[olug] [OT] Fiber Optic Connector Interoperability GBIC SFP SX

[Rob Townley]

Sorry this is off topic, but i do not know who else to ask.

There are 3 versions of my question - short, longer, longest.

<VeryShortVersion
Is a GBIC SFP SX connector a standard?  Can i use a Cisco GBIC SFP SX
in my NetGear switch?
/>

<LongerVersion>
Because of electrical concerns, we are using fiber to hookup an
outdoor very very low bandwidth device.   We have a few switches
capable of fiber connections - one Linksys and one NetGear and some
extremely old 10Mb hubs.  If i purchase the part these manufacturers
recommend, i would be spending over $200.00.   But if i google "GBIC
SFP SX", i can find Cisco brand parts that look like they would work
and they are about 1/10th the price.   My question, are these fiber
port connectors generally interoperable especially if one does not
need speed?
</LongerVersion>


<LongestVersion>

  From what i gather:
     GBIC   =  GigaBit Interface Connector
     SFP    =  Small Form-factor Pluggable, probably derived from Cisco.
     SX       =  Didn't find what this means for certain, maybe
simplex communication because in our case each fiber strand is
carrying signals in one way only.  But there were references that this
meant short wavelength or single mode, but it was easy to find
contradictions to this.



NetGear ProSafe GS716T 16 port Gigabit switch.  The following webpage
has a list of related products on the right hand side, the top 3 are
SFP GBIC fiber optic connectors.  The first one, Model AGM731F,  the
ProSafe™ GBIC Module 1000BASE-SX Fiber SFP  is probably the least
expensive because the other two work over 10 and 70 kilometers,
whereas this one probably works for a few hundred meters.  If it is
like the Linksys, the SX version of a SFP GBIC interface is good
enough distance wise and anything more is more expensive.
http://www.netgear.com/products/details/GS716T.php


The Linksys MGBSX1 is a Gigabit Ethernet SX Mini-GBIC SFP Transceiver.
Linksys MGBSX1 Fiber Adapter
Gigabit Ethernet SX Mini-GBIC SFP Transceiver
The following link may work to find more details at linksys.com.
http://www.linksys.com/servlet/Satellite?c=L_Product_C2&childpagename=US%2FLayout&cid=1115416900256&pagename=Linksys%2FCommon%2FVisitorWrapper

</LongestVersion>