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May 24th, 2025 03:35
PC8024 10GBASE-T Instability with SFP+ Transceivers and Keystone/Patched Cabling
Hey,
I'm experiencing an unusual issue with a Dell PowerConnect 8024 and I’m hoping someone here can help shed some light.
I’m trying to establish a 10GBASE-T connection between Device A and my PC8024 switch using SFP+ transceivers and standard copper cabling. Here's what I've tested so far:
Transceivers Used:
Cable:
Infinity Cables / Phantom cables Cat6a (White, 550MHz)
Also have 650MHz Cat6a cable from Infinity/PhantomCables but haven’t tried it yet.
Keystone Jacks:
Cat6-rated keystones from InfinityCables (Phantom Cables branded)
NIC on Device A:
Using SFP+ transceivers in NIC
Observed Behavior
| Setup | Result |
|---|---|
| Single Direct Cat6a cable (SFP+ transceiver to PC8024) | Instant link |
| Cat5e cable (SFP+ transceiver to PC8024) | ~60 sec delay, but eventually links |
| Cat6a cable + Keystone patch (1ft) | No link, ever (PC8024 logs below) |
| SFP+ transceivers in both ends (PC8024 and Device A) | Instant link (over 5e, 6 and 6a) |
| Connecting to a different 1G switch (RJ45) | Works in all configurations |
| Using a native 10GBase-T NIC (e.g., Intel X540-T2) on Device A | Works flawlessly even with keystones and long cable runs, 3 keystone + 20m of cat6 (not A) still gives full 10g speeds |
| Notice | May 24 11:08:39 | TRAPMGR | Te1/0/20 is transitioned from the Forwarding state to the Blocking state in instance 0 |
| Notice | May 24 11:08:39 | TRAPMGR | Link on Te1/0/20 is failed |
| Notice | May 24 11:08:39 | TRAPMGR | Link Down: Te1/0/20 |
Another key thing is this issue only occurs when I'm sending tagged traffic through the pc8024, for example when i set the port to general or trunk with tagged vlans XX and YY the link wont occur through the keystone and transceiver combo. If i set the port in this case te 1/0/20 to access with pvid of vlan XX it will get a link instantly. Device A is set to accept and send tagged traffic on vlan XX and YY.
What I've Tried
Tested both 10G-only transceivers and multi-rate (10/5/2.5/1G) models.
Used different cables, different devices on the client end.
Verified cables and keystone assemblies pass a tester.
Problem only occurs when using SFP+ transceivers and patching through a keystone.
Looking for Help
Are there known compatibility issues between the PC8024 and these SFP+ transceivers? (Even though the transceiver works in the dell's sfp+ port)
Does the PC8024 have strict requirements or weak tolerance for 10GBASE-T signal training over transceivers?
Thanks in advance,
M
DELL-Joey C
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May 26th, 2025 02:25
Hi,
There are known issues where non Dell compatible SFP is used and can cause issues. Although it is not documented publicly, but there are technical tickets opened by users in various switch models using different brand SFP. PC8024 is relatively quite an old switch, the SFP that is being used by the switch are EOL. DPN# PGYJT is one of it and WP2PP is another.
The switches have strong strict requirements, to establish and maintain a reliable network link. This process ensures proper communication by verifying the SFP transceiver's functionality and the link's quality. The switch uses the transceiver's data to determine the operating conditions and transmit data, and it also provides diagnostics for monitoring the transceiver's status.