Yearly Archives: 2017

As consumers push for faster delivery of larger digital content, streaming audio, video on demand, digital gaming downloads and more, data networks have to evolve to remain competitive. Businesses are reinforcing the need for bigger capacity and faster transfer rates too, with large amounts of data and services being stored [Read More]

Theory: MPO and MTP® Explained

7 Dec, 2017 in Theory by Chris Kennett

It is a common requirement to connect two or more switches together that are in close proximity to each other, sometimes in the same cabinet. Usually this is done to expand the number of available ports in a location without having to run an extra dedicated link back to the [Read More]

Tutorial: How Best To Connect Switches Together

8 Nov, 2017 in Tutorials by Chris Kennett

10Gigabit networking has, until recently, been regarded as the de-facto standard for top of rack and datacentre applications. The arrival of the QSFP+ and QSFP28 formats enabling 40G and 100G in relatively low cost packages has driven those types of networks to upgrade at astounding pace, and the 10G SFP+ [Read More]

Discussion: 10G Over Copper & SFP+ Modules

11 Aug, 2017 in Discussions by Chris Kennett

It’s no secret that Advance optical modules and attach cables all come with a lifetime warranty, we (unashamedly) mention it at almost every opportunity we can! But what does lifetime warranty exactly entail and how does it stack up against big vendor’s own branded modules? At Advance we believe the [Read More]

Information: Warranties and Replacements – A Comparison

10 Jul, 2017 in Product Information by Chris Kennett

The implementation of 10G on the backbone is becoming more common, and it’s not just the big data centres and large corporates taking notice now. Smaller sites with high demand users, such as schools and hotels to name a few, are beginning to realise the potential of increased bandwidth for [Read More]

Information: Double Up SFPs For A Speed Boost!

2 Jun, 2017 in Product Information by Chris Kennett

We have talked before about the advantages of using Advance transceiver modules and hopefully made clear that the technical performance of our products is at least as good, if not better, than original vendor’s products. It is important to remember though that the transceiver is only part of the equation [Read More]

Information: Selecting Fibre Type

24 May, 2017 in Product Information by Chris Kennett

I have previously discussed the SFP multi source agreement and detailed my opinions on why it doesn’t necessarily achieve its goal of enabling true inter-vendor compatibility and support. With the limitations of the SFP MSA understood, and facing the reality that one size doesn’t fit all, we often find customers [Read More]

Information: Mixed-vendor environments and DACs

17 May, 2017 in Product Information by Chris Kennett

Optical transceiver standards can be quite a confusing subject to discuss, not helped by the fact many of the “standards” are not actually ratified sets of specifications at all and are simply rough guidelines that vendors generally adopt, albeit sometimes not to the exact same levels as each other. A [Read More]

Theory: Transmission Range Standards

21 Apr, 2017 in Theory by Chris Kennett

There is a common argument that rolls on between the supporters of third party components and those that prefer to only use vendor branded components; warranty. There is no disagreement that compatible products, such as Advance brand optical modules more often than not have a better warranty out of the [Read More]

Information: Demystifying The Vendor Warranty Stance

20 Apr, 2017 in Discussions by Chris Kennett