10gbase-t vs sfp+: What's the difference?

10GBASE-T or SFP+, Which is the Best 10Gbe for your Setup?

With the increase in server consolidation through virtualization at the business and data center level, the resulting demand for data has exceeded the traditional 1Gbs network standard capability. Improved 10G Ethernet, which can simplify network infrastructure by consolidating multiple gigabit ports into a single 10GbE connection, is considered to be an ideal solution to overcome the aforesaid bandwidth limitation. Generally, a 10GbE network can be achieved both by 10GBASE-T copper and SFP+ cabling.

10GBASE-T vs SFP+ Fiber vs SFP+ DAC: What Are Their Differences?

In this part, the 10GBASE-T module, SFP+ fiber transceiver and SFP+ DAC differences are elaborated in the following descriptions from the points of flexibility, backward compatibility, latency, distance, and cost.
Latency
Low latency is paramount to ensure fast response time and reduce CPU idle cycles, which increases data center efficiency and ROI. 10GBASE-T copper modules adopt PHY standard to use block encoding to transport data across the copper cables without error. The PHY standard specifies 2.6 microseconds for the transmit-receive pair, and the size of the block requires that latency to be less that 2 microseconds. SFP+ uses simplified electronics without encoding, and its typical latency is around 300 nanoseconds per link. We can see from the following figure that, SFP+ fiber provides lower latency than the other two products.

Number of Links	10GBASE-T SFP+	SFP+ Fiber	SFP+ DAC
1	2.6	0.1	0.3
2	5.2	0.2	0.6
3	7.8	0.3	0.9
4	10.4	0.4	1.2
5	13.0	0.5	1.5
6	15.6	0.6	1.8

 

Power Consumption

The 10GBASE-T solution consumes a lot more power than the SFP+ solutions, approximately three to four times more. The power consumption of 10GBASE-T depends on the distance of the cable and it can vary from 2 to 5 watts per port at each end of the cable. On the other hand the SFP+ solutions consume around 0.7 watts per port regardless of the distance of the cable. This is a key difference knowing that in a typical Datacenter there are thousands of cables installed which, if SFP+ is used, would save a lot of money and headaches on a long run.

Backward Compatibility

10GBASE-T copper cabling is backward compatible effectively with standard copper network devices which can maximize the utilization of existing copper structured cabling. Using the RJ45 connector, the 10GBase-T port can connect to 1 gigabit and even 100 megabit interfaces. DACs can’t be used to connect to legacy equipment and only used for 10GbE switches. However, SFP 1 gigabit transceivers can be inserted into SFP+ ports and will work at 1 gigabit, connecting to legacy ports over fiber cable. SFP modules supporting 1GBase-T can also be inserted to connect to legacy ports at slower speeds.

Application

10GBASE-T SFP+ are often applied for the wiring closet contained switches and patch panels which provide connectivity to large populations of desktop computers with 100m. For data centers and HPC, the advantages of SFP+ DACs are a very good match for today’s requirements and emerging trends, they are usually used for the Top of Rack intra-cabinet connectivity from servers to ToR switches within 10m, such as interconnected with top-of-rack switches and servers, as well as between storage devices in one rack or neighboring racks. SFP+ Modules are commonly applied for campus LANs to tie together multiple buildings, typically spanning longer distances.

Cost

SFP+ components cost much less currently $20 per port or lower. The fiber cables are also low in cost approaching the costs of Cat 6a cables and decreasing in cost as the volume is rapidly grows. With dropping 10 gigabit SFP+ switches prices, NIC prices and DAC prices the overall solution cost is now quite affordable. 10GBase-T cost approximately $50 to $100 per port. With the 40nm 10GBase-T entering mass production, the cost will be lowered over time. In addition, 10GBase-T is backwards compatible with 1G ports, which are still in use for many low bandwidth devices.10GBASE-T is generally cheaper and easier to deploy compared to the alternative SFP+ Solution for small business.

Final Words

By comparison, if scalability and flexibility are important in your small business application, then 10GBASE-T cabling is the better option. However, if power consumption and lower latency are vital, 10G SFP+ cabling is the clear winner. Both of them will bring you their own advantages. You can choose them according to your network requirements.

Advantages	Disadvantages
10Gbase-T	The twisted pair cables are affordable for small business Backward compatible with previous generations Ports are physically smaller for non-data centric devices Easier to use – just plug in an Ethernet cable and you are ready to go You can use patch panels without having to worry about messing with transceivers ·	·  Substandard cabling can negatively affect overall speeds ·  Requires higher power input ·  The number of equipment available to extend the length beyond 100m is limited ·
SFP+ Solution	A lower power consumption rate A better choice of connecting equipment Lower latency Cheaper switches and NICs Transceivers and fiber can run any length Better for a future-proof cabling system ·	·  No distinctive advantages when transmitting data over short distances ·  Longer runs require expensive patch panels, transceivers and termination equipment ·

Comparing 10GBase-T to SFP+ Solution
 
 

What are 10gbase-t and SFP+

 

What is 10GBASE-T Technology?

As the fourth generation of IEEE standardized Base-T technologies, 10GBASE-T is designed to reduce overall costs and improve flexibility. By using RJ45 connectors and unshielded twisted pair cabling, 10GBASE-T allows 10Mbps, 100Mbps, 1Gbps, and 10Gbps data transmission, while being backward-compatible with prior generations. Merits and demerits of using 10GBASE-T are listed in the below.
Pros of 10GBASE-T
· Cheap twisted pair cables.
· Patch panels can be used without messing around with transceivers.
Cons of 10GBASE-T
· Higher power consumption.
· People may get tempted to use substandard cabling, and this would have a negative influence on the speed.
· No good way to extend length beyond 100m (though this can be somewhat mitigated by choosing switches with mostly 10GBASE-T but also a handful of SFP+ ports) limited choice of equipment.
 

What is 10G SFP+ Technology?

The 10G SFP+ transceiver meets the standard of Multi-Sourcing Agreement (MSA), and provides the cost effective solution for 10G optical data communication. It supports both duplex and simplex LC optics interfaces. The 10G SFP+ transceiver consists of 10Gbit/s DFB/EML optical transmitter and PIN receiver, which allow 300m~120km 10G Ethernet and 10G fiber channel applications. Advantages and disadvantages of using 10G SFP+ transceivers are listed in the below.
Pros of SFP+
· Lower latency
· Lower power consumption
· Cheaper NICs and switches
· More choice of connected equipment.
· With transceivers and fiber basically any run length can be covered.
Cons of SFP+
· Apparently, it is not a big deal for transmission within short distance.
· For longer runs or runs that need to go through patch panels needs transceivers and optical fiber. Fiber itself is cheap but transceivers, termination, patch panels, and etc for fiber would cost a lot.
 
 

10GBase-T vs SFP+: 10GBase-T Solution

Lower Price—10GBase-T port switch is available in 2008 and continues to develop and spread rapidly as it is an add-on for server platforms. Now many server and storage devices are equipped with 10GBase-T Port ports. This increase in proliferation helps to drive down the cost of 10GBase-T technology. Thus the price of 10GBase-T port switch is dramatically dropped down. It is said that the cost of 10GBase-T Port ToR switch is 20% to 40% less than that of SFP+ ToR switch.

Backwards Compatibility—10GBase-T Port is an interoperable, standards-based technology, which means it uses the similar RJ45 connector as in legacy networks. So it can provide backwards compatibility with legacy networks via auto-negotiation. In other words, 10GBase-T requires the newer Cat 7 or Cat 6a to reach 100 meters, but can also work on Cat 6, Cat 5e, or even Cat 5 cable at reduced distances. SFP+ technology does not support auto-negotiation and is limited with little or no backwards compatibility.

More Scalable—As 10GBase-T port switch uses Cat6a cable for transmission, IT managers can use Cat6a patch cords for short connections, or make the best use of structured cabling for up to 100 m long distance transmission. This allows managers to field terminate Cat6a cables on patch panels to flexible length for clean, slack-free cable management. While in Home-labs, for economic reasons, SFP+ DACs are the commonly used cable types which offer less than a 10 meter distance.
 

10GBASE-T vs SFP+, Which Will You Choose

Through this article, we are clear about the pros and cons of 10GBASE-T and SFP+ as well as their differences in technology, application latency and power consumption. It is evident that SFP+ is the right technology to ensure optimal performance with lowest latency and lower power usage in the data center. The cost saving becomes obvious when deploying from 1000 to 10,000 cables in the data center.
 
 

10GBASE-T or SFP+, Conclusion

As its price and power consumption continue to drop down, 10gbe sfp+ vs 10gbase-t, 10GBASE-T copper solution is much more popular than SFP+ in 10Gbps rack-based data centers that use ToR (Top of Rack) switches. If you want a flexible and cost-effective 10GbE network, 10GBASE-T copper solutions is ideal for you. When faced with choosing between SFP+ and 10GBASE-T, carefully consider your needs. If power consumption and lower latency are critical, SFP+ might be the solution for you. If cost, flexibility and scalability are more important, you’ll likely want to consider 10GBASE-T. Overall I would recommend 10GBASE-T as the best option for the future, as well as spreading upgrade costs.
 

·  Substandard cabling can negatively affect overall speeds ·  ·  Requires higher power input ·  ·  The number of equipment available to extend the length beyond 100m is limited