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UISP Fiber - SFP/SFP+ and Active Fiber FAQ

Click on the Active Fiber questions that interest you.

Frequently Asked Questions

What SFP/SFP+ module should I use?

First, review which ports you have available on your device, these are either SFP or SFP+ ports. The latter are capable of 10Gbps speeds.

Next, choose which type fiber cable you need. Single-Mode fiber is typically used for longer distances, whereas Multi-Mode is used for shorter distances. If we for example need to connect an ES-16-XG to an ER-8-XG using 10Gbps speeds over a long distance, a good candidate module would be the UF-SM-10G.

Another scenario would be to connect an ER-4 to an ES-10XP using 1Gbps speeds over a short distance. In this case the UF-MM-1G would be a good candidate.

What fiber cable should I use?

There are many vendors that provide fiber cable. If using a module that states Single-Mode (SM), Single-Mode fiber will need to be used. Multi-Mode (MM) modules require Multi-Mode fiber cables.

Ubiquiti offers both Multi-Mode (up to 5m) and Single-mode (up to 300ft) fiber cables. The UOC-.5 for example is a short half meter LC Multi-Mode duplex indoor patch cable. The FC-SM-100 is a six-strand LC single mode 100ft indoor/outdoor fiber cable. 

What speeds does the EdgeRouter Infinity (ER-8-XG) support?
The ER-8-XG has 8 SFP+ 10Gb ports capable of 10Gbps or 1Gpbs speeds. The speed of the ports (either 1Gb or 10Gb) is set for a group of four ports and cannot be set individually.

The port groups are eth1-4 and eth5-8. Configuring the speed/duplex for the eth1 interface will set the same value for the entire port group (eth1-4). Likewise, configuring the speed/duplex for the eth5 interface will set the same value for the entire port group (eth5-8).
What speeds does the EdgeSwitch 12F (ES-12F) support?
The ES-12F supports 100/1000Mbps link speeds on ports 1-8 and 1000Mbps-only connections on ports 9-12. The copper ports (13-16) support 10BASE-T, 100-BASE-T and 1000BASE-T connections.
What speeds does the EdgeSwitch 16 XG (ES-16-XG) support?
The ES-16-XG supports 10Gb and 1Gb link speeds on ports 1-12. The copper ports (13-16) support 1000BASE-T and 10GBASE-T connections. 
Can I use SFP+ modules in an SFP slot?
Yes, a SFP+ module will work in a SFP slot at 1000Mbps speeds.
What type of fiber connectors does Ubiquiti use?
All of our UFiber Modules use LC connectors. Some are LC-Duplex where two fiber strands are required (one transmits and one receives). Some are LC-Simplex BiDirectional (BiDi) which require a single strand (transmits and receives on different frequencies on the same strand). 

Other Ubiquiti products, such as UFiber GPON, use SC connectors.
Can I plug a copper Ethernet cable into an SFP/SFP+ port?
Yes. The UF-RJ45-1G module allows you to connect an Ethernet cable to a SFP port at 10/100/1000Mbps speeds.

Using the UF-RJ45-10G will allow for 10Gb speeds in SFP+ ports.
Will a short cable damage my SFP modules?
Short distance, patch cables and the Ubiquiti FC-SM-100 will not directly damage SFP modules.

The expected Tx Power and Rx Sensitivity are listed below:
SFP Model Tx Power Rx Sensitivity
 UF-MM-1G  -9 to -3dBm  -17dBm
 UF-MM-10G  -7 to -1 dBm  -11 dBm
 UF-SM-1G-S  -9 to -3dBm  -21dBm
 UF-SM-10G  -8 to -.5dBm  -12dBm
 UF-SM-10G-S  -6 to -1dBm  -14dBm


Note that these are not absolute values and can differ in different deployments. Attenuators can be added to adjust these values if needed.

 

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