Successful fiber projects rely on expertly crafted and certified OEM compatible coding
Procuring quality components are important to a project's success, but critical when it comes to fiber. While pairing speed, supported wavelengths, reach, and connectors to your application are important, one of the most essential elements for network success is a transceiver's coding.
Even if all other specifications are met, when a transceiver is neither coded nor protected properly for the system it is intended for, all is for naught.
What issues are reported when using optics coded by inexperienced suppliers?
The most common issues are with dependability, usually associated with transceiver hardware quality, or interoperability, which are correlated with bad coding. These cause a variety of error codes, some as minor as "partially working without some features" while others as severe as completely unfunctional. These cause network delays and reboots, wasting project time and often requiring a system engineer to triage when disastrous.
Working with a provider like Proline that confidently certifies their transceivers as fully OEM interoperable is key to avoiding the pains of technical support, returns, and project delays.
What are some of the errors thrown by transceivers coded by those without the experience to do so properly?
A mixed sample of hardware from multiple suppliers was tested including (but not limited to) SFP LX, QSFP LR4, SFP+ DWDM, and a mix of DACs and AOCs. When test products were installed in Cisco and other OEM systems, these errors were reported:
| TRANSCEIVERS | |
| Error | Consequence |
|---|---|
| Incorrect part number displaying in the EEPROM. | Certain features may not be supported and additional configuration may be required. |
| No “PID” displays | The switch may not recognize the part, thus disabling the port. Or, it may work for now, but future OEM updates may cause issues or failures. |
| Displays "Non-Cisco" (or other OEM) | The switch may render the port unusable until it the optic is recoded or replaced. |
| Receive "UNSUPPORTED" message upon inserting in any switch ports. | If read as non-compatible, it may not be usable depending on the severity of the mismatch. Recoding or a replacing is again required. |
| No DOM reporting available on AOCs in multiple platforms | The lack of reporting may limit troubleshooting and monitoring capabilities, hampering visibility of operators in resolving faults or failures. |
| Module SPROM display 0 meters | The lack of detailed information provided to the switch may cause issues with troubleshooting and monitoring capabilities. |
| DACS & AOCS | |
| Error | Consequence |
|---|---|
| Wrong part number shown in the EEPROM. | Certain features may not be supported or additional configuration may be required. |
Incorrectly coded optics waste time and capital while hampering performance
Incorrectly coding a transceiver can have many negative impacts to your network. These errors make the port unusable until the transceiver is swapped or recoded.
For example, a cheap transceiver's EEPROM may not have write protections. Absent these, an OEM switch "accidentally" overwrites the coding. This "bricks" the transceiver, rendering the port inoperable until coded or replaced.
Since power surges and outages force reboots cause writing to optics, it is extremely likely that improperly coded transceivers will disable or cripple your network.
What happens to the optic when there are revisions or updates to the OEM software?
OEMs are constantly updating their hardware's firmware to support new features and security updates. This combats third-party optics that are priced at 70%-90% less as the providers race to update their coding. Because of this practice, cheap optics can function initially, but unless frequently updated in response to OEM firmware revisions, they often later fail.
The Proline team is proud to maintain one of the most updated coding databases, keeping our optics working far longer than the competition.
How do I avoid these headaches when working with third-party optics providers?
Quite simply, partner with Proline! We understand the importance of quality and have built our processes with it as a top priority:
20 years of coding expertise | Solutions that address your network's challenges | Unrivaled compatibility & reliability |
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Contact our experts today for Pro Certified™ optical solutions.
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