DWDM Optics cheaper than CWDM Optics?

Tue Jan 31 15:39:55 UTC 2017

On 01/31/2017 10:17 AM, Karl Gerhard wrote:
> Hello,
>
> fs.com offers DWDM optics that are cheaper than CWDM optics:
> CWDM 80km 10G for 600$ http://www.fs.com/c/cisco-cwdm-sfp-plus-2425?70-80km
> DWDM 80km 10G for 420$ http://www.fs.com/c/cisco-dwdm-sfp-plus-2485?70-80km
>
> This is significant.
> Is this for real? Has anybody bought their DWDM optics?
>
> Going with DWDM and passive Mux/Demux seems to be cheaper nowadays than
> going with CWDM.

I came to the same conclusion a couple years ago.  At the time, CWDM was 
about the same price as DWDM or maybe still just a hair cheaper, but the 
DWDM system is a) so much more capable, and b) typically has better 
tools/monitoring, etc. (if you're using muxponders, etc.) that it made 
sense to just go DWDM.  Given advances in optics, I'm not surprised that 
DWDM is now cheaper than CWDM outright.

Of course, the same may not be true if you're buying a fully engineered 
system from a major vendor.  CWDM can be a little easier to 
engineer...sometimes.

-- 
Brandon Martin