GLC-ZX-SM Cisco 1000BASE-ZX extended distance SFP

Cisco GLC-ZX-SM - Overview

The GLC-ZX-SM is Cisco’s long-haul Gigabit SFP, designed for extended-distance fiber links in enterprise, campus, and service provider networks. It’s hot-swappable and compatible with a wide range of Cisco Catalyst, Nexus, and MDS platforms.

🔧 Key Specifications

• Form Factor: SFP (hot-swappable)
• Standard: IEEE 802.3z 1000BASE-ZX compliant
• Wavelength: 1550 nm (long-haul laser)
• Connector: Duplex LC
• Fiber Type: Single-mode fiber (SMF)
• Reach:
  • Up to 70 km on standard SMF
  • Up to 100 km on premium SMF or dispersion-shifted SMF
• Data Rate: 1 Gbps line rate
• Compatibility: Supported across Cisco Catalyst, Nexus, and MDS switches/routers
• Hot-Swappable: Yes, without disrupting system operation

🧩 Ideal Use Cases

• Service provider backbones requiring long-distance Gigabit Ethernet links
• Enterprise or campus networks interconnecting remote buildings or sites
• Data center interconnects (DCI) across metro or regional distances
• Scenarios where fiber spans exceed the 10 km limit of GLC-LH-SM/SMD