Low cost WDM gear

Sat Feb 7 19:21:08 UTC 2015

Any tips on getting other people to use colored optics or is it not the issue that I'd expect it to be? This particular application would be to connect two datacenters together over dark fiber and transport customers across as needed. I could see it being a little difficult to get someone to buy special optics (even if you can source generic ones) for your route. I wouldn't have an issue, but then again, I'm fairly easygoing... and "thrifty." 

Another scenario before me is within a datacenter when trying to save on cross connect charges. Spending a few thousand bucks once sure beats $300/month forever. I'm working with several other ISPs, some of which don't want another entity to be between them and their upstream. [Cut rambling short.] 

I guess the short of it is, active solutions are expensive, so do that or don't. ;-) I did get an AlcaLu quote under $25k once, but it wasn't far under. 

----- 
Mike Hammett 
Intelligent Computing Solutions 
http://www.ics-il.com 

----- Original Message -----

From: "Kenneth McRae" <kenneth.mcrae at me.com> 
To: "Mike Hammett" <nanog at ics-il.net> 
Cc: "NANOG" <nanog at nanog.org> 
Sent: Saturday, February 7, 2015 1:12:01 PM 
Subject: Re: Low cost WDM gear 

Yeah, you can get up to 80km on a passive unit using SFP+ and up to 120km using XFP. To cover the distance you are considering, you would need to insert an amplifier. Depending on the number of channels you require, a passive solution with an amplified would still be less expensive than an active solution. When I was conducting my research, I could not find an active solution under $25K. 

On Feb 07, 2015, at 10:32 AM, Mike Hammett <nanog at ics-il.net> wrote: 

Well, I'm not an expert in the world of long haul optics, but I think I'd want active over passive for the ability to use standard interfaces on the equipment (routers, switches, etc.) at either end. Then again, maybe something has changed that I don't know about. I would also think active would be better able to go those 185 mile distances than passive. I assume I'd need an amplifier in the middle to even make it that far. 

----- 
Mike Hammett 
Intelligent Computing Solutions 
http://www.ics-il.com 

----- Original Message ----- 

From: "Kenneth McRae" < kenneth.mcrae at me.com > 
To: "Mike Hammett" < nanog at ics-il.net > 
Cc: "NANOG" < nanog at nanog.org > 
Sent: Saturday, February 7, 2015 12:17:35 PM 
Subject: Re: Low cost WDM gear 

Are you looking for an active or passive solution? 

On Feb 07, 2015, at 10:06 AM, Mike Hammett < nanog at ics-il.net > wrote: 

One particular route I'm looking at is 185 miles, so of the options presented 300 km is closest. ;-) 

----- 
Mike Hammett 
Intelligent Computing Solutions 
http://www.ics-il.com 

----- Original Message ----- 

From: "Christopher Morrow" < morrowc.lists at gmail.com > 
To: "Kenneth McRae" < kenneth.mcrae at me.com > 
Cc: "NANOG" < nanog at nanog.org > 
Sent: Saturday, February 7, 2015 12:02:11 PM 
Subject: Re: Low cost WDM gear 

would be good for mike to define 'long distances' here, is it: 
2km 
30km 
300km 
3000km 

Probably the 30-60k range is what you mean by 'long distances' but... 
clarity might help. 

On Sat, Feb 7, 2015 at 12:55 PM, Kenneth McRae < kenneth.mcrae at me.com > wrote: 

<blockquote> 
Mike, 

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<blockquote> 
I just replaced a bunch of FiberStore WDM passive muxes with OSI Hardware 
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equipment. The FiberStore gear was a huge disappointment (excessive loss, 
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poor technical support, refusal to issue refund without threatening legal 
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action, etc.). I have had good results from the OSI equipment so far. I 
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run passive muxes for CWDM (8 - 16 channels). 
</blockquote> 

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</blockquote> 

<blockquote> 
On Feb 07, 2015, at 09:51 AM, Manuel Marín < mmg at transtelco.net > wrote: 
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<blockquote> 

</blockquote> 

<blockquote> 
Hi Mike 
</blockquote> 

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</blockquote> 

<blockquote> 
I can recommend a couple of vendors that provide cost effective solutions. 
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<blockquote> 
Ekinops & Packetlight. 
</blockquote> 

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</blockquote> 

<blockquote> 
On Saturday, February 7, 2015, Mike Hammett < nanog at ics-il.net > wrote: 
</blockquote> 

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</blockquote> 

<blockquote> 
I know there are various Asian vendors for low cost (less than $500) muxes 
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to throw 16 or however many colors onto a strand. However, they don't work 
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<blockquote> 
so well when you don't control the optics used on both sides (therefore 
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must use standard wavelengths), obviously only do a handful of channels and 
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have a distance limitation. 
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What solutions are out there that don't cost an arm and a leg? 
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<blockquote> 
----- 
</blockquote> 

<blockquote> 
Mike Hammett 
</blockquote> 

<blockquote> 
Intelligent Computing Solutions 
</blockquote> 

<blockquote> 
http://www.ics-il.com 
</blockquote> 

<blockquote> 

</blockquote> 

<blockquote> 

</blockquote> 

<blockquote> 
-- 
</blockquote> 

<blockquote> 
TRANSTELCO| Manuel Marin | VP Engineering | US: *+1 915-217-2232* | MX: *+52 
</blockquote> 

<blockquote> 
656-257-1109* 
</blockquote> 

<blockquote> 

</blockquote> 

<blockquote> 
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