SFP+ Direct Attach Copper Question

NickParra · July 23, 2017

I need to set up a 20Gbit uplink via SFP+ direct attach copper cable for a business server. I'm set on getting an HP Procurve 2910 for the switch, and I'm planning on getting this NIC for the server: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01DCZCA3O.

I'm not quite sure what kind of direct attach copper cables will work for between the two, though.

Any help would be greatly appreciated. Thanks!

PineyCreek · July 23, 2017

I would advise against the 2910 if you want dependable PoE. Personal experience managing a couple hundred of them. Rock solid networking for the most part, but the PoE supply inside had a high failure rate across the group...like...10% in my case. Maybe we had a bad batch. My advice also doesn't apply if you don't get the PoE of course.

Is there a reason you aren't using fiber?

leadeater · July 23, 2017

https://www.amazon.com/HP-Direct-Attach-Copper-J9283B/dp/B001R0RM9E/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1500792379&sr=8-1&keywords=hp+x242

leadeater · July 23, 2017

4 minutes ago, PineyCreek said:

I would advise against the 2910 if you want dependable PoE. Personal experience managing a couple hundred of them. Rock solid networking for the most part, but the PoE supply inside had a high failure rate across the group...like...10% in my case. Maybe we had a bad batch.

Is there a reason you aren't using fiber?

Not sure if it applies to the 2910 but on the 5800 series (5820/5830) there is a really annoying firmware bug, more design flaw but w/e, that powers on the ports before the switch is fully booted so PoE phones try and do their auto configuration fail and default to the data VLAN. HPE hasn't fixed it in years no matter how much bitching we gave them.

PineyCreek · July 23, 2017

3 minutes ago, leadeater said:

Not sure if it applies to the 2910 but on the 5800 series (5820/5830) there is a really annoying firmware bug, more diesng flaw but w/e, that powers on the ports before the switch is fully booted so PoE phones try and do their auto configuration fail and default to the data VLAN. HPE hasn't fixed it in years no matter how much bitching we gave them.

Interesting. Our issue was a hardware failure. Logs stated as such, and HPE at the time actually took the time to confirm it since we had to send so many back. We'd install like 75 of them, and within a few months, anywhere from 2-8 would have PoE fail. Fun stuff. We were barely using the PoE, but you couldn't just turn off the PoE and tell the system logs and reporting to shut up about it. We were usually quick to update to the latest OS versions after vetting them too.

leadeater · July 23, 2017

4 minutes ago, PineyCreek said:

Interesting. Our issue was a hardware failure. Logs stated as such, and HPE at the time actually took the time to confirm it since we had to send so many back. We'd install like 75 of them, and within a few months, anywhere from 2-8 would have PoE fail. Fun stuff. We were barely using the PoE, but you couldn't just turn off the PoE and tell the system logs and reporting to shut up about it.

There is also a problem on the 5820 switches for the flash memory that holds the firmware, had LOTS die from too many writes. I think the 5830 fixed it but I'm not sure. Either way we are moving away from HPE switches.

P.S. Aruba is great so don't let HPE name soil theirs

NickParra · July 23, 2017

We won't be needing the PoE edition of the 2910; it's just not needed for the environment it'll be put to use in. We'll be using copper instead of fiber because of budget reasons, and the cables themselves only need to be 3m or less. It's only needed for one server and one switch, both of them being in the same rack.

Would this one possibly work? http://www.fs.com/products/36784.html?currency=USD&paid=google_shopping&gclid=EAIaIQobChMImL7ijuGe1QIVgRWBCh35TwcuEAQYASABEgLHJ_D_BwE

EDIT: I'm mainly concerned with it working for the Intel NIC, as I'm not sure how compatibility works with the two different branded pieces of hardware.

leadeater · July 23, 2017

7 minutes ago, NickParra said:

We won't be needing the PoE edition of the 2910; it's just not needed for the environment it'll be put to use in. We'll be using copper instead of fiber because of budget reasons, and the cables themselves only need to be 3m or less. It's only needed for one server and one switch, both of them being in the same rack.

Would this one possibly work? http://www.fs.com/products/36784.html?currency=USD&paid=google_shopping&gclid=EAIaIQobChMImL7ijuGe1QIVgRWBCh35TwcuEAQYASABEgLHJ_D_BwE

We prefer DAC for server connectivity with top of rack switches, more durable. The only down side is the size of the cables which makes cable management harder if you have a full 42U+ rack of servers that are 1U/2U or 4 node 2U hybrid blades.

That cable should work but for $28 more you could get the real thing: https://www.amazon.com/HP-Direct-Attach-Copper-J9283B/dp/B001R0RM9E/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1500792379&sr=8-1&keywords=hp+x242