Connecting two switches using single mode fiber

[W__S]

Hi,
I have 2 switches that are 500m apart. I would like to connect them using single mode fiber. One of the switches in question is Netgear M5300-28G (POE switch) and the GBIC module is AGM732F FIBER 1000BLX SFP GBIC MODULE

How can I do that? We've never done this before. We were expecting it to work as a normal ethernet cable would, but I don't get any lights on the port after I connect the GBIC module and fiber cable.

Unfortunately netgear support is not that great.

Any starting point is appreciated.

 

[bill001g]

You need to be sure the fiber pair is crosses. The lead that comes out the left side of the pair on one switch goes into the right side on the other. It can be tricky at first to separate the end plug if the cable was not manufactured as a cross but they are designed to be taken apart and swapped.

Obviously the other end must be single mode optics to work.

 

[W__S]

Hi Bill,
Thank you very much for your answer. My colleague who is responsible for the physical installation did reverse the cables, but it still didn't work. We did test it with a laser pen and we noticed that one of the 2 fibers is a tiny bit dimmer than the other.

I was wondering, apart from the physical connection, are there any configuration that needs to be made? For example when you plug an ethernet cable, the connection becomes active rightaway. Is it the same with fiber or there are complex configurations that need to take place?

 

[bill001g]

Some switches that say are dual mode copper/SFP you must tell them to use the SFP other just assume if you put a SFP in it will use it.

In most case it just works, if the switch has the option to display the port it should actually know that it is a single mode sfp compared to a multimode one. Some will even give you the serial number and part number of the SFP.

There is not a lot you can set. The only option on fiber ports is flow control stuff. You might disable that option on both ends just in case it is having issue negotiating it.

 

[W__S]

Some switches that say are dual mode copper/SFP you must tell them to use the SFP other just assume if you put a SFP in it will use it.

In most case it just works, if the switch has the option to display the port it should actually know that it is a single mode sfp compared to a multimode one. Some will even give you the serial number and part number of the SFP.

There is not a lot you can set. The only option on fiber ports is flow control stuff. You might disable that option on both ends just in case it is having issue negotiating it.

Thanks Bill for your help. I got the netgear switch from my client and put it next to my cisco switch and connected them with simplex cables crossed over like you said and it worked without any configuration. In case of the cisco switch i think it used the connection that was connected lastly. Meaning, if I connected an ethernet cable with the fiber already connected, it would switch over to using the ethernet (not that I would leave the ethernet connected).

Anyway, at least now I know how it is supposed to work. Now my installers will have to diagnose where cabling issue is on the customer's site.