hp Switches and SFP compatibility?

[SYNACK]

How compatible are hp switches with generic SFP fibre modules?

 

We are looking at changing away from D-Link gear (previously good but quality has just dissapeared lately) to hp switches. Currently the existing backbone is handled by multiple fibers to each switch and I was wondering if anyone else had tried generic SFPs with hp gear and had sucess. This would save us from having to rebuy a whole bunch of SFPs that are currently very new and no were near replacment age.

[DMcCoy]

Any recent model and firmware - not at all, there's even minimum requirements for the HP version now too. It's the one downside to them, although the warranty and free updates makes up for it.

[SYNACK]

eeee, that could be costly as they are double the cost of the generic ones that we just brought

[plexer]

OEM HP fibre modules are about £130.

 

Ben

[SYNACK]

New Zealand Tax, well really uppity american company tax. That would work out to be about $390 here which is only about $80 more expencive than the D-Link ones $310. The best price we got for them though was $576 (£192) * 4 which is substantially more, especially for a repurchase. Edited March 11, 2009 by SYNACK

[DAckroyd]

if you are looking at changing all your switches it may be worth costing up ones that are 10GBe compatible and checking to see if your fibre will take it - kits dropping in price and may save you a future upgrade

[SYNACK]

We did look at that option but the price jump was huge and just not practical at this point for a primary school budget.

[DAckroyd]

ahh... didn't spot it was a primary

[Chris_Jones]

We have a HP core switch and tried unsuccessfully to use other brand GBICs (Netgears) had to give in and buy the Branded HP ones, they just arent compatable

[teejay]

They will only take HP ones, which also have to be revision B or higher.

It may be worth contacting HP to see if you can get some refurb ones.

[K.C.Leblanc]

Slightly off topic, can you check what revision gbic you're using from the console (I'm too nice to wonder round pulling fibres out). I'm upgrading most of our switches at the moment. I don't want to suddenly discover some of our gBics have died.

[m25man]

Synack,

 

I bought a load of generic units in from the USA specifically blown for HP switches even on the latest switches I have purchased they work fine.

I only paid $30 USD each.

PM me for the supplier details.

[james_yale]

Same situation here, we haven't bought any genuine HP GBICs for our newer generation (5400zl) switches. In each case I've asked a supplier for 'compatible' GBICs which are usually half the price (or less) than HP branded items and have worked absolutely perfectly.

[TheScarfedOne]

Similar experience here - was only able to get original HP branded ones to work. Netgear and others which we tried were all not recognised.

[SYNACK]

Same situation here, we haven't bought any genuine HP GBICs for our newer generation (5400zl) switches. In each case I've asked a supplier for 'compatible' GBICs which are usually half the price (or less) than HP branded items and have worked absolutely perfectly.

 

So there may be hope after all for the current D-Link ones as they conform to the generic standard. We ended up grabbing a couple and the supplier assured me that the current ones would play nice. Hopefully he was right otherwise I'll need to investigate some specially compatible ones or rearrange the switch deployment to compensate.

[DMcCoy]

So there may be hope after all for the current D-Link ones as they conform to the generic standard. We ended up grabbing a couple and the supplier assured me that the current ones would play nice. Hopefully he was right otherwise I'll need to investigate some specially compatible ones or rearrange the switch deployment to compensate.

 

HP State that only HP Gbics are supported (what a surprise!). I've had non HP older ones that stopped working after a firmware update. From time to time they also stop various fake HP ones from your local ebay seller working too.

 

Non HP parts also invalidates the warranty (I just read it to check). I'm sure you may find some that do work, just be prepared for the fact that after a future update this may not be the case anymore (you get a nice error light until you unplug it).