Upgrading NAS to 10G for home and small and medium-sized enterprises is the most common entry-level requirement for storage networks. The choice mainly depends on three things: how far the cables need to be stretched, whether the power consumption is acceptable, and how many ports are left on the switch. This article breaks down the wiring ideas according to these three steps.

Three steps to determine whether the electrical port is an optical port

• The distance between the host and the switch is within three meters. Directly consider the passive DAC line and save two optical modules.
• If you want to use optical fiber across rooms or through weak current boxes, choose SFP+ optical modules and LC jumpers to increase the transmission distance.
• The NAS chassis is small and has average ventilation. Note that 10G electrical port network cards usually consume more power and generate more heat than optical port solutions.
• When the switch only has SFP+ ports, the electrical port card cannot be inserted, so the only option is to remove the optical port or replace the switch.

Electrical interface solution: one card plus one line

If the switch has a 10G electrical port,PCI-EX4 10 Gigabit single electrical port network card (Intel X550 chip)It is a worry-free choice. You can continue to use existing Category 6 copper cabling, and also supports downward negotiation of 2.5G/1G, which facilitates step-by-step transformation. Short-distance direct connection in the same cabinet is available10G DAC high speed cableDirectly connect the SFP+ port of the NAS to the switch.

Optical port solution: modules and jumpers are determined by distance

Choose within 300 meters of the buildingSFP+ 10G multi-mode dual-fiber optical moduleIt can be equipped with OM3 jumpers; if it spans more than a few hundred meters across the building, then install a single-mode 10KM module. It is generally recommended to leave a 3dB margin in the optical path loss budget. After the link is completed, first measure the receiving and receiving optical power. If it is low, give priority to checking the cleanliness of the connector.

After the upgrade is completed, use SMB large file copy to verify the actual throughput, and confirm that both ends of the NAS and switch are running at 10G full-duplex. If you are not sure whether the port supports it or how to configure the module, you can call EB-LINK at 0755-83179002 to check. The network card and optical module are tested one by one before leaving the factory.