Support for NBASE-T in 5700-32XGT-8XG-2QSFP+ ?

[henca]

After buying our second 5700-32XGT-8XG-2QSFP+ (we liked our first one!) we have found the hard way that our existing CAT6-cabling does not cut the mustard. With 10GBase-T-cards in computers with CAT6 cables of about 40m length we only get 1 Gb/s speed. Trying to lock the speed to 10 Gb/s instead of auto results in no link.

We have some NICs which support NBASE-T with speeds of 5 Gb/s and 2.5 Gb/s, but for this to work also the switch must support NBASE-T. Is is somehow possible to enable NBASE-T support in 5700-32XGT-8XG-2QSFP+ ?

The switch in question is running software version 7.1.045, release 2422P01.

regards Henrik

[parnassus]

Well...10GBASE-T could be deployed - for short reach (less than 55 meters long end-to-end) - using existing Cat.6 cabling...but Cat. 6A (or, even better, Cat. 7) should be the way to go to avoid troubles and nasty issues on longer runs.

Apart from that, did you tried to update the HPE FlexFabric 5700 software version to the latest one available (Comware 7.10 R2432P01)?

I ask because an interesting reading about failures on speed negotiations against a device with Smart Rate enabled ports with an HPE FlexFabric 5700 involved: software version plays a role (read this).

Are you referring to something like HPE (Aruba) Smart Rate?

From the Aruba Smart Rate Solution Overview document (here):

"HPE Smart Rate is a new multi-gigabit (1, 2.5, 5, 10Gbps) twisted-pair network interface that is interoperable with the NBASE-T ecosystem of 2.5/5Gbps products as well as with existing industry standard 1GbE/10GbE devices. It allows the majority of existing cable installations found in campus LAN environments to provide higher bandwidth connectivity, distribute PoE power to connected devices, and secure the wired-link for next-generation 802.11ac applications."

AFAIK only (some) Aruba Switch families - like the Aruba 5400R zl2 and the Aruba 3810 Switch Series - support it...and HPE Smart Rate technology should be compatible with Cisco Multigigabit Ethernet technology implementation (which is based on NBASE-T).

I'm not sure that actually Comware based Switches are supporting the HPE Smart Rate technology as (some) ArubaOS-Switch based ones recently do...so I think they can't interoperate fully with NBASE-T implementations and listed products (see www.nbaset.org)...but I could be wrong here.

[henca]

I just tried to upgrade to the latest 2432P01 and can't say for sure if it supports 2.5 Gb/s or 5.0 Gb/s with NICs supporting NGbase-T. But the good news is that I now got 10 Gb/s on the approximately 40 m long CAT6 connection!

With 10Gbase-T working I don't worry much about 2.5 or 5 Gb/s anymore, maybe I will start worrying again if I connect some computer with a longer CAT6 cable.

So the 2432P01 was really an upgrade for me, thanks for the suggestion!

regards Henrik