Discussion
I have an older server, the board is B800 I don't know much more than that, the manual I have for it doesn't even list the manufacturer!
Anyway, I've been using a PCIe network card since I got it, but today I started looking at using the onboard Ethernet so I can add another SATA controller in the PCIe slot. So far I've learned that the onboard ethernet port is for BMC, whatever that is, and can't be used as a normal ethernet thingy so now it boots up and has no network connection. A bit of a problem!
There's no option to turn it on in the BIOS, so I guess that's correct. But it leaves me with a pickle as I really do need to get some more SATA on there.
It has a 10G SFP+ port. No idea what that is, but it looks like it's for plugging in some fibre. I put SFP+ into Amazon and it looks like I can get a thingy that goes in the port that lets me plug ethernet in.
Is that a solution? I've never heard of SFP before now, so I've no idea what I'm doing!
I have another PCIe slot, that has a Google Coral TPU in it, which I'm using to detect Hedgehogs in the garden for the kids, so that has to stay. Maybe it's possible to plug a PCIe to 2 x PCIe board into that one and share the port between the Coral and the Ethernet card?
Any advice gratefully received......
Anyway, I've been using a PCIe network card since I got it, but today I started looking at using the onboard Ethernet so I can add another SATA controller in the PCIe slot. So far I've learned that the onboard ethernet port is for BMC, whatever that is, and can't be used as a normal ethernet thingy so now it boots up and has no network connection. A bit of a problem!
There's no option to turn it on in the BIOS, so I guess that's correct. But it leaves me with a pickle as I really do need to get some more SATA on there.
It has a 10G SFP+ port. No idea what that is, but it looks like it's for plugging in some fibre. I put SFP+ into Amazon and it looks like I can get a thingy that goes in the port that lets me plug ethernet in.
Is that a solution? I've never heard of SFP before now, so I've no idea what I'm doing!
I have another PCIe slot, that has a Google Coral TPU in it, which I'm using to detect Hedgehogs in the garden for the kids, so that has to stay. Maybe it's possible to plug a PCIe to 2 x PCIe board into that one and share the port between the Coral and the Ethernet card?
Any advice gratefully received......
BMC is out of band management that servers typically have so as you say it won't be able to be used as a normal ethernet port.
SFP+ takes a module and the module can do different things.
You should be able to get one that will accept a 1GbE ethernet cable but I wouldn't be comfortable suggesting one based off the info you've given.
I'd have a really good look on the motherboard and in the BIOS to see if there's any more info available.
SFP+ takes a module and the module can do different things.
You should be able to get one that will accept a 1GbE ethernet cable but I wouldn't be comfortable suggesting one based off the info you've given.
I'd have a really good look on the motherboard and in the BIOS to see if there's any more info available.
There's a bit of explaination about SFP modules, SFP & SFP+ here:
https://community.fs.com/article/can-10gb-switch-p...
SFP modules run up to 1G, SFP+ modules go up to 10G & you can get modules with copper RJ45 & fibre connections - you'll probably be looking at copper RJ45. The problem is they aren't generic or universal so you get modules for Juniper or Cisco etc. Often you can use a cheaper 1G SFP in a 10G SFP+ slot but it's not guaranteed.
This is a 1G SFP & there are 22 different versions including this generic one:
https://www.fs.com/uk/products/75324.html?attribut...
As you have seen Amazon have a few options:
https://www.amazon.co.uk/s?k=sfp+rj45&crid=9ZO...
You might be lucky & find the £11 one works but really without more information about the motherboard it's a guessing game.
https://community.fs.com/article/can-10gb-switch-p...
SFP modules run up to 1G, SFP+ modules go up to 10G & you can get modules with copper RJ45 & fibre connections - you'll probably be looking at copper RJ45. The problem is they aren't generic or universal so you get modules for Juniper or Cisco etc. Often you can use a cheaper 1G SFP in a 10G SFP+ slot but it's not guaranteed.
This is a 1G SFP & there are 22 different versions including this generic one:
https://www.fs.com/uk/products/75324.html?attribut...
As you have seen Amazon have a few options:
https://www.amazon.co.uk/s?k=sfp+rj45&crid=9ZO...
You might be lucky & find the £11 one works but really without more information about the motherboard it's a guessing game.
Thanks, that's all helpful.
The motherboard shows as " ZTSYSTEM A9DRPF-10S Version TBD" in my OS, I'm running UnRaid, which is on the linux 6.1-49-Unraid x86_64 kernel. The manual says it's a B600 motherboard and that the patents lie with Inventec (Pudong) Technology Corporation. It's a 2012 board for an idea of its age.
The motherboard shows as " ZTSYSTEM A9DRPF-10S Version TBD" in my OS, I'm running UnRaid, which is on the linux 6.1-49-Unraid x86_64 kernel. The manual says it's a B600 motherboard and that the patents lie with Inventec (Pudong) Technology Corporation. It's a 2012 board for an idea of its age.
I've been all over the documentation I have and can't really find out anything about what I have exactly. The SFP module descriptions all seem to be from the perspective the network switch rather than the server, or I don't understand it, could be either. So I've gambled on an £11 Amazon one, maybe I'll get lucky, it's coming later today......
Generally SFP+ ports are found in switches but also in server adapters.
You might have a SFP+ port at both ends in which case, rather than getting two modules and a cable, you can install a Direct Attach Cable which incorporates a pair of modules and costs peanuts.
On the other hand if you have a SFP+ port on the server but a regular RJ45 switch port to plug into, you'd need to get a RJ45 SFP/SFP+ module and then you can use any suitable twisted pair interconnect to link the two.
I have some Ubiquiti SFP+ RJ45 modules that will operate at 1/2.5/5/10Gbps for example.
You might have a SFP+ port at both ends in which case, rather than getting two modules and a cable, you can install a Direct Attach Cable which incorporates a pair of modules and costs peanuts.
On the other hand if you have a SFP+ port on the server but a regular RJ45 switch port to plug into, you'd need to get a RJ45 SFP/SFP+ module and then you can use any suitable twisted pair interconnect to link the two.
I have some Ubiquiti SFP+ RJ45 modules that will operate at 1/2.5/5/10Gbps for example.
I definitely don't have SFP at both ends, until the weekend I didn't know I had SFP at all, or even what it was!
I can't power down the server until at least tomorrow as I forgot I wanted to do that and asked it to spend all day messing around with its array, but hopefully tomorrow it'll just work when I put in this SFP thingy.
I can't power down the server until at least tomorrow as I forgot I wanted to do that and asked it to spend all day messing around with its array, but hopefully tomorrow it'll just work when I put in this SFP thingy.
Thanks, I think.
My SFP port isn't hot-pluggable! I plugged it in and it triggered and instantaneous power-off! That's the bad news. The good news is that it does work, now it's booted back up it's back on the network.
So I can remove my network card, add my SATA card, get all my cache drives installed and then sort out my array over night.....
My SFP port isn't hot-pluggable! I plugged it in and it triggered and instantaneous power-off! That's the bad news. The good news is that it does work, now it's booted back up it's back on the network.
So I can remove my network card, add my SATA card, get all my cache drives installed and then sort out my array over night.....
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