Anyone know if a DAC will have any benefit over a SFP->RJ45 <–> RJ45<-SFP link? The SFP is limited to 1GB anyway, but I’m curious to know if there is a latency hit.
Not curious enough to run out and buy one though.
If you’re limited to 1GB, not worth it. RJ45 handles 10GB without much difficulty.
DAC will have less latency, but the difference is likely small. 1/10th, but if your latency is already <1ms then you probably don’t care.
Heat/power is another difference. Copper SFP modules tend to use a lot of watts and dissipate a lot of heat. DACs are very, very low wattage. You can probably save 4 watts on that link by switching. More if your specific copper modules run hotter than most or if you’re using an SFP+ at 1Gbps.
I figured the latency improvement would be marginal at best, was mostly curious.
Heat though is a concern, so maybe I’ll look into a DAC if I can find one cheap enough. The modules I have don’t seem too hot, but these switches are in an enclosed cupboard, so every watt I can cut out is a win.
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