Q: Could a 4port SFP+ PCI card be used to provide connections  (eg. SMB (or iscsi?) Workstation <-> Unraid Array)  effectively, or, would it be better on an external switch?

 

 

I have been pricing out switches to add to my lab/lan and the pricing is of course a major issue. Partly due to one 'requirement'; I want to add, which is 10gb networking to PC workstations. 

 

This is just for home/homelab, so going to the best mix of efficiency and 'lab' use for NetAdmin experiments and such.  I happen to have access to some decent/limited gear for free, so, looking at the viability. 

 

Server is a 2U xeon SuperMicro, 12bay. Came with a 4 port SFP NIC and nice SAS Raid controller (in HBM sata split mode). 

 

Storage/use case is both common media server on unraid, some gameservers,  but, also content creation uploads from workstations (eg. video streams for interim/stock/edit storage) So, lite archive and general storage of 2k/4k video for youtube content creation.  Moving a 1-4g file over 1gb LAN is about 110mb/sec currently (sustained... ram and nvme cache work really well on unraid usually.)  10G should allow editing directly over net, though that isn't the primary idea.. unless it's really that good.

 

We originally wired up dual cat6a copper runs to each workstation, but now looking at adding a fiber to them (only 3 runs). Original intent was 10g copper, but, fiber seems doable/better... and, cheaper, since we have the 10g fiber SFPs already... and 10G copper SFPs are just very expensive/hot/etc. 
 

 

A big managed unit with 4xSFP+ is a hard ask, the price gets very high, especially if needing some poe and other gig ports.  

 

One alternative is a smaller switch like the 4xsfp+ Microtik CRS305, and then whatever 12-16port gig switch with 8 or more PoE ports. (Couple waps, some cameras, then various 1g copper devices. Bonded 1g for WAN also likely to reach 2g+ later). 

So, the question is, if we saved a bit of $$ on the 10G switch and just used the 4xSFP+ directly into the unraid server, would that be significantly different than a separate switch.  Almost all traffic is workstation <-> Unraid... not between workstations.

Internet WAN is 1.2gbps Xfinity... which could be 2g soon enough, package deal depending. So, having the internet via the 10G link would be a bit nicer, vs. inet via 1g copper alongside the unraid 10G direct. Bit unsure how to bridge up inet over the 10G if using the direct to card method as well. (4x1G on sever as well of course).

You could try bridge them on existing HW.