Technical resources
Buying guides, technical notes and manufacturer-reference resources for professional optical links.
Editorial scope
SFP through QSFP-DD · original manufacturer references · selection boundaries · procurement context
FortiGate vs Palo Alto Networks comparison: ASIC vs Single-Pass performance, threat protection throughput, licensing, and 5-year TCO. Recommendations by company size.
April 15, 2026
Cisco vs Juniper 2026 comparison: campus switching, service provider routing, data centers, and SD-WAN. Market share, ecosystem, pricing, and skills. Which vendor should you choose for your organization?
April 15, 2026
Expert guide to budget switches for SMBs: Aruba Instant On 1960 vs Cisco CBS250 vs Netgear MS324TX. The best value for money, PoE, VLANs, and management for 10–100 users.
April 15, 2026
Expert guide to DAC and AOC cables: differences, reach, compatibility, and pricing. SFP+, SFP28, QSFP28, QSFP-DD. When to choose DAC vs AOC vs transceiver modules and fiber.
April 15, 2026
Expert guide to BGP edge routers for regional ISPs: Juniper MX204/MX480 vs Cisco ASR 9901/9902 vs Nokia 7750. Full BGP table, MPLS L3VPN, Internet peering, and Segment Routing.
April 15, 2026
Expert guide to the Juniper EX Series: EX2300, EX3400, EX4300, EX4400, EX4650, EX9200. Campus positioning, Virtual Chassis, Junos OS, Mist AI, part numbers, and pricing.
April 15, 2026
Expert guide to choosing a FortiGate: models from 40F to 7000, threat protection throughput sizing, UTP/ATP/Enterprise licenses, HA clustering, SD-WAN, and multi-tenant VDOMs. Part numbers and pricing.
April 15, 2026
Expert guide to data center ToR (Top-of-Rack) switches: Cisco Nexus 93180YC-FX, Juniper QFX5120-48Y, Aruba CX 8325. Density, buffers, oversubscription, and part numbers.
April 15, 2026
Expert guide to 25G/100G data center aggregation switches: Cisco Nexus 9336C-FX2, Juniper QFX5120-32C, and Aruba CX 8325. Spine-leaf architecture and oversubscription sizing.
April 15, 2026
Expert guide to 40G QSFP+ modules: SR4, LR4, ER4, and 4×10G breakout. When to use 40G versus migrating to 100G. Cisco/Juniper part numbers and prices.
April 15, 2026
Expert guide to branch routers for remote work and SD-WAN: FortiGate 40F/60F vs Cisco Meraki MX67 vs Catalyst 8200. Dual-WAN configuration, VPN, ZTNA, and pricing.
April 15, 2026
Enterprise core switch comparison: Cisco Catalyst 9500 vs Juniper EX4650 for campus distribution/core deployments. Performance, latency, licensing, and 5-year TCO.
April 15, 2026
