GBIC Lifespan

[V00D00]

Does anyone have any real world experience regarding how long a multimode fiber transmitter lasts?

I need to buy some GBICs, but they are very expensive. I'm going to get some used ones, but if I do will they crap out on me in 1 year?

 

[spidey07]

Avoid at all costs. The black/grey market for GBICs is huge.

That said the optics should last 10+ years easily if not much, much longer. Only ever seen a few that truely failed.

 

[nweaver]

Originally posted by: spidey07
Avoid at all costs. The black/grey market for GBICs is huge.

That said the optics should last 10+ years easily if not much, much longer. Only ever seen a few that truely failed.

indeed, get a major brand (that matches your switch or is supported by your switch). Don't cheap out, unless you don't care about your links!

 

[V00D00]

Aren't they just about universally compatible? I specifically need a SFP GBIC. Will any ethernet gbic work? From the specs I've read they are all pretty much universal, some even work for ethernet as well as fiber channel.

They are going to go into a netgear switch, and the netgear gbic's seem hard to find, even from major online sites. I've been watching ebay for a while, and I think I can snag one ultra cheap ($10-25). I don't really care how long they last as long as they make it a year or two. When the network goes into a mission critical state I'll be buying brand new ones. This is mainly for testing purposes.

 

[spidey07]

Originally posted by: V00D00
Aren't they just about universally compatible? I specifically need a SFP GBIC. Will any ethernet gbic work? From the specs I've read they are all pretty much universal, some even work for ethernet as well as fiber channel.

They are going to go into a netgear switch, and the netgear gbic's seem hard to find, even from major online sites. I've been watching ebay for a while, and I think I can snag one ultra cheap ($10-25). I don't really care how long they last as long as they make it a year or two. When the network goes into a mission critical state I'll be buying brand new ones. This is mainly for testing purposes.

hell, if it's for testing purposes then have at it. But you know what happens when you move from LAB to production. LAB=production unless the appropriate flags are raised.