Aruba 3810M (JL076A) + Aruba SFP+ module (JL083A) + third-party SFP+ transceiver compatibility

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slamb

New Member
Sep 2, 2025
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0
1
I just bought this Aruba gear off eBay. Quite happy with the switch so far, but the SFP+ module seems fussy. The module's green LED is on, and it says it's fine:

Code: 
aruba-switch# show module

Status and Counters - Module Information

  Chassis: 3810M-40G-8SR-PoE+-1-slot  JL076A         Serial Number:   xxxxxxxxxx


  Slot  Module Description                         Serial Number    Status
  ----- ------------------------------------------ ---------------- ----------
  A     Aruba JL083A 4SFP+ Module                  xxxxxxxxxx       Up
  STK   Aruba JL084A 4-port Stacking Module        xxxxxxxxxx       Up

aruba-switch# show flash
Image             Size (bytes) Date     Version
----------------- ------------ -------- --------------
Primary Image    :    34439703 02/13/23 KB.16.11.0010
Secondary Image  :    34250395 06/26/20 KB.16.10.0009

Boot ROM Version
----------------
Primary Boot ROM Version   : KB.16.01.0009
Secondary Boot ROM Version : KB.16.01.0009

Default Boot Image   : Primary
Default Boot ROM     : Primary
If I insert (third-party) transceivers with the default no allow-unsupported-transceiver, I get this message within show logging:

Code: 
W 10/31/25 18:02:54 00533 FFI: port A1 is not a Aruba transceiver. Please go to:
            http://www.arubanetworks.com/products/networking/ for more info.
W 10/31/25 18:02:55 00533 FFI: port A2 is not a Aruba transceiver. Please go to:
            http://www.arubanetworks.com/products/networking/ for more info.
W 10/31/25 18:02:57 00533 FFI: port A3 is not a Aruba transceiver. Please go to:
            http://www.arubanetworks.com/products/networking/ for more info.
W 10/31/25 18:02:58 00533 FFI: port A4 is not a Aruba transceiver. Please go to:
            http://www.arubanetworks.com/products/networking/ for more info.
...no surprise. But when I run allow-unsupported-transceiver confirm and try again, I still get slow orange blink and this error:

Code: 
W 10/31/25 18:04:03 00536 FFI: port A1 Transceiver type not supported in this
            port.
W 10/31/25 18:04:04 00536 FFI: port A2 Transceiver type not supported in this
            port.
W 10/31/25 18:04:05 00536 FFI: port A3 Transceiver type not supported in this
            port.
W 10/31/25 18:04:05 00536 FFI: port A4 Transceiver type not supported in this
            port.
What does that mean? Some transceivers I've tried that produce this error:
  • 10Gtek CAB-10GSFP-P0.3M 10G SFP+ DAC
  • 6com 6C-SFP-10G-T SFP+ 10G RJ45 (2 of these)
  • MACROREER 10GBase-CU SFP+ (DAC)
These all work in different switches (MokerLink 2G24610GSM, Netgear MS510TXPP). They were the first three transceivers I tried, so I was afraid they'd all be like this!

But then I went through my pile, and the ones below seem to work. At least they blink green on insertion, don't produce this message, and show up in show interfaces transceiver. I haven't put traffic through any of them yet:
  • Mellanox MC3309130-003 (SFP+ DAC). edit: when I plug the other end in, I still get no link. :-( edit 2: oh, it does pass traffic! I'd pulled the other machine's power cable by accident.
  • HiFiber AXS85-192-M3 (10GBase-SR SFP+)
  • Fiberstore SFP1G-SX-85 (1GBase-SX SFP)
  • 10Gtek AXS13-192-10 (10GBase-LR SFP+)
  • 10Gtek ASF85-24-X2-D (1GBase-SX SFP)
  • ipolex ASF-10G2-T (10GBase-T SFP+) edit: this one seems to pass traffic.
  • QINIYEK BJ-SFP-T (1GBase-T)
  • 10Gtek ASF-GE-T (1GBase-T)
Is it just expected for compatibility to be quite hit-or-miss? I'm a bit disappointed in particular that 2/3 10GBase-T transceivers I have on hand don't work. Going with the first-party options seems quite limiting! Does anyone have a list of known-good vs known-bad third-party options?
 
Last edited:
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blunden

Well-Known Member
Nov 29, 2019
1,070
371
83
Can you show the ethtool -m output from those transceivers, especially the ones that don't work? That might provide some clues. :)
 
S

slamb

New Member
Sep 2, 2025
2
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Absolutely!

Here's one of the 6Com 10GBase-T ones that doesn't work:

Code: 
        Identifier                                : 0x03 (SFP)
        Extended identifier                       : 0x04 (GBIC/SFP defined by 2-wire interface ID)
        Connector                                 : 0x21 (Copper pigtail)
        Transceiver codes                         : 0x00 0x00 0x00 0x00 0x00 0x04 0x00 0x00 0x00
        Transceiver type                          : Passive Cable
        Encoding                                  : 0x00 (unspecified)
        BR Nominal                                : 10300MBd
        Rate identifier                           : 0x00 (unspecified)
        Length (SMF)                              : 0km
        Length (OM2)                              : 0m
        Length (OM1)                              : 0m
        Length (Copper or Active cable)           : 1m
        Length (OM3)                              : 0m
        Passive Cu cmplnce.                       : 0x00 (unspecified [SFF-8472 rev10.4 only])
        Vendor name                               : 6COM
        Vendor OUI                                : 00:40:20
        Vendor PN                                 : 6C-SFP-10G-T
        Vendor rev                                : 03
        Option values                             : 0x00 0x00
        BR margin max                             : 0%
        BR margin min                             : 0%
        Vendor SN                                 : 6C6241012177
        Date code                                 : 24102
10GTek DAC that doesn't work:

Code: 
        Identifier                                : 0x03 (SFP)
        Extended identifier                       : 0x04 (GBIC/SFP defined by 2-wire interface ID)
        Connector                                 : 0x21 (Copper pigtail)
        Transceiver codes                         : 0x00 0x00 0x00 0x00 0x00 0x04 0x00 0x00 0x00
        Transceiver type                          : Passive Cable
        Encoding                                  : 0x00 (unspecified)
        BR Nominal                                : 10300MBd
        Rate identifier                           : 0x00 (unspecified)
        Length (SMF)                              : 0km
        Length (OM2)                              : 0m
        Length (OM1)                              : 0m
        Length (Copper or Active cable)           : 1m
        Length (OM3)                              : 0m
        Passive Cu cmplnce.                       : 0x01 (SFF-8431 appendix E [SFF-8472 rev10.4 only])
        Vendor name                               : OEM
        Vendor OUI                                : 00:40:20
        Vendor PN                                 : SFP-H10GB-CU1M
        Vendor rev                                : R
        Option values                             : 0x00 0x00
        BR margin max                             : 0%
        BR margin min                             : 0%
        Vendor SN                                 : CSC250516790167
        Date code                                 : 250524
The Mellanox DAC that does work:

Code: 
        Identifier                                : 0x03 (SFP)
        Extended identifier                       : 0x04 (GBIC/SFP defined by 2-wire interface ID)
        Connector                                 : 0x21 (Copper pigtail)
        Transceiver codes                         : 0x01 0x00 0x00 0x04 0x00 0x04 0x80 0xd5 0x00
        Transceiver type                          : FC: 100 MBytes/sec
        Encoding                                  : 0x00 (unspecified)
        BR Nominal                                : 10300MBd
        Rate identifier                           : 0x00 (unspecified)
        Length (SMF)                              : 0km
        Length (OM2)                              : 0m
        Length (OM1)                              : 0m
        Length (Copper or Active cable)           : 3m
        Length (OM3)                              : 0m
        Passive Cu cmplnce.                       : 0x01 (SFF-8431 appendix E [SFF-8472 rev10.4 only])
        Vendor name                               : Mellanox
        Vendor OUI                                : 00:02:c9
        Vendor PN                                 : MC3309130-003
        Vendor rev                                : A1
        Option values                             : 0x00 0x00
        BR margin max                             : 0%
        BR margin min                             : 0%
        Vendor SN                                 : MT1346VS06427
        Date code                                 : 131121
 
B

blunden

Well-Known Member
Nov 29, 2019
1,070
371
83
slamb said:
Here's one of the 6Com 10GBase-T ones that doesn't work
Click to expand...
Ok, so it pretends to be a DAC. The ones I've used all pretend to be 10GBASE-SR transceivers.

I'm just speculating here, but pretending to be a DAC might make the switch adjust signal calibration needed for stable communication over a DAC cable. I know from personal experience that you can go from "unable to pass any traffic" to "perfectly stable at 10 Gbps" with a DAC by adjusting signal calibration. Maybe that causes issues when you're not actually trying to extend that signaling from a few centimeters to several meters. Again, this is just wild speculation. :) It could also be something else it doesn't like.

slamb said:
10GTek DAC that doesn't work
Click to expand...
Not sure about this one. It looks very similar to the EEPROM data my own DACs use (I don't see anything clearly incorrect either), but then I'm using a Realtek based switch that isn't picky about transceivers, not an Aruba switch.

slamb said:
The Mellanox DAC that does work
Click to expand...
Nothing immediately stands out as more correct than the 10Gtek DAC. Sorry.
 
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