SFP 1G to SFP+ 10G fiber cable MM LC

[CougTek]

Due to some weirdo networking interference, I'm considering linking two locations separated by ~80m with a multimode fiber. I have an HP 3800-48G switch with one empty SFP+ port. I plan to put an SFP+ SR 10G transceiver (part #J9150A) into it and pass a 100m multimode duplex fiber cable to the second location, then connect it to another switch.

Since switches with SFP+ ports are quite expensive while those with slower, but fast enough for my needs, SFP ports are quite cheap, could I buy something like a HP 1910 8-port switch, plug a 1G SFP transceiver into it and then hope that this will be able to talk to the other switch with the 10G transceiver at the other end of the fiber cable? I don't think so, but I ask anyway.

 

[sedrosken]

This is most definitely not my area of expertise, but I'd venture to say that SFP+ is backwards compatible. Seems to me like it'll just run at the slower speed, like using a 10BASE1000 card and cable to talk to a 10BASE100 card. What is the policy on returns for HP? I'd say try it, and if it doesn't work return the slower switch. That is, if HP will take opened packages.

 

[CougTek]

The SFP+ connector is backward compatible with SFP connector, meaning that you can fit an SFP transceiver into an SFP+ connector. But that doesn't mean that an SFP+ transceiver can speak with an SFP transceiver. Maybe it can, maybe it can't. It's light signal, not electrical signal, so it might not work the same way.

Also, while we sometimes buy directly from HP for projects in the six figures (we have a few of those), we have to purchase from a reseller for our smaller orders, like this one. Since the switch and transceivers are low volume sales and that I specifically ask for the precise models, I very much doubt the reseller would take everything back if it doesn't work.

 

[Howell]

It is very dependant on the manufacturers. There was a time when Cisco switches would only accept Cisco SFPs even though Brocade was the OEM for all the fiber SFPs.

 

[CougTek]

Ok, then I'll ask HP's technical support directly then. Thanks.

 

[CougTek]

For the record, as I thought, it wouldn't work.