Question SFP+ or 10GBase-T for the fastest connection between two computers

[tablespoon]

Hi, my dual-boot Windows and Linux PC has a motherboard with an Aquantia 10GbE BASE-T LAN and an Intel Gigabit LAN with cFosSpeed ports built-in. I am looking to buy a Thunderbolt 3 to 10GbE adapter for my Mac to connect the two computers together in the same room. I see some products use SFP+ while others use BASE-T LAN. Given a choice and for the fastest connection between the two computers, is it better to go for SFP+ even I may need to add a network card/adapter with SFP+ support in the PC?

 

[Tech Junky]

10GE is the speed.

Sfp+ offer more options if you decide to go faster but, it costs more to implement due to needing a card and then hunting down a compatible sfp module. However, you can upgrade the module if the card supports more speed options.

Copper Ethernet cables are cheap and not as finicky as fiber.

I use aquantia on my server with a 4 port 5GE card and it's stable and fast. The 4 port was $200 and they have a dual port for $150 IIRC through qnap. 10GE copper though is only $100.

 

[gdansk]

Speed wise there will not be an appreciable difference.

I went with SFP+ because used Mellanox ConnectX cards could be had for $30. And a direct attach copper cable wasn't too expensive either.

But since your motherboard has 10gbe built in already I'd use that with a normal CAT6 cable (or 6a if it's a long run)

 

[Shmee]

Yeah CAT6A cables are pretty cheap, even CAT7 can be fairly inexpensive, depending on how much cable you need.

Another option to direct connection between the two computers, is to just get a 10Gb-T switch, depending on how many computers you need to hook up. There are various options available for multi-Gb switches. Many will have a few 10Gb or 5Gb ports, and then the rest are standard 1Gb ports.

Just keep in mind, high speed network equipment can be expensive, between NICs, switches, and transceivers, especially if there are a lot of computers involved.

 

[tablespoon]

Another option to direct connection between the two computers, is to just get a 10Gb-T switch, depending on how many computers you need to hook up. There are various options available for multi-Gb switches. Many will have a few 10Gb or 5Gb ports, and then the rest are standard 1Gb ports.

I am confused. If I get a 10Gb-T switch to connect two computers together, do both computers still need to have 10GbE ports? That is, in my case, I still need to buy a thunderbolt to 10GbE adapter?

What is the difference between the following two configurations in the case of connecting only two computers?

A: [10GbE port from PC] ----- [thunderbolt/usb to 10GbE adapter ---- Mac]
B: [10GbE port from PC] ------ 10Gb-T switch ----- [thunderbolt/usb to 10GbE adapter ---- Mac]

 

[Tech Junky]

A = static IP on both sides with no gateway assigned

B = works through normal IP configuration

You'll pay through the nose for TB 10GE but about 1/3 if the price for an internal card for the Mac.

 

[tablespoon]

A = static IP on both sides with no gateway assigned

B = works through normal IP configuration

You'll pay through the nose for TB 10GE but about 1/3 if the price for an internal card for the Mac.

Thank you. For home use, which is the preferred method? I have no knowledge of networking so I don't know if it is good or not to have a normal IP configuration.

For the PC, is it better to get a TB to 10GE adapter or a PCIe 2 or 3 to 10GE adaptor?

 

[Tech Junky]

Well, if you go with option A only the 2 computers will use the 10GE link and everything else works like normal.

B will allow everything on the network to talk with the devices as normal.

The plus of A is you're not buying a switch $$$ for 10GE.

Card over plugin. Cards last longer because there's not as much movement when you un/plug them into the device.

 

[tablespoon]

Card over plugin. How about speed difference?

 

[Tech Junky]

Card over plugin. How about speed difference?

Speed doesn't change.

Only time speed changes is if the cable has an issue or is too long.

 

[Fallen Kell]

Well, it really doesn't cost a ton of $$$ now for switches with 10G SFP+ ports as long as you don't mind buying used/refurb from places like ebay stores. I've been running 40Gb to my server and border router (pfsense) as well as 10G to my WiFi access point and most of the computers in my home for a couple years now, all off a at that time $200 switch. I think the switch has gone up a little, but still can be had for ~$220-240 (it is a Brocade ICX 6610 layer 3 switch). But you have to understand networks as it is an enterprise class switch, running FastIron OS (similar to Cisco's OS for most things via command line, but also has a web interface unlike Cisco, so a little more user friendly).

If you just need a couple 10G ports, you can go with a ICX 6450 which will be a lot quieter and less power hungry (all switches with 40Gb QSFP+ ports are loud due to needing lots of air to cool those). The 6610 is not something you will want in your office/bedroom just sitting there, but you will be fine if you are rack mounting it in the basement or possibly a garage. However, for that ~$200 you are getting 2x 40Gb QSFP+ ports, 8x 10Gb SFP+, 2x QSFP+->4xSFP+ breakouts, and either 24 or 48x 1Gbe ethernet ports. It is also as stated, a fully managed layer 3 switch with support for ipv4+ipv6, VLANs, L2/L3/L4 ACL's, BGP, VRF, trunking, tunneling, MACSEC encryption on the 8x 10Gb SFP+ ports, basically all the bells and whistles...

There is a great thread on these over on Serve the Home: https://forums.servethehome.com/ind...s-cheap-powerful-10gbe-40gbe-switching.21107/

It is MASSIVE, like over 8000+ posts/comments, with just about anything you would ever want or need to know (replacing fans or power supplies, modding, upgrading OS/firmware, recovering/resetting to factory, basic and advanced configuration, etc.....).

The reason these switches are cheap is because businesses have been ripping them out and upgrading to the new standards which is SFP28/QSFP28 to support 10/25/100/400Gb speeds, which is a new link type than the older SFP+/QSFP+ that these switches support (the ICX 6xxx series is also now end-of-life, but it wasn't when I bought a couple years back).

 

[aigomorla]

I use SFP+ because the switches are much cheaper then a RJ-45 switch.
Also the quietest 10gbe switch is SFP+.

I use this guy:

MikroTik CRS309-1G-8S+IN Review Inexpensive 8x 10GbE Switch

In our MikroTik CRS309-1G-8S+IN review, we show what this low-cost, low-power, and silent 8x 10GbE SFP+ switch offers and when it can be used

www.servethehome.com

It has a heat pipe instead of fans.

If i need the RJ-45 ports i can always get a transceiver.
Like this:

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07N2LWH27/?coliid=I2RMR95LZOIWP6&colid=F29NZKA78EVS&psc=1&ref_=lv_ov_lig_dp_it

This allows my switch to accept RJ-45 on SFP+.

But DAC (Direct Attached Copper) cable is my go to instead of using fiber with optical transceiver.
Not to mention you have very little chances of breaking the fiber cable which i have done by bending it too much, ruining the cable.