SFP removal

[Skiiwee29]

 So I am a field tech for fiber with sausage fingers, so makes removal SFPs from network gear troublesome. I have been known to break the locking tab a time or 2... 

 

Does anyone know of any tool that can safely be used to remove SFPs to minimize the risk and remove the awkwardness of sausage fingers trying to fit into densely packed cabinets and racks to remove SFPs without breaking them?

[wONKEyeYEs]

[WhitetailAni]

21 minutes ago, Skiiwee29 said:

Does anyone know of any tool that can safely be used to remove SFPs to minimize the risk and remove the awkwardness of sausage fingers trying to fit into densely packed cabinets and racks to remove SFPs without breaking them?

A small flathead screwdriver to depress the latch could do the trick - unsure how modern SFP works, but my cables have a little tab you press down to release.

[Skiiwee29]

4 minutes ago, WhitetailAni said:

A small flathead screwdriver to depress the latch could do the trick - unsure how modern SFP works, but my cables have a little tab you press down to release.

Still work the same, but require some force to pull out and remove and is the problem when densely packed. Pulling the tab down isn't the issue, its the pulling out of the SFP since you need to grab ahold of the actual SFP housing and not pull with the lever tab. 

[8tg]

This put me in a chain of google searching. Context, I am not a network guy, I had to google what an SFP was. But in my searching I found this:

and our server room at work has an assload of these for the fiberoptics, I was wondering what they were for.

Seems to be a hook on one end and a lipped pry tool on the other. Something like screen lifters comes to mind?

[WhitetailAni]

2 minutes ago, Skiiwee29 said:

Still work the same, but require some force to pull out and remove and is the problem when densely packed. Pulling the tab down isn't the issue, its the pulling out of the SFP since you need to grab ahold of the actual SFP housing and not pull with the lever tab. 

Pliers and a flathead?

[Zando_]

Looks like there's neat pliers made specifically for grabbing various networking connectors from packed switches: https://www.fs.com/products/105341.html.

 

Looks like it should work for grabbing SFPs as well?

[Needfuldoer]

Dental picks, maybe?

 

If you think pulling SFPs is bad, try undoing specific BNCs off the back of a video router. (It's even worse when the tool doesn't grip because it's too old, or the connectors are terminating Belden 1694 coax that was dressed in nice and pretty by the system integrator a decade ago.)

[Lurick]

Another SFP!

In a pinch I've used an SFP on the PCB end and one side of the metal tab to undo other SFPs that are stuck

[mynameisjuan]

8 hours ago, Zando_ said:

Looks like there's neat pliers made specifically for grabbing various networking connectors from packed switches: https://www.fs.com/products/105341.html.

 

Looks like it should work for grabbing SFPs as well?

This tool is one of the most valuable tool I have in my bag whenever I need to head to the CO/COLO. And yes, it works for removing SFPs. The upper overbite lip that is used to press on the tabs is used to catch the latch and pull out the SFP.