Connecting 2 switches, about 50 feet apart, cabling questions

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Liver

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I have 2 Ubiquiti POE enterprise switches, less than 50 feet from each other (via attic cable route). I have SFP+ ports available on both, and I also have 2.5GbE ports available on both.

Currently I have them connected via CAT5E cable on the 1 GbE ports (1 GbE on the 24 port switch and 2.5 GbE on the 8 port switch).

If I upgrade to SFP+ cable, I’ll have to crawl around in the attic. It’s winter, so now is the time to do it. I have read (here on [H]), that going to SFP+ will only give me marginal improvements. Most likely not worth the effort. The cost of the cable is trivial, its the deployment that will be time consuming.

So what exact cable and port configuration would you recommend I use to optimize the speed between these 2 switches?

Edit. Unrelated question. Can I use the SFP+ port on the switch with an ethernet adapter, and on the other end of the cable hook it up to straight ethernet? One side SFP+ with adapter and the other end no adapter? I may need the extra port if I run out.
 
Struggling to unpack this. Current: Enterprise switches directly connected via Eth5e. One to a 1GB port the other 2.5GB. --- Why aren't they both plugged into 2.5GB now? 5e is on the razors edge max capability trying to run 2.5GB. I'm assuming you are doing this mix currently because 2.5 to 2.5 had traffic impairments or flat didn't work.

So SFP+ is the type of trasceiver that can slot into the chassis and be recognized. Nothing to do with the cable except dictate the medium of cable you're going to use. The answer I would say is SFP+ fiber transceiver and run fiber between the two. There is no point getting SFP+ copper transceivers and then running Cat6/7/8 cable. You will create more heat and power draw doing this as well. If you're running a new cable, just make it fiber and be future proof for new specs to come and eliminate any interference cases. Disclaimer: This is under the assumption the SFP+ ports are 10GB. If they are only 2.5GB, I wouldn't change anything assuming this is only for home use case internal and all clients are 1GB.

Yes, you can do a SFP-Eth to normal Eth jack. Again, I wouldn't.

I would also run two cables just in case and remember your bend radius's with fiber and pressure limits of mounting clips/straps.
 
Gotcha.

I dont do this for a living. Everything I’ve done is learning on my own, advice here and YouTube.

I got all this working and I was satisfied, only because it works. Now that I am adding cameras to the system, I am looking at what I did and thinking there has to be a better way. Hence the question.

I can plug them both into the 2.5GB, will that be good enough? I do not know, but I know it’ll be the easiest of all solutions. I guess I can do that first. I am not looking forward to crawling around in the attic.

Yes, all the SFP+ ports are 10GB. I would use a fiber optic cable to connect the SFP+ ports.

This next statement has nothing to do with connecting the switches. The only reason I would use SFP to eth is because I am running out of ports on the 8 port switch. In essence it’ll give me another 2 ports (it has 2 SFP+ ports in addition to 8 eth ports). That is all.
 
I'm not exactly getting the picture of all the switches in my head, but if you have an option to move to a 10Gb SFP+, then I'd definitely do the transceiver and pre-termianted fibre route as it's future proofed and much faster than 1Gb or 2.5Gb.
 
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SamirD said:
I'm not exactly getting the picture of all the switches in my head, but if you have an option to move to a 10Gb SFP+, then I'd definitely do the transceiver and pre-termianted fibre route as it's future proofed and much faster than 1Gb or 2.5Gb.
Click to expand...

Thanks. Basically 2 switches, separated by 50 feet of attic.

Edit. There is a DM SE in the mix too, but not relevant to this discussion (I think).
 
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Liver said:
I can plug them both into the 2.5GB, will that be good enough?
Click to expand...

What's on your switches / what is going between them?

I've got 10G between my two main switches (running on Cat5e, but don't tell the standards body), but only because I was wondering if 10G-base-T would work on the existing cabling, and then I found out it didt, and things got out of hand. I don't actually have anything that really needs more than 1G.

If sfp+ 10G-base-T tranceivers were cheap, I'd say you should get a pair and try it, but they're not. If 2.5g works over the existing cable, you might get a 2.5g copper transceiver for the 8 port switch and avoid the trip into the attic.
 
toast0 said:
What's on your switches / what is going between them?

I've got 10G between my two main switches (running on Cat5e, but don't tell the standards body), but only because I was wondering if 10G-base-T would work on the existing cabling, and then I found out it didt, and things got out of hand. I don't actually have anything that really needs more than 1G.

If sfp+ 10G-base-T tranceivers were cheap, I'd say you should get a pair and try it, but they're not. If 2.5g works over the existing cable, you might get a 2.5g copper transceiver for the 8 port switch and avoid the trip into the attic.
Click to expand...

Can you link a 2.5 copper transceiver? It‘ll help me picture it, because I am not following what you are saying. I know that’s because I really do not know that much about this stuff.
 
Liver said:
I dont do this for a living. Everything I’ve done is learning on my own, advice here and YouTube.

I got all this working and I was satisfied, only because it works. Now that I am adding cameras to the system, I am looking at what I did and thinking there has to be a better way. Hence the question.

I can plug them both into the 2.5GB, will that be good enough?
Click to expand...
Hey its all good, congrats on getting where you are thus far.

In ethernet, the cable will operate at the lowest speed point. So if you have 1G on one side, 2.5G on the other, the link will run at 1G. I would try putting the cable in 2.5G on both sides and see how it goes. Your run is short so I would think 2.5G will operate fine.

Cameras plus a small home network are unlikely to saturate a 1GB link but if you have the 2.5G's, use them. For just a home network a fiber run (if its really that challenging) isn't worth it. As Toast said, the SFP's arent really cheap.
 
You can get 2.5GbE or even 5GbE on a decent CAT5e cable up to 328ft. Just run 2.5GbE -> 2.5GbE on the existing cable and you won't have to change anything.

If you try to run 10GbE using SFP+ transceivers to RJ45 you add a bit of a cost, heat and power draw- and it's not officially supported on CAT5e so depending on your cable run length it's really a gamble. You can again go the transceiver to RJ45 route for 10GbE on CAT6(a), but since both your switches have SFP+ the ideal thing is to run an LC multimode fiber optic cable between the switches. If you have the ports available and are going to run another cable, you can always run two (or more) and connect two (or more) cables on each switch (whether 2.5GbE Ethernet or 10GbE fiber / RJ45 transceiver) and do LAG.
 
toast0 said:
What's on your switches / what is going between them?

I've got 10G between my two main switches (running on Cat5e, but don't tell the standards body), but only because I was wondering if 10G-base-T would work on the existing cabling, and then I found out it didt, and things got out of hand. I don't actually have anything that really needs more than 1G.

If sfp+ 10G-base-T tranceivers were cheap, I'd say you should get a pair and try it, but they're not. If 2.5g works over the existing cable, you might get a 2.5g copper transceiver for the 8 port switch and avoid the trip into the attic.
Click to expand...
What’s going between them? 4k streaming to an Apple TV, a computer and 4 Ubiquiti cameras, and whatever mobile devices are in range. It’s not necessarily what data is being used, more that I have the capability of being faster, so why not? And the why not is crawling in the attic, so there’s that.

I completely understand, what I have going on right now is meeting my needs, it’s the feeling in the back of my head. You know exactly what I mean.
 
Liver said:
It’s not necessarily what data is being used, more that I have the capability of being faster, so why not? And the why not is crawling in the attic, so there’s that.

...what I have going on right now is meeting my needs, it’s the feeling in the back of my head. You know exactly what I mean.
Click to expand...
Yes, yes we do. :)
 
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Ok. I have a solid plan to connect the switches now. I’ll do the CAT5E 2.5GB to both switches and if I still have nagging “guilt” then I’ll use a fiber optic cable on the SFP+ ports.

Same mentality question. I have Synology NAS that has this 10GbE RJ-45 add on board. What would be the proper way and cables to connect it to maximize the speed potential of that connection? Do I need the speed? Most likely not, but it’s the same mentality. Just trying to maximize what I currently have.

Click the link, but specifically, that add on board is RJ-45, not SFP+. So I would have to use an SFP+ to RJ-45 connection. That is what is confusing me. Or should I simply go with the 2.5GbE port on my switch?
 
Liver said:
Ok. I have a solid plan to connect the switches now. I’ll do the CAT5E 2.5GB to both switches and if I still have nagging “guilt” then I’ll use a fiber optic cable on the SFP+ ports.

Same mentality question. I have Synology NAS that has this 10GbE RJ-45 add on board. What would be the proper way and cables to connect it to maximize the speed potential of that connection? Do I need the speed? Most likely not, but it’s the same mentality. Just trying to maximize what I currently have.

Click the link, but specifically, that add on board is RJ-45, not SFP+. So I would have to use an SFP+ to RJ-45 connection. That is what is confusing me. Or should I simply go with the 2.5GbE port on my switch?
Click to expand...
If you already have the add-in board, I would use that for 2.5Gb over your existing ethernet cabling, which should work fine. 10Gbase-T is more popular with consumer stuff so you're seeing it more often like this. And this is where an RJ45 10Gb SFP+ module would make sense as you'd get 10Gb to your switch from the NAS. Now, if your NAS isn't maxing out gigabit, then you won't gain anything, but more than likely it is because most modern high capacities drives can transfer as fast as 250MB/s which is above the 133MB/s that gigabit tops out at, so you are 'leaving something on the table' by not having a 2.5Gb or 10Gb link to your switch and your switches joined by 2.5Gb/10Gb.

If you're like me, that 'gotta max it out' itch isn't going to be satisfied until you do it. :D
 
Looks like I can not shake the “need” to run this cable. If I run this cable with this connection, can I get SFP+ Ubiquiti converters? If so, where?

I have to thread this cable in a narrow area, so the thinner the connection the better. That is why I am asking. If I can fish this cable without the SFP+ connection, and then add it later, it’ll make fishing the cable a lot easier.

Edit. doing it this way, without the SFP+ connectors installed will allow me to use a thicker, outdoor cable as well. Instead of the exceptionally thin indoor cables. Which makes me feel better.

IMG_2917.jpeg
 
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If this is the type of cable that I think it is, the connectors are even really thin (like ethernet cable thickness thin). But I would double-check that it is the right wire before you do it. Otherwise, just run some cat6a and then terminate it for up to 10Gb goodness. :D
 
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SamirD said:
If this is the type of cable that I think it is, the connectors are even really thin (like ethernet cable thickness thin). But I would double-check that it is the right wire before you do it. Otherwise, just run some cat6a and then terminate it for up to 10Gb goodness. :D
Click to expand...

If I do cat6a cable, at that distance (50 feet) i thought the SFP+ connection would get really hot.

That one part that confuses me. Currently I have a Mac Studio that has a 10 g ethernet port. I have a Ubiquiti Enterprise 8 POE switch, that has 8 2.5G ports and 2 10G SFP+ ports. If I want to get the maximum speed out of the connection, how would I connect these two devices? Is it even possible? Right now I have about 20 feet of cat 8 cable ethernet with an ethernet to SFP+ converter and it is hot to the touch.

Ignore the possibility that its not worth doing.

Edit. I have the switches connected with a 10g fiber cable right now. However, the cable is running down the middle of the hallway and through a window. So not cool. Just as a test.
 
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Ah, that is true. 10GBase-T does run hotter than fibre. :(

Does the Mac Studio have a 10Gb RJ45 or SFP+? If it's RJ45, something is going to have to get media converted somewhere, and I would want to do it on the switch end and then just run ethernet between both (both running hotter). Or you could find a 10Gb media converter and change the mac to sftp+ and then run optical. I would say it's worth doing if they put that speed of a port on the Mac from the factory.

How do you like it with the fibre? Any speed differences or use case differences? Then you'll really know if it's worth the effort. Unless it's just futureproofing or maxing things out.
 
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The Mac has a 10Gb RJ45

I noticed absolutely no difference. Actually the only difference is that I did it, and I can say that I did it. That is it.
 
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