Arista CAB-Q-S-5M | QSFP+ to 4x SFP+ DAC Breakout Cable, 40G, 5m

Q: What does the CAB-Q-S-5M connect?
A: The CAB-Q-S-5M is a breakout DAC cable that connects a single 40GbE QSFP+ port on one end to four independent 10GbE SFP+ ports on the other. This allows a 40G switch port to fan out to four separate 10G devices such as servers, NICs, or top-of-rack switches.

Q: Is this cable active or passive?
A: The CAB-Q-S-5M is a passive Direct Attach Copper (DAC) cable. It requires no additional power beyond what the host ports supply, making it an energy-efficient and cost-effective choice for short-range data centre interconnects.

Q: What is the maximum cable length supported?
A: This specific cable is 5 metres in length. Passive DAC cables are generally suited to short-range connections within or between adjacent racks. For longer distances, active optical cables (AOC) or optical transceivers would be recommended.

Q: Is the CAB-Q-S-5M compatible with non-Arista switches?
A: Yes. The CAB-Q-S-5M is compliant with industry standards including SFF-8436, SFF-8431, and QSFP+ MSA, making it broadly compatible with 40G QSFP+ and 10G SFP+ ports from many vendors including Cisco, Juniper, and HPE. Compatibility should always be verified against your specific platform.

Q: Can I purchase the Arista CAB-Q-S-5M in Australia?
A: Yes. IP Trading stocks the Arista CAB-Q-S-5M and ships across Australia. As a specialist B2B IT hardware reseller, IP Trading offers competitive pricing, expert pre-sales advice, and fast fulfilment for data centre cabling requirements.

Q: What use cases is this cable best suited for?
A: The CAB-Q-S-5M is ideal for data centre top-of-rack deployments, server connectivity, and high-density switching environments where a 40G switch port needs to support four 10G endpoints. It is commonly used in enterprise, cloud, and telecom operator environments.