SFP port and RJ45 port

Compared to Ethernet switches that only use RJ45 ports, SFP port switches support more types of communication cables and longer link distances. It can also be port swapped with 1000BASE-SX, 1000BASE-LX/LH, 1000BASE-ZX or 1000BASE-BX10-D/U. But for short distance links on Gigabit switches, there is no difference between using SFP ports or RJ45 ports to interconnect the switches. If you don't plan to connect servers over optical links in the near future, you don't need SFPs and you can continue to use standard 1000BASE-T. The following table lists the RJ45 connection and SFP connection of the Gigabit switch:

Range SFP Port RJ45 Interface Connection Type

RJ45 SFP module + network cable (Cat5e, Cat6 or higher)

Fiber SFP module + fiber optic cable (SMF fiber/MMF fiber)

Network cable (Cat5e, Cat6 or higher) Maximum distance MMF (550m) / SMF (150km) / Cat5 (100m) 100 meters (330 feet) Data rate 1000Mbps (1G)1000Mbps (1G)