Exploring the Benefits of Copper Cables vs. Fiber Optic Cables

In modern data centers and networking environments, there are two types of cables commonly used to transmit data, each with unique benefits and characteristics. Fiber optic cables represent the newer, more modern solution and copper cables represent the older, legacy solution. Although the data center and networking industries are evolving and new technologies are being adopted, copper cabling still has a place in today’s world. We’ll examine the benefits of copper cables, their characteristics, and explore the reason why the use of fiber optic cables has become so prolific in recent years.

Why are fiber optic cables used in networking?

Fiber-optic cabling has become a virtual necessity for the network backbone. The reason? Speed. Today’s latency-sensitive applications demand the highest performance levels, and copper cabling simply cannot compete with fiber when it comes to data transmission speed.

Why is fiber faster than copper?

Because fiber transmits data using light, its performance is theoretically limited only by the speed of light. In practical application, high-fiber-count cabling can support 100Gbps transmission speeds with less signal loss than copper over long distances.

Benefits of Copper Cables in Data Centers

Copper still has its place in the data center environment. The primary benefit of copper DAC cables is cost — they are less expensive than fiber-optic cables. They also consume less power, are easier to deploy, and provide flexibility as network demands change.

Direct Attach Copper (DAC) cables connect individual systems to the switches or routers installed at the top of a server rack and interconnect adjacent racks. They consist of shielded Twinax cables with hot-pluggable transceiver modules that enable high-speed data transmission over short distances.

What Is Twinax Cable?

Twinax cable is similar to the coax cabling that is traditionally used for cable TV. However, Twinax has two inner conductors while coax has only one. The conductors work in half-duplex mode, which means that both are needed to transmit data. 

Developed by IBM, Twinax was originally used for IBM midrange hosts, Power Systems, terminals, and printers. Today, Twinax cables are combined with SFP+ and similar connectors for multigigabit Ethernet networking.

A Look at Transceiver Modules: Different Types of SFP Modules

Small form-factor pluggable (SFP) transceiver modules are used as a network interface for DAC cables. SFP modules are much smaller than the older gigabit interface converter (GBIC) modules, making them more suitable for today’s high-density data center environments. Because the modules are hot-pluggable, the network can be upgraded without redesigning the cabling or even shutting down systems.

SFP modules provide 1Gbps transmission speeds, but there are other types that enable greater performance.

SFP+ and SFP28

Both SFP+ and SFP28 modules have the same form factor as SFP — SFP+ enables data rates of 10Gbps while SFP28 provides data rates of 25Gbps. Many SFP+ ports will accept SFP modules, although the data rate will be reduced to 1Gbps. However, SFP+ modules cannot be plugged into an SFP port. Similarly, SFP28 ports will accept SFP+ modules, reducing the data rate to 10Gbps, but SFP28 modules cannot be plugged into an SFP+ port.

QSFP+ and QSFP28

The “Q” in QSFP stands for “quad.” QSFP+ modules support four 10Gbps data transmission channels to enable speeds of 40Gbps. QSFP28 modules support four 25Gbps channels to support data rates of 100Gbps. Combining a QSFP+ module on one end of the cable with four SFP+ modules on the other for greater flexibility is possible.

Enconnex High-Speed Copper Cabling

Enconnex DAC network cables deliver high-performance, low-latency connectivity at low cost and with less power consumption. We offer SFP+ (10Gbps), SFP28 (25Gbps), QSFP+ (40Gbps), and QSFP28 (100Gbps) solutions in lengths from ½ meter to 7 meters.

Each DAC cable is thoroughly tested for compatibility and is multi-source agreement compliant for use across devices from multiple vendors. Our DAC cables are also engineered to integrate with all Enconnex server cabinets and cable management products seamlessly.

If you’re looking to upgrade the DAC cables in your data center, Enconnex solutions offer high speeds at a great value. Contact our cabling experts to discuss your particular requirements.