We have several BX SFPs in my network and I love them. We're limited on the amount of fiber we can get between buildings (each pair costs $250/month) so the mismatched laser solution gives us redundancy and extra bandwidth all at once. For the uninitiated, the BX solution consists of one 1310nm laser on one end and a 1490nm laser on the other with a special mirror in the SFP that allows both frequencies to traverse one strand of fiber at a time enabling bidirectional communication on a single strand of fiber instead of the usual fiber pair.
The problem is that as our network grows, so do our bandwidth requirements, particularly for a couple of data centers that aren't at the core of our network. Is there any reason why there aren't any BX 10Gig SFP+ modules around? I can't seem to find any, at least. Is there a downside to using BX-style single-strand connections? I mean, at least you don't have to worry as much about UDLD, right?
Is there a similar technology for 10Gig that I'm not aware of?
Best Answer
10G BX SFPs do exist! I don't know if you can get Cisco branded ones (if you're using cisco switches) but I have found generic ones before. Just google for "SFP-10G-BXU-10km" (or SFP-10G-BXD-10km) and you should find several suppliers. The supplier I got a quote from makes them "cisco compatible" and "hp compatible" so you should have no problem having them recognized by your switch.
Good luck!