D-Link

[roxusa]

We commissioned a new facility with a corrugator from BHS. I am new to Fiber optics and it seems there are a lot of cables on this Siemens system. They al have a D-Link DEM-311GT on the end of them where they plug in and I have had literally a dozen go bad. When we first realized the problems we were having I ended up swapping one out in a Siemens controller not noticing it
was a Siemens brand(I don't have #) but it physically looked the same. The Tech said that Siemens unit had to have the Siemens one not a D-Link.
They will replace them under warranty, but moving forward its on me. I guess I will get a case. Anyone else have troubles with these? Am I missing something?
Maybe just a bad batch But my last 4 issues with the machine have all been comm's and I go straight for the D-Link now on whatever is faulted and its the problem. Is one brand better than another?

[parky]

Only used some of the old D-Link stuff like the cat5 to 9 pin Ethernet (don't know why the ethernet was 9 pin Din RJ11) these were active units they were notorious for failing, we actually replaced these with some from RS no idea who made them but they worked.
Had a number of D-link switches fail as well so stopped using them.

[Ken Roach]

For folks info who don't recognize the part: that's a Small Form Factor Pluggable (SFP) fiber-optic transceiver. If you have an Ethernet switch or router that has modular fiber optics, that's the sort of device that you use.

The DEM-311GT is pretty normal: 1000BASE-SX multimode gigabit fiber.

In my opinion and experience, D-Link stuff is consumer or commercial grade, but not industrial. But it's very popular and cost effective, so it also attracts counterfeits.

SFP's will all look very similar. It's possible you got a bad batch, or some low qualify counterfeits, or just some terrible luck. But it's not because they're a bad design or that D-Link isn't a reputable vendor.

[roxusa]

Thanks Ken
The Siemens Units all have a 6GK5992-1AL00-8AA0 unit in them, It physically looks
like the D-Link, but I am unsure if it is something else looking at data sheet.
Is it just a better one or for a different purpose.

[Dravik]

Based on the datasheets, I would guess(it isn't specific) that the D-link one is rated for >=OM2 and the Scalance seems to support >=OM3.

Also, the scalance ones are definitely rated to a wider temp range.

Edit: Also, and this may not matter, but the Scalance SFPs are listed for Haz areas.
I couldn't find any approvals for the D-link ones.

[roxusa]

So my question would be could I replace the D-Link ones with the Scalance?
There is definitely a heat issue in play even though the enclosures are cooled.
When I removed the unused D-Links from ports that had no fiber Optic attached
to use them to replace bad ones, they were hot and even one was bad already.

[Dravik]

Yes, you should be able to replace the D-Link SFPs w/ the Scalence ones.