidth hungry applications are requiring more information over the same transport infrastructure with the explosive growth of the internet.  With CWDM and DWDM Optics, the carrying capacity of the physical medium (fiber)  is increased because  each  DWDM/CWDM channel is transmitted at a different frequency.  Many engineers refer to this as the ‘rainbow’ of light, where each channels represents a color of light available within or over the medium (fiber). DWDM also has the ability to amplify all the wavelengths at the same moment, without first having to convert them to electrical signals, as well as the ability to carry signals of different speeds and types simultaneously over the medium (fiber).  This is called protocol and bit rate independence. DWDM is a big winner in the Metropolitan backbone.  It is fast and flexible in the provisioning of protocol- and bit rate-transparent, data centric, protected services, and has the ability to offer new and higher speed services at less cost. The key requirements for DWDM systems in the Metropolitan area include:  Multi-protocol support, cost effectiveness, reliability and availability, openness (interfaces, network management, standard fiber types, electromagnetic compatibility, ease of installation and management, size and power consumption, and scalability. Overall, the technical advantages to DWDM (Bandwidth Aside) are: DYNAMIC PROVISIONING (Provides engineers the ability to provision in days, not months, because of its fast and simple connections), SCALABILITY (DWDM leverages the available dark fiber to  meet the demand for capacity on point to point links and existing SONET/SDH rings), and TRANSPARANCY (It can transparently support TDM and data formats such as Gigabit Ethernet, ATM, ESCON, and fiber channel wit open interfaces over a common physical layer. DWDM enables a large savings on regenerators (RPTR) and amplifier infrastructure compared to the typical SONET/SDH optical networks, greatly reducing up front infrastructure cost barriers.   Besides the lowered infrastructure cost benefit, the DWDM systems have simplified the of network capacity by problem in many ways. Dense Wavelength Division Multiplexing (DWDM) ITU Grid: C-Band, 100 GHz Spacing Channel Frequency Wavelength Channel Frequency Wavelength (#) (GHz) (nm) (#) (GHz) (nm) 1 190100 1577.03 37 193700 1547.72 2 190200 1576.20 38 193800 1546.92 3 190300 1575.37 39 193900 1546.12 4 190400 1574.54 40 194000 1545.32 5 190500 1573.71 41 194100 1544.53 6 190600 1572.89 42 194200 1543.73 7 190700 1572.06 43 194300 1542.94 8 190800 1571.24 44 194400 1542.14 9 190900 1570.42 45 194500 1541.35 10 191000 1569.59 46 194600 1540.56 11 191100 1568.11 47 194700 1539.77 12 191200 1567.95 48 194800 1538.98 13 191300 1567.13 49 194900 1538.19 14 191400 1566.31 50 195000 1537.40 15 191500 1565.50 51 195100 1536.61 16 191600 1564.68 52 195200 1535.82 17 191700 1563.86 53 195300 1535.04 18 191800 1563.05 54 195400 1534.25 19 191900 1562.23 55 195500 1533.47 20 192000 1561.42 56 195600 1532.68 21 192100 1560.61 57 195700 1531.90 22 192200 1559.79 58 195800 1531.12 23 192300 1558.98 59 195900 1530.33 24 192400 1558.17 60 196000 1529.55 25 192500 1557.36 61 196100 1528.77 26 192600 1556.56 62 196200 1527.99 27 192700 1555.75 63 196300 1527.22 28 192800 1554.94 64 196400 1526.44 29 192900 1554.13 65 196500 1525.66 30 193000 1553.33 66 196600 1524.89 31 193100 1552.52 67 196700 1524.11 32 193200 1551.72 68 196800 1523.34 33 193300 1550.92 69 196900 1522.56 34 193400 1550.12 70 197000 1521.79 35 193500 1549.32 71 197100 1521.02 36 193600 1548.52 72 197200 1520.25 Note: for 200GHz spacing use either odd or even numbered channels.

New Price Reductions

We have just reduced pricing on some of our most popular Juniper parts:

EX-SFP-10GE-SR is now only $244.99
EX-SFP-10GE-LR is now only $465
EX-SFP-10GE-LRM is now only $475
EX-SFP-10GE-ER is now only $1049.99
EX-SFP-10GE-ZR is now only $2699.99

Click on the links to check them out!

You can also find our optics on Buy.com and Amazon.