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

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snausages

New Member
Sep 29, 2022
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Hi all...I've read through several discussions regarding the ICX7000-1x40GQ and splitting it off to 10Gb, but it was mainly for connecting to a server or workstation. I'd like to get the following working:

ICX7540 40Gb (slot 3) to uplink to another switch (Ubiquiti w/ 10Gb SFP+). I have QSFP+ to SFP+ adapters, but the twinax I've tried so far do not work (shown as unsupported). Is a QSFP+ breakout cable the only way to do this or is there a QSFP+ to single SFP+ cable available? I haven't had luck finding such a thing and don't need the extra cable mess of the breakout unless it's the only option.

Thanks!
 

fohdeesha

Kaini Industries
Nov 20, 2016
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Hi all...I've read through several discussions regarding the ICX7000-1x40GQ and splitting it off to 10Gb, but it was mainly for connecting to a server or workstation. I'd like to get the following working:

ICX7540 40Gb (slot 3) to uplink to another switch (Ubiquiti w/ 10Gb SFP+). I have QSFP+ to SFP+ adapters, but the twinax I've tried so far do not work (shown as unsupported). Is a QSFP+ breakout cable the only way to do this or is there a QSFP+ to single SFP+ cable available? I haven't had luck finding such a thing and don't need the extra cable mess of the breakout unless it's the only option.

Thanks!
Where do you see it showing unsupported? Did you set the port to 4x10g breakout? You'll need to do that. iirc a qsfp to sfp adapter in a breakout port is the first 10g channel of the breakout group
 

LodeRunner

Active Member
Apr 27, 2019
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Does the ICX7450 even support 40G to 4x10G breakout? I think you'd need a QSA module (QSFP to SFP+) but I don't know if the 7450 would support that, never had one to try with (or a reason). You can put the 4x10G module in bays 2 and 3; I did that for a while until I got a switch with more ports, then swapped it back to 40G modules as uplinks to the new core.
 

snausages

New Member
Sep 29, 2022
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Where do you see it showing unsupported? Did you set the port to 4x10g breakout? You'll need to do that. iirc a qsfp to sfp adapter in a breakout port is the first 10g channel of the breakout group
I see the following with the QSFP+ to SFP+ adapter with a Ubiquiti twinax connected:



Code:
SW2>show media validation

Port Supported Vendor Type
----------------------------------------------------------------------
1/3/1 No OTHER Sti Inc. Type : 10GE Passive Twinax 1m (SFP+)

SW2>show media eth 1/3/1

Port 1/3/1: Type : 10GE Passive Twinax 1m (SFP+)
Vendor: OTHERSti Inc. Version: A2
Part# : UC-DAC-SFP+ Serial#: AH21108001599

How would I go about setting the port to breakout mode? I saw in one Brocade doc (that I can't find at the moment...) that it could be converted to data port instead of stacking, but the commands are not available. ?


@LodeRunner I hope it supports breakout, but I couldn't find anything in the documentation either way. :(

Edit...just found this: Commscope Technical Content Portal

If that's true, then only 7750/7850's support breakout? ugh I've looked for 4x10G modules but they cost as much as what I paid for the switch...or more.
 
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LodeRunner

Active Member
Apr 27, 2019
540
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Good gravy, prices on those have gotten ridiculous. I bought mine for $29/each in 2020. Supply has been obliterated.

What QSFP+ to SFP+ adapter are you using?
 

snausages

New Member
Sep 29, 2022
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Good gravy, prices on those have gotten ridiculous. I bought mine for $29/each in 2020. Supply has been obliterated.

What QSFP+ to SFP+ adapter are you using?
It's a HP 40G adapter, part # 746962-001

It seems to "work" since the switch can read the SFP+ module details that I posted above, unless there is more to it than that. I suspect it's that the 7450 simply cannot do this. I have a 7150 that I can use in its place, but I really wanted the redundant power supplies.
 

fohdeesha

Kaini Industries
Nov 20, 2016
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fohdeesha.com
It's a HP 40G adapter, part # 746962-001

It seems to "work" since the switch can read the SFP+ module details that I posted above, unless there is more to it than that. I suspect it's that the 7450 simply cannot do this. I have a 7150 that I can use in its place, but I really wanted the redundant power supplies.
The ICX7450 hardware guide shows it as supporting 4x10g:

1664509610653.png

1664509776969.png

It might be configured under the port level with a speed xxx command, when you go to interface eth 1/2/1 (for example) and type speed and hit tab a bunch what are the options? You can ignore the supported: no under media validation, that's just telling you it's not an official optic/DAC
 

LodeRunner

Active Member
Apr 27, 2019
540
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Breakout is not an available command at global or interface level. I wonder if it auto-configures if you plugin a 4x10G breakout DAC.

Edit: right below where it says 4x10G, it says no. Is that row indicating the support in a given slot?
 
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snausages

New Member
Sep 29, 2022
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Breakout is not an available command at global or interface level. I wonder if it auto-configures if you plugin a 4x10G breakout DAC.

Edit: right below where it says 4x10G, it says no. Is that row indicating the support in a given slot?
Confirmed here as well..commands not an option. :(

Thank you for all of the information and help, everyone. Maybe I'll get lucky and find a 4x10GF module for less than $300-800 that they are all priced at now! :eek:
 

tommykmusic

New Member
Sep 24, 2022
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I just got the Brocade ICX 6450-48p from eBay. I am able to log in but can't seem to erase the username and password and factory set-default command does nothing, I cannot confirm it with the command Y. I followed the setup guide and all worked well in the beginning until I went to type Enable and it asked me for a username and password.
 

itronin

Well-Known Member
Nov 24, 2018
1,234
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Denver, Colorado
I just got the Brocade ICX 6450-48p from eBay. I am able to log in but can't seem to erase the username and password and factory set-default command does nothing, I cannot confirm it with the command Y. I followed the setup guide and all worked well in the beginning until I went to type Enable and it asked me for a username and password.
did you follow the instructions in the very first post of this thread and specifically for the 6450? Including "Brocade Overview" and then "Setting up Brocade ICX6450" ?
There's a factory reset in that process that happens before the switch is booted up into its OS...
 

tommykmusic

New Member
Sep 24, 2022
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did you follow the instructions in the very first post of this thread and specifically for the 6450? Including "Brocade Overview" and then "Setting up Brocade ICX6450" ?
There's a factory reset in that process that happens before the switch is booted up into its OS...
That's exactly what I'm talking about. I followed it but when I type in the command factory set-default I get a blank response.
 

fohdeesha

Kaini Industries
Nov 20, 2016
2,727
3,075
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I just got the Brocade ICX 6450-48p from eBay. I am able to log in but can't seem to erase the username and password and factory set-default command does nothing, I cannot confirm it with the command Y. I followed the setup guide and all worked well in the beginning until I went to type Enable and it asked me for a username and password.
if you succesfully followed the bootloader and OS update bits, then you should be able to pull power and clean boot the switch to boot into the latest working bootloader you flashed, then follow this block again

setenv ipaddr
saveenv
factory set-default
 

tommykmusic

New Member
Sep 24, 2022
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if you succesfully followed the bootloader and OS update bits, then you should be able to pull power and clean boot the switch to boot into the latest working bootloader you flashed, then follow this block again

setenv ipaddr
saveenv
factory set-default

I figured it out, didn't set the right TFTP ip address but I can't seem to get the POE to update now, I'm getting TFTP session timed out POE Error: Firmware tftp timeout.
 

kuleinc

New Member
Oct 1, 2022
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Alright. Its been a hella long time since I took cisco classes in college. I did however manage to follow and get through the setup guide, very well done, thank you so much. This 24Port POE 6610 switch would have been a $160 brick without your help.

That being said I have an edge router mikrotik 305 upstairs for 10G connectivity and breakout for another 1G POE switch for cameras and a pc with a DAC cable. I am using mikrotik S+Rj10 SFP+ adapters to connect the cat 5e run in my wall from the brocade in my garage to my mikrotik upstairs. No dice unless I use a 1G port on the brocade, then it links up likity split at 1G speeds. I cannot get any auto negotiation when I plug the cable from the 1G port on brocade to a sfp+ port with an S+RJ10 adapter. These SFP+ adapters can only use auto negotiate according to their wiki. Am I missing something dumb on the brocade? Do I need to turn on auto negotiate speed for the front SFP+ ports? I do have my unraid server down there in the same rack plugged into one of the front brocade SFP+ ports with a 2 meter DAC cable and it just works at 10G speed when I plug it in automagically...

I cannot run a DAC or fiber cable from my garage where the rack and brocade and server are up to the third floor. I only have the CAT 5e cable in the wall. Its not an easy pull, the previous owner cut a lot of sheetrock holes to wire up the house. I wish I could just use a fiber cable, seems like they give better signal?

Also I may be doing something wrong on the mikrotik switch, in order to get it to link up to the 1G port on the brocade I have to first plug the FSP+ adapter into the 1G dumb switch that is next to it, and get it to link to that. then if I swap wires to the wire going down to the brocade they will connect at 1G speed. If I don't do the cable switcheroo they wont link up, and according to the wiki for these FSP+ adapters you can't just force set them to a lower speed like say 5G or 2.5G, in case they wont talk at 10G speeds. I would hope they just auto negotiate down, but I've waited for minutes with no link up. I also can't deffinitively find out the maximum distance for these FSP+ adapters but if they are 30 meters I should be ok, as its only 40-50 foot distance of cat 5e cable...
 
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