Understanding Network Transceivers And How They Work

 

Broadly speaking, a network transceiver is a simple device that is used to receive and transmit data over a fibre optic network. The basic principle behind its working mechanism is that it converts the electrical signal from devices into optical signals and vice versa. Most high-speed transceivers usually have two main components in their structure:  an optical transmitter and an optical receiver. The transmitter converts the electrical signals and sends them over the optical fibre as an optic signal. While on the contrary, the receiver converts the optical signals back into electrical signals, which are then processed by the network device.

 

The compatible transceivers are available in a lot of different speeds and data formats. In most common cases you can buy network transceivers at speeds of 100 Mbps, 1 Gbps, 10 Gbps, and 40 Gbps. While the data format of a transceiver is the way that the data is encoded onto the optical signal. The most common data formats for network transceivers are Ethernet, Fibre Channel, and SONET/SDH.

 

Types of High-Speed Transceivers

 

A lot of different types of transceivers are available in the IT market depending on their functionality and intended purpose. However, in general, the following types are most commonly used:

 

SFP transceivers: The SFP and SFP+ are popular types that are used in a lot of different networking applications, including Ethernet, Fibre Channel, and SONET. These high-speed devices are hot-pluggable, which is a great feature and means that they can be inserted and removed from a network interface card without having to power down the system. 

 

GBIC transceivers: Gigabit or GBIC transceivers are another famous variant and were used in the past mainly in the Ethernet networks. Typically in terms of form factor, these devices are relatively larger in size when compared with SFP transceivers and are also more expensive. However, GBIC transceivers also provide much faster data transfer speeds which can reach up to 10 Gbps. 

 

XFP transceivers: This type is usually used in high-performance networking applications like data centres and core networks.

 

Apart from these famous types, there are a lot of other important types of transceivers such as Ethernet transceivers, QSFP transceivers and fibre optic transceivers which can provide a range of speeds from 1 Gbps to over 100 Gbps.

 

If you want to purchase wholesale transceivers or other IT hardware from top transceiver suppliers in the UK, then BulkDevicesis the perfect store for you. If you are not sure which device will best align with your needs, then our expert IT advisors can guide you in selecting the right product. So, buy today and take your business to the next level.

 

FAQs

What is the difference between a copper and fibre optic transceiver?

The main difference between the two types is that the optic transceivers transmit data much faster thanks to optical technology. However, fibre optic devices are more expensive than their counterparts. 

What are the different types of modulation schemes used by network transceivers?

Most of the transceivers work by using 2 types of modulation: Amplitude modulation (AM) and frequency modulation (FM). In addition to these two types, some more complex modulation forms include quadrature amplitude modulation and orthogonal frequency division multiplexing 

How do network transceivers handle different types of network traffic?

The transceiving devices can handle network traffic using a lot of different types of network protocols. For example, unicast traffic uses a different protocol than multicast traffic, and ingress traffic uses a different technique than egress traffic.

How do network transceivers deal with signal attenuation?

Network transceivers deal with signal attenuation by using amplifiers to boost the signal strength, and by using error-correcting codes to detect and correct errors caused by attenuation.