Arista CAB-S-S-25G-5M | 25G SFP28 Twinax DAC Cable, Passive Copper, 5 Metre

Q: What is the data rate supported by the CAB-S-S-25G-5M?
A: The CAB-S-S-25G-5M supports 25 Gbps (25GBASE-CR) as its primary data rate. It is also dual-rate capable and can operate at 10G, making it suitable for environments transitioning from 10G to 25G infrastructure.

Q: Is the CAB-S-S-25G-5M compatible with non-Arista switches?
A: This cable is fully qualified by Arista for use with Arista EOS-based switches. Compatibility with third-party switches depends on whether the host switch accepts third-party DAC cables. It is SFP28 MSA compliant, which provides a strong baseline for interoperability, but we recommend confirming compatibility with the target switch vendor before purchase.

Q: What is the difference between a passive DAC cable and an active optical cable (AOC)?
A: A passive DAC cable like the CAB-S-S-25G-5M uses copper conductors with no active electronic components, resulting in lower cost, lower power consumption, and lower latency. AOCs use fibre optics with active laser transceivers at each end, enabling longer reach but at higher cost and power draw. For short reaches up to 5 metres, passive DAC cables are typically the preferred solution.

Q: Can this cable be used in high-density data centre spine-leaf architectures?
A: Yes. The CAB-S-S-25G-5M is specifically designed for top-of-rack and rack-to-rack connectivity in high-density data centre environments, including spine-leaf architectures. Its passive design and minimal power draw make it ideal for deployments where hundreds of interconnects are needed within a single row or rack cluster.

Q: Can I purchase the Arista CAB-S-S-25G-5M in Australia from IP Trading?
A: Yes. IP Trading (iptrading.com.au) is an Australian B2B IT hardware reseller with the CAB-S-S-25G-5M in stock and ready to ship. Orders placed through iptrading.com.au are dispatched promptly, making it easy to source genuine Arista DAC cables locally without lengthy international lead times.

Q: Does the CAB-S-S-25G-5M require any special drivers or software configuration?
A: No special drivers are required. The EEPROM built into each SFP28 connector provides automatic product identification to the host system, allowing plug-and-play operation on compatible Arista switches running EOS. No manual configuration of the cable itself is needed.