Making 10Gbit Network using SFP+ Adapters, for cheap

Vitaliy_Kiselev

Note - it is preferable way to make small network, but you also can check https://www.personal-view.com/talks/discussion/21475/making-10gbit-network-using-10gbase-t-adapters-for-cheap-#Item_1 if you prefer or want to know about way to use usual twisted pair cables.

https://www.ebay.com/itm/MNPA19-XTR-10GB-MELLANOX-CONNECTX-2-PCIe-X8-10Gbe-SFP-NETWORK-CARD/131634470127

$17 adapters, note that they require are PCIe v2.0 x8, so can use 8 lines and this could be quite bad, as on many MB's second PCI-E x16 slots are x4 only. Yet such single port adapters work perfect in x16 slots where only 4 lines are available in reality. So, do not worry about this.

You also need direct SFP+ DAC cable, it is plenty of such cables at 1-3m, but 5m cables are much more rare and expensive.

https://www.ebay.com/itm/SFP-H10GB-CU3M-Cisco-10GB-SFP-Twinax-Copper-3M-Passive-DAC-Cable/273204097845?

If you need to go longer than 5m you will need optical patch cord

So, need pair of these (850nm 300m SFP+), they are around $16 each

https://www.aliexpress.com/item/6COM-Compatible-for-MikroTik-S-85DLC03D-10Gb-SFP-module-10GBase-SR-MMF-850nm-300m/32845294561.html

And after this need to get optical duplex multi-mode patch itself, note that they can be OM2, OM3 and OM4

OM2 has 82m maximum distance for 10GBASE-SR
OM3 has 300m maximum distance for 10GBASE-SR
OM4 has 400m maximum distance for 10GBASE-SR

So, in out local home reality anyone of them will do.

Note that both optical patch cord and SFP modules

https://www.aliexpress.com/item/10M-LC-LC-DUPLEX-10-GIGABIT-50-125-MULTIMODE-FIBER-OPTIC-CABLE-OM3-AQUA-10GB-PATCH/32567430719.html

Vitaliy_Kiselev

Now let's move to double port adapters

They are very useful as allow to make much more complex network and expand it quite simply.

Most popular is usage of Chelsio adapters (of older model)

Such kit with cable is 58 EUR for EU residents.

They work with all major OSes.

https://www.ebay.com/itm/10g-Kit-Adattatore-rete-2x-Chelsio-10-Gigabit-NIC-10gbe-1x-3m-SFP-Cisco-Cable/254087878991

Vitaliy_Kiselev

On SFP+ DAC Cables

So you can even make our own if you change connector using SSTP Ethernet patch cords (better to use Cat 7 as they have same ground wires).

MikeLinn

Eimulis

Is it possible to make networks consisting of more than 3 computers without router? Maybe some daisy chain connection using double port adapters?

Vitaliy_Kiselev

@Eimulis

It all depends on that you plan to do and how. Can check on routing and such.

Note that if you want to make full speed transfers in such networks you need to check drivers and special features, as need to offload CPU.

Can get such https://www.amazon.com/QNAP-QSW-1208-8C-US-12-Port-Unmanaged-10GBASE-T/dp/B07CRTJ223/

Vitaliy_Kiselev

Just look at years and think

Reason why we have this is because some people want personal yachts and by holding progress they keep getting richer.

Vitaliy_Kiselev

Really cheap 10Gbe switch that will work with adapters mentioned above

https://www.eurodk.com/en/products/crs/mikrotik-crs305-1g-4sin

Eimulis

Great stuff! This kind of lan is a huge time saver on collaborative workflows where multiple people must edit one project!

Vitaliy_Kiselev

@Eimulis

Can check how https://www.youtube.com/user/LinusTechTips are being made.

It can be also big time saver if it is not much collaboration, but you have lot of footage and need some to use it quick. Such way you can use either big quite fast HDDs to copy on work local drive (it will be around 260-280Mb/sec), or can use cheap big 2.5" SATA SSDs, they are have big files read speeds around 550Mb/sec/