StarTech.com Cisco GLC-FE-100FX Compatible SFP Transceiver Module - 100BASE-FX~Cisco GLC-FE-100FX Compatible SFP Module - 100BASE-FX - 100Mbps Multimode Fiber MMF Optic Transceiver - 100 Mbps - LC 2km - 1310nm - DDM Cisco ASR920, IE2000, IE4000

Product Overview

AI-generated summary

For £35.32 ex-VAT, this is a perfectly “good enough” purchase *if* you’ve already got a Cisco-style environment and you’re simply trying to restore a 100BASE-FX link without drama. StarTech’s compatible SFPs are usually the sort of thing you buy for routine maintenance: patching down ageing optics, keeping spares in a drawer, and getting copper-like predictability from fibre at a sensible price. The multimode + LC 2km use case is common in access/rack-to-rack or short campus runs, and 100Mbps is still fine for plenty of low-to-medium density switching where you’re not chasing throughput.

That said, I wouldn’t buy this to “future-proof” anything or to run a critical path service you can’t afford to babysit. Compatible optics can be pickier than genuine modules depending on the exact switch/firmware combo—sometimes they work instantly, sometimes you get warnings or poor compatibility that costs time during installs. If you’re deploying broadly across multiple sites or models, it’s worth testing one in your specific Cisco ASR/IE gear before committing. Also, if your network is already running 1000BASE or you expect higher bandwidth, you’ll be buying yourself a hard ceiling—this is about reliability and link restoration, not performance upgrades.