Tansceivers

Generalized term for any device that can both transmit and receive data.

Protocol - set of rules and standard that govern how data is trnasmitted and recived on a network.

Ethernet - Family of compuer network technoligy used in LAN, MAN nd WAN. phyiscal and network standards. used in most iwired networkds. copper media, fiber media, and radio waves (wi - fi)

fibre channel (FC)

High- speed network technology primarily used to connect computer data storage to servers in storage area netroks. multiple gigabits per chanel per second. optical and fiber optical. high troughput low latency, used for storage.

Transceiver can convert from FC to Ethernet

Tranceivers can convert one network typ to a different type of network.

Transcevers can convert fiber to copper.

Transcevers can convert long distance fiber optiocs to copper.

Layer 1 to layer 1 conversions are layer 1.

sfp small form factor pluggable 4.25 GBPS.

sfp+ 16 Gbps

qsfp quad small form facdtor plluggable 4 Gbpt

qsfp+ quad small form factor pluggable plus 40 Gbps

qsfp28 100 GBPS

QSFP56 200GBPS

qsfp is faster than sfp converts light back to an electrical impuls. Transciver/ media cable.

Transceivers & Media

General Definition

Transceiver = Any device that can transmit and receive data.
Works at OSI Layer 1 (Physical layer).

Protocols (rules for data exchange)

Ethernet (IEEE 802.3)
- Family of standards for LAN, MAN, WAN.
- Supports copper (twisted pair), fiber optics, and wireless (Wi-Fi).
Fibre Channel (FC)
- High-speed network technology for storage area networks (SANs).
- Multiple Gbps per channel.
- Advantages: high throughput, low latency.
- Uses fiber optic and copper media.

👉 Exam Tip: FC = storage networking, not regular LAN Ethernet.

Transceiver Capabilities

Convert fiber ↔ copper.
Convert long-distance fiber ↔ short-run copper.
Convert protocols (e.g., Fibre Channel ↔ Ethernet).
All done at Layer 1 (Physical layer) — just media conversion.

Common Transceiver Form Factors

SFP (Small Form-Factor Pluggable)
- Up to 4.25 Gbps
- Hot-swappable
SFP+
- Up to 16 Gbps
QSFP (Quad SFP)
- 4 channels bundled
- Up to 40 Gbps
QSFP+
- enhanced QSFP
- Up to 41.2 Gbps
QSFP28
- Up to 100 Gbps
QSFP56
- Up to 200 Gbps

👉 QSFP is always faster than SFP.

👉 Converts light ↔ electrical impulses (for fiber ↔ copper).

✅ Rapid Review Questions

What OSI layer do transceivers operate at?
Which technology is Fibre Channel mainly used for?
Which is faster: QSFP+ or SFP+?
What does a transceiver do when converting fiber to copper?

Want me to also make you a one-page “Media + Connectors + Transceivers” master sheet (copper, fiber, connectors, transceivers) so you can hit the entire objective in one glance