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Brocade ICX Series (cheap & powerful 10gbE/40gbE switching)

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vangoose

Active Member
May 21, 2019
326
104
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Canada
They take anything you throw in.
Code:
SSH@core>show media validation

Port       Supported Vendor               Type
----------------------------------------------------------------------
1/2/1      Yes       RUCKUS                Type  : 10GE Active Twinax  3m (SFP+)
1/2/2      Yes       RUCKUS                Type  : 10GE Active Twinax  3m (SFP+)
1/2/3      Yes       RUCKUS                Type  : 10GE Active Twinax  3m (SFP+)
1/2/4      Yes       RUCKUS                Type  : 10GE SR 300m (SFP+)
1/2/5      Yes       RUCKUS                Type  : 10GE SR 300m (SFP+)
1/2/6      No        OTHERS                Type  : 10GE SR 300m (SFP+)
2/2/1      Yes       RUCKUS                Type  : 10GE Active Twinax  3m (SFP+)
2/2/2      Yes       RUCKUS                Type  : 10GE Active Twinax  3m (SFP+)
2/2/3      Yes       RUCKUS                Type  : 10GE Active Twinax  3m (SFP+)
2/2/4      Yes       RUCKUS                Type  : 10GE SR 300m (SFP+)
2/2/5      Yes       RUCKUS                Type  : 10GE SR 300m (SFP+)
2/2/6      No        FS                    Type  : 10GE SR 300m (SFP+)
3/2/1      Yes       RUCKUS                Type  : 10GE Active Twinax  3m (SFP+)
3/2/2      Yes       RUCKUS                Type  : 10GE SR 300m (SFP+)
3/2/3      Yes       RUCKUS                Type  : 10GE Active Twinax  3m (SFP+)
3/2/4      Yes       RUCKUS                Type  : 10GE SR 300m (SFP+)
3/2/5      Yes       RUCKUS                Type  : 10GE Active Twinax  3m (SFP+)
3/2/6      Yes       RUCKUS                Type  : 10GE SR 300m (SFP+)
3/2/7      Yes       RUCKUS                Type  : 10GE Active Twinax  3m (SFP+)
3/2/8      No        OTHERS                Type  : 10G Passive Twinax 3m (SFP+)
4/2/1      Yes       RUCKUS                Type  : 10GE Active Twinax  3m (SFP+)
4/2/2      Yes       RUCKUS                Type  : 10GE SR 300m (SFP+)
4/2/3      Yes       RUCKUS                Type  : 10GE Active Twinax  3m (SFP+)
4/2/4      Yes       RUCKUS                Type  : 10GE SR 300m (SFP+)
4/2/5      Yes       RUCKUS                Type  : 10GE Active Twinax  3m (SFP+)
4/2/6      Yes       RUCKUS                Type  : 10GE SR 300m (SFP+)
4/2/7      Yes       RUCKUS                Type  : 10GE Active Twinax  3m (SFP+)
4/2/8      No        OTHERS                Type  : 10G Passive Twinax 3m (SFP+)
 

OptimusPrime

Member
Apr 21, 2020
44
6
8
I just ran CAT6 cable throughout the house. Before I pull the trigger and spend $460 to give 3 computers on my network 10Gb (theoretical) to one another using CAT6 RJ45 cables (not optical), is there anything else I'm missing?

Qty 6: Brocade 10G-SFPP-T Compatible 10GBASE-T SFP+ Copper RJ-45 30m Transceiver Module
3 for the switch, 3 for computers throughout the house (no machines in the rack yet...yet).

Qty 3: HP 544QSFP MCX354A-FCBT 649281-B21 656089-001 VPI FDR 40GbE Mellanox OEMFirmware
One for each computer (computers are not in the network closet)

If someone local to Plano, TX has a deal, I'm happy to swing by and pick it up.

It's been a great evening. I've gotten my first switch (6450-48P) reset with the basic configuration. I think I'll order my 10Gb modules and use the shipping time to learn and configure a few more things (like, how to turn on the POE).

Notes: The cable runs are less than 30 meters. Only one transceiver per computer. I have no machines in the network closet, and are unable to run fiber optic through the house...wish I had know about this a year ago ;)
 
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Wolfstar

Active Member
Nov 28, 2015
159
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48
Gotcha...you are probably correct...part of the learning curve. Thank you for mentioning it...
Yeah those won't work without a QSFP+ to SFP+ adapter. They're pretty good cards but you'd probably be better off with regular SFP+ cards starting off.

Also, note that Cat 6 can do 10g, but it's distance limited. When you combine a distance limited cabling with a distance limited transceiver, you may have problems with longer runs approaching one or the other's max distance. Keep that in mind when/if you need to troubleshoot.
 
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OptimusPrime

Member
Apr 21, 2020
44
6
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Update: I've ordered two RJ45 10Gbe transceivers. And I have an eBay suppler allowing me to try out two inexpensive server cards to see if the fan noise from the cards are acceptable in our PCs and if they will play well in Win10Pro. Parts won't be here until Thursday, so I'll update the thread with my findings towards the end of the weekend.
 

OptimusPrime

Member
Apr 21, 2020
44
6
8
Update: I thought I would take my very well manicured, organized, color coded rack apart, clean some things, and fix a couple cable routing for convenience before I installed the switch. Got it all the apart...and the switch is almost exactly the depth of my rack...can't fit the power cord...sigh, this is the state of affairs until I can get to the store tomorrow...hopefully a right angle cable will get the job done or I'll have to buy a new enclosure...

While on the subject of enclosures...does anyone know of a 4 post, open, short depth, wall mount rack? My google fu is failing me. I'd like to use slide rails....

rack.JPG
 

infoMatt

Active Member
Apr 16, 2019
222
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Update: I thought I would take my very well manicured, organized, color coded rack apart, clean some things, and fix a couple cable routing for convenience before I installed the switch. Got it all the apart...and the switch is almost exactly the depth of my rack...can't fit the power cord...sigh, this is the state of affairs until I can get to the store tomorrow...hopefully a right angle cable will get the job done or I'll have to buy a new enclosure...

While on the subject of enclosures...does anyone know of a 4 post, open, short depth, wall mount rack? My google fu is failing me. I'd like to use slide rails....

View attachment 14030
Well... that's a really shallow rack even for comms... and it's pushed all the way to the front even... :(

BTW, isn't the AP mounted... upside-down??? o_O

Can I aske where are you from? US (judging by the shape of the power sockets)?
 

OptimusPrime

Member
Apr 21, 2020
44
6
8
@infoMatt I'm from Plano, TX.

Yes. It is sitting in it's cradle, upside down, while I muck about...makes it easier to get to the cables.

I actually found a 15U option today...but I've only got room on the backerboard for 12U. I'll have to decide if I want to encroach into my wife's airspace or keep looking...

Update: good news - the Gbe cards for the PCs arrived today! woo-hoo! I'll try to test them out tonight, although the switch transceivers won't be here until Thursday. Left angle power cord for the switch arrives tomorrow as well...

But...the switch is working! woo-hoo!

Putting enterprise stuff into a home, cheaply, is really an adventure...but 6 months later I always look back on it are are happy I went through the hassles...
 

infoMatt

Active Member
Apr 16, 2019
222
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I'm happy to hear that your switch is working ;)
I can't suggest any alternative for the rack as I am overseas :)D), maybe other users know some deals or seller near your area. ;)

Enjoy! Toys are always fun... the only difference is whay everyone put in this category :D
 

ArthurA

Member
Sep 26, 2018
67
68
18
Thank you.
I never knew there was an Active DAC vs Passive DAC. Also learned "In 2009, 10Gbps SFP+ transceivers were introduced. " (was not aware that tech is 11 years old.)
SFP+ is just one of the more recent packaging shrinks, 10G was available in XFP prior to SFP+, etc. The telecom transition from 2.5G to 10G WAN PHY happened in the late 90's with line cards that didn't have plug-able transceivers. 10GbE came along at the sunset of of monolithic line cards and really hit stride with XFPs. I'm getting very close to the end of decom for the last of our wet 10G carriers, ~20 years in service, sweating every last drop out of those SLTE assets.

Arthur
 

bmh.01

New Member
Mar 12, 2018
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Picked myself up a 6450 as a gateway to a 6610 hopefully, after years of Cisco the CLI is just similar/different enough to be annoying :p.

I see that OSPFv3 is supported on a 6450 in a mixed stack where I presume it works just as a FEX and all the management plane functions are ran from the master switch, with all the reverse engineering done is there any way to enable OSPFv3 on a standalone 6450? Or is it completely absent from the firmware image?

It's so frustrating that it's pretty fully featured for IPv4 but only supports static IPv6. I was hoping this would replace a trio of 8 port Cisco 2960/3560 switches that I've been running in my study due to the quiet-ness but as I'm running a dual-stack routed access architecture I'll have to keep the 3560 annoyingly unless there's a way to get dynamic routing running.
 

Jiaxinxi

Member
Aug 23, 2017
73
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First, thank everybody in the thread, especially @fohdeesha

Picked myself up a ICX7250-48 for a price I can't resist (less than $150). I don't need it, but I want it especially for the 8x10Gb port. Keep coming back to read this thread even though I have the Aruba S2500-48P already. But why not.

If I read correctly (only at page 70 of the whole thread), the 10Gb license for 7xxxx is honor based. No need to contact @fohdeesha for perpetual license,
Just need to run some command.
right?
 
Last edited:

infoMatt

Active Member
Apr 16, 2019
222
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If I read correctly (only at page 70 of the whole thread), the 10Gb license for 7xxxx is honor based. No need to contact @fohdeesha for perpetual license,
Just need to run some command.
right?
To my knowledge, yes, you are right. Have a look at the wonderful documentation made by @fohdeesha linked in the first page for a quick start and licensing information.

Good catch by the way ;)
 

hrana

New Member
May 14, 2020
5
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Is there anything I need to know about a ICX7750-48C before purchasing? I have not seen a write up yet. Any feedback on the noise level or other gotchas? Thanks
 

fohdeesha

Kaini Industries
Nov 20, 2016
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Is there anything I need to know about a ICX7750-48C before purchasing? I have not seen a write up yet. Any feedback on the noise level or other gotchas? Thanks
they're beefy routers, they draw at least 200w and are going to be louder than any other switch listed in this thread, but they're good boxes. pair of them is running my transit/colo in new york. would not use at home
 

hrana

New Member
May 14, 2020
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they're beefy routers, they draw at least 200w and are going to be louder than any other switch listed in this thread, but they're good boxes. pair of them is running my transit/colo in new york. would not use at home
I appreciate your work in the thread and the feed. I had a line on one for $450. My goal is to play with as many features as possible on more 'current' hardware in my lab (with stacking) while having 10GbE cooper with 40 GbE available. The closest the other listed switches com is perhaps the 7450 with 2 ICX7400-4X10GC (for 8 10GbE copper) and 1 ICX7400-1X40GQ but that starts pushing the price up quite a bit. Is there one that you would suggest with the above requirements? Thanks for all you do for us.
 

fohdeesha

Kaini Industries
Nov 20, 2016
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$450 is an incredible price for a 7750, it's up to you if you want to deal with the power/noise. The ICX7450 would be next if you want the latest OS and all features (bgp VRFs etc). oddly the modules for them are like 30 dollars, so you can fill the module slots pretty cheaply after finding a 7450 (at least the 40gb and 10gb SFP modules are under 50 bucks, havent looked at the copper offerings)