GBICS and Copper/Fiber???

[letnet]

OK - I got this reply from my Acct. Mgr today in response to trying to find out if there were copper GBICS for my Cat4000 18-port GIG card:

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No, there is not a copper GBIC for the WS-X4418-GB as this module is for fiber only. However . . .

Yes, there is a 1000BaseTX Copper Module: WS-X4412-2GB-T=, GE Switch Module,

12- 1000T(RJ45)+2- 1000X (GBIC Slot), $6,995.

http://www.cisco.com/warp/public/cc/techno/lnty/etty/ggetty/prodlit/1092_pp.

htm

Thanks,

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Now ... would the enlightened (or more GBIC experienced) out there please explain what the heck good the whole GBIC concept does if you can't change media? (ie - sx - lx -tx). Is there an actual good technical reason why you can't design a GBIC slot to accomodate TX and Fiber modules? I'm not trying to rant here as I'm sure there's a technical reason - but it's dar disappointing as that's 50% the value of the GBIC concept... :-(

I used to be able to switch TX and Fiber in my old 3Com gear :-) Now I know I haven't exactly downgraded here but... :-)

- Ken

[thomas.chen]

Good Point. Perhaps your account manager could shed some light on that.

[csthomas]

The problem is that the old GBIC slots were designed long before copper GBIC modules were designed. The copper GBICs take more current than the old fiber GBIC slots were intended to provide. New blades will more than likely support copper GBICs. I suppose one could fault the designers for not having infinite foresight, but it hardly seems fair.