Optical Network Configurations

My NAS is a low powered Xeon (E3-1265L) running Ubuntu/ZFS with an LSI 9300 SAS3 card and an Intel x520-DA2 card. The external SAS3 enclosures are from PC-Pitstop. I have an older NAS running openindiana/ZFS in a supermicro enclosure.

Thanks jabbr. Ordered a few things for some experimentation.

NAS:

Xeon E3-1265L (or equivalent)

H100 watercool

Motherboard: Supermicro | Products | Motherboards | Xeon® Boards | X10SLH-F -- has IMPI ... important!

SAS3 Enclosure: "+getMessage("iPrintVerKit")+"

SAS3 HBA: http://www.lsi.com/products/host-bus-adapters/pages/lsi-sas-9300-8e.aspx

NIC: ARK | Intel® Ethernet Converged Network Adapter X520-DA2

that's IPMI (not sic IMPI) which is very useful for managing servers in another area e.g. basement

 

Mine's the second gen E5, Ted. Works fine.

 

Well, my Ankers (E4 and E5) are first gen and therefore only 2A (and 1A, but tried 2A port). Thought nothing of it; so my USB to 2.1MM dc plugs arrived so I swapped out my MC220L stock wallwart on my switch-side FMC and inserted the E5. It lights up the FX (left side) power and link but the right side only blinks every several seconds...and does not make a connection to the switch. I assume the dc plug is fine (it lights up) but now wondering if it needs 3A? Anyway, back to stock. Still sounds great. (Note: the JS-2 is set for 5V too but powers its FMC just fine (not sure what actual amperage I am getting, but plenty more than 2A I'm sure)

Well, my Ankers (E4 and E5) are first gen and therefore only 2A (and 1A, but tried 2A port).

The E5 Gen 2 manual says it's 3A combined over the two ports, so maybe it also supplies max 2A to one port?

but the right side only blinks every several seconds...and does not make a connection to the switch.

My RX LED blinks mainly on both, even with smps. It doesn't stay constant for long.

The Gen 2 says it's 3A combined over the two ports, so maybe it also supplies max 2A to one port?

Yours works, mine doesn't. I think the new IQ draw capability sends 3A (or more than 2) if nothing else is connected.

My RX LED blinks on both, even with smps. It doesn't seem to stay steady for long.

My right side (RX and TP link) is off except for a few blinks every minute (with E5 faulty setup). When connected via wallwart the RX blinks constantly and the TX link stays lit, as it should. I will test with another USB-dc plug umbilical later (thinking maybe it's the dc plug size, but doubt it...it clearly gets juice to light up power and FX link).

VDX-6720-24 is a 24 port 10g/1g switch. When I turned it on, it was terribly loud, but thankfully after it boots, it gets quiet (enough that I'm not going to swap out the fans). It is the real deal big-iron of yesterday switch -- these are available now that the big datacenters are moving to 40g and 100g backbones. Get this only if you have technical expertise (I found a great price on ebay). I got this for video editing and playback.

It is working with Brocade compatible 10g-sx and Brocade/Foundry 1000base-sx SFP modules. I connect it to my copper network through a Netgear switch that has a 10g uplink.

Netgear GSM7328T is a 24 port stackable ethernet switch which has 4 SFP slots (1gbe) and accepts up to 4 modules. I have a 10G SFP+ module which is used as an uplink to the 10G switch (Brocade VDX-6720 above)

Dell c/w Netgear AXM761 10G SR SFP+ module connects to Brocade VDX-6720 with Dell c/w Brocade 10G-SFPP-SR SFP+ module

I would get this only if you have a good sized copper network and need an inexpensive 10g uplink and the price is right.

Well, my Ankers (E4 and E5) are first gen and therefore only 2A (and 1A, but tried 2A port). Thought nothing of it; so my USB to 2.1MM dc plugs arrived so I swapped out my MC220L stock wallwart on my switch-side FMC and inserted the E5. ...

E1 and E5 2nd Gen both work ... unfortunately 2nd gen doesn't power while charged -- sigh :-\

Not while hooked to charger wallwart...ouch. Nevermind that approach...no way I'm babysitting a battery solution that requires care and feeding (my Ankers powering my SSDs while plugged to the charger work fine and are silent). iFi iPower is the answer, for only a few bucks more. Any sign of your order?

Netgear GSM7328T is a 24 port stackable ethernet switch which has 4 SFP slots (1gbe) and accepts up to 4 modules. I have a 10G SFP+ module which is used as an uplink to the 10G switch (Brocade VDX-6720 above)

 

Dell c/w Netgear AXM761 10G SR SFP+ module connects to Brocade VDX-6720 with Dell c/w Brocade 10G-SFPP-SR SFP+ module

 

I would get this only if you have a good sized copper network and need an inexpensive 10g uplink and the price is right.

jabbr: Two TP-Link MC220L, Cisco GLC-SX-MM SFP modules with multi-mode fiber cables worked just fine to connect to NAA. Powered with two Anker batteries, one E4 and one E5, I think.

My next step is to connect to a fiber based switch. I was leaning towards the Diablo 8 port SFP switch. It only has one RJ-45 port, so I will have to keep my other switch and up-link this switch to that. My reason for this over other TP-Link switch is because it can take an external LPS. Other two switches you mentioned above may be too much for my purposes.

There is another Netgear switch GS110TP, which can take an external LPS as well, but that switch only has two SFP ports, and I think in our arrangement (NAA, HQPC, and NAS) we need at least three.

Do you see any issues with my approach. My Mellanox NIC comes in today. Thanks.

Can't the Diablo switch accept 1000base-tx SFPs?

Can't the Diablo switch accept 1000base-tx SFPs?

I will let jabbr weigh-in on that. I do not want to say, because I do not understand this subject completely, but another thing I read on Diablo web page is that it can take SFP modules of SX, LX and LH fiber types.....I thought we were using (in multi mode at least) LC-LC type of fiber.

Just want to make sure, because this switch is about $300. Thanks.

I will let jabbr weigh-in on that. I do not want to say, because I do not understand this subject completely, but another thing I read on Diablo web page is that it can take SFP modules of SX, LX and LH fiber types.....I thought we were using (in multi mode at least) LC-LC type of fiber.

 

Just want to make sure, because this switch is about $300. Thanks.

Yes the Diablo should be able to take 1000base-T SFPs and thus connect to copper Ethernet. I have the TP-link SG5412F which is a great switch (described in previous post). ~$250 new Advantage: 4 shared SFP/RJ-45 ports so can do 4 copper ethernet without SFP modules, has 12 total ports. TP does AC power which is a disadvantage if you want to LPS (not sure how important that is).

In any case you can get either to work.

There's also the TP-Link TL-SG3424 which has 24 copper and 4 SFP ports for ~$160.

For my own setup, I have entirely optical switches which are connected to the copper network via an optical uplink, but this is all very very configurable and there are many options to suit each person's situation. The point is that common perception has been that optical networking is too expensive for home use. I think the prices are, in fact, very reasonable and certainly far less than people spend on fancy interconnects. There should be no reason for a super fancy copper Ethernet cable to exist when Corning fiber is so easily available.

signature8, how do you keep the E4 and E5-powered FMCs charged? Do you take them offline each evening? I ask cuz reports here are that my keep-them-plugged-in setup for my SSDs don't work; they don't provide enough power for FMCs.

signature8, how do you keep the E4 and E5-powered FMCs charged? Do you take them offline each evening? I ask cuz reports here are that my keep-them-plugged-in setup for my SSDs don't work; they don't provide enough power for FMCs.

My Ankers are permanently plugged in. One has the fourth light constantly blinking (don't know that's E4 orE5, but can tell in the evening), and other has all four solid lights lit always. I have always kept them plugged in when I was using them before for other purposes, even on my SSD (before I switched that to an SR3).

I have them working since Friday evening on FMC's.

E1 and E5 2nd Gen both work ... unfortunately 2nd gen doesn't power while charged -- sigh :-\

My Ankers are permanently plugged in. One has the fourth light constantly blinking (don't know that's E4 orE5, but can tell in the evening), and other has all four solid lights lit always. I have always kept them plugged in when I was using them before for other purposes, even on my SSD (before I switched that to an SR3).

 

I have them working since Friday evening on FMC's.

?? OK. I'm officially flumoxed. Yes, as I stated numerous times, the plugged in Ankers work fine for SSD power. But Jabbr confirmed that recharging them while using them for these FMCs does not provide enough power......but then you counter that. I tested my E4 and E5 (first gen) both umbilicaled and not, and in both cases do not power "enough" to light all four link/power lights. Any theories as to what's going on here?

?? OK. I'm officially flumoxed. Yes, as I stated numerous times, the plugged in Ankers work fine for SSD power. But Jabbr confirmed that recharging them while using them for these FMCs does not provide enough power......but then you counter that. I tested my E4 and E5 (first gen) both umbilicaled and not, and in both cases do not power "enough" to light all four link/power lights. Any theories as to what's going on here?

I just checked my Amazon account, I have one E4 13000mAH, and I know the other is 15000mAH. I have them plugged in with Astro rapid charger, that was talked about on the SSD power tweak thread. If this helps clarify anything. Both were bought last summer, I do not know gen one or gen two.

My E4 and E5 work on FMC's while plugged-in and yours not; there can only be two explanations, your batteries are going bad; and another less likely reason, are you using Astro rapid charger?

Now my system is working, I have access to NAA, music is playing, whether all four LED's are ON or not, really did not pay attention, but 3 were sure solid, and I thought fourth blinks on activity.

I just checked my Amazon account, I have one E4 13000mAH, and I know the other is 15000mAH. I have them plugged in with Astro rapid charger, that was talked about on the SSD power tweak thread. If this helps clarify anything. Both were bought last summer, I do not know gen one or gen two.

Gen 2 output ports are called IQ. Gen 1 output ports are labeled 1A and 2A. My wallwart chargers are the standard 5V/2A USB ones. I find it hard to imagine that the rapid chargers are the reason, especially given that SSDs have a similar power requirement, and they work fine. Anyway, maybe you are right.

The good news is that the system sounds great, regardless. I listened to a particular cut last night, Ray Lamontagne's "Are We Really Through?" comes out of a blackness I've never experienced before. It was spooky.

?? OK. I'm officially flumoxed. Yes, as I stated numerous times, the plugged in Ankers work fine for SSD power. But Jabbr confirmed that recharging them while using them for these FMCs does not provide enough power......but then you counter that. I tested my E4 and E5 (first gen) both umbilicaled and not, and in both cases do not power "enough" to light all four link/power lights. Any theories as to what's going on here?

No its not that they don't provide "enough" power while being charged: The official Ankers FAQ states that Gen2 devices do not provide (any) power while being charged. The Pro2 device does and the 1st gen devices do. I think its an electronics issue.

Gen 2 output ports are called IQ. Gen 1 output ports are labeled 1A and 2A. My wallwart chargers are the standard 5V/2A USB ones. I find it hard to imagine that the rapid chargers are the reason, especially given that SSDs have a similar power requirement, and they work fine. Anyway, maybe you are right.

 

The good news is that the system sounds great, regardless. I listened to a particular cut last night, Ray Lamontagne's "Are We Really Through?" comes out of a blackness I've never experienced before. It was spooky.

Mine have 1A, and 2A output ports, so they are Gen-1 then.

Mine have 1A, and 2A output ports, so they are Gen-1 then.

Weird then. Oh well, I will keep trying variables. I did receive back my iFi iUSB that I loaned out, and am using it as purely a power supply (they give you a USB to dc plug as an accessory) and it works fine. It replaces my stock wallwart on the FMC at the switch, and will report back later on any sq improvements (can't imagine more blackness.....a black hole will be formed and I will be sucked into it).

Edit: Update: so I swapped out the USB to dc umbilical I was using with the E5 and instead used the white one that came with the above-mentioned iFi iUSB. Voila! The E5 now works plugged in. ?? The dc plug?

A big thank you for this solution Jabbr!

Another experiment:

I really think that fiber for file transfer, to a low power, low EMI memory cache that, bypassing SPDIF and USB, serves the translated audio file of any format gaplessly via I2S (asynch and DAC master-clocked) into the DAC is the way forward to lowering digititus to perhaps an indistinguishable level. Forget Mac or Windows as they are too bloated, so it has to be Linux or firmware. Still need to use an iPad wirelessly with OHMedia type of controller for ease of use. Pipe dream?

My digital has never sounded better, and there are still refinements possible, I know.

The setup is: 2x TP Link MC210CS with a Lynn SC (9/125) fiber cable linking the NAS to the switch/wireless bridge (powered by an LPSU) on which the streamer is connected via LAN cable. Using the IFI low noise wall-wart and a Teddy Pardo all additionally filtered to power the FMC. All cables are BlueJeansCable certified.

Moving from wireless was improved by wired NAS to streamer via switch. And this fiber link improved it further.

Open items:

1. I was not able to get the streamer to connect to the switch via the FMC, so that needs to be resolved

2. Need to replace the copper switch with a fiber switch also on linear power.

3. Need to replace the IFI wallwart with linear for peace of mind.

4. Currently using a Synology NAS, but Jabbr's custom one with a fiber NIC would logically be better. Synology does have a few expensive ones with a fiber NIC or a slot to add one, so that is another option.

5. Find a way to directly link streamer to NAS via fiber, without switch in between, and still have the NAS on the wireless network.

Cheers