How to convert the optical port of a Huawei switch

Huawei switch ports can be switched between electrical and optical modes using specific commands, depending on whether the port is a combo port, SFP28, or QSFP28 interface.

Combo Ports (GE Combo)

A combo port consists of one electrical (copper) interface and one optical interface sharing a single internal forwarding channel. Only one interface can operate at a time; enabling one disables the other. By default, combo ports operate in electrical mode. To switch to optical mode:

1. Enter the interface view:

   system-viewinterface GigabitEthernet0/0/0

2. Enable optical mode:

   combo enable fiber

3. To revert to electrical mode:

   undo combo enable fiber

4. Return to user view with:

   return

Note: The same configuration must be applied on the peer device. The optical interface will only work after switching to fiber mode, and no copper module should be installed in the optical slot .

SFP28 and QSFP28 Ports

Huawei switches like the S5732-H24UM2CC and S5732-H48XUM2CC support mode switching and interface splitting for SFP28 and QSFP28 ports. Use the command:

set device port-config-mode enable

This allows you to configure different working modes, such as:

• 425GE + 240GE: Four SFP28 ports at 25 Gbit/s, two QSFP28 ports at 40 Gbit/s
• 425GE + 410GE + 40GE: Four SFP28 ports at 25 Gbit/s, one QSFP28 split into four 10GE ports, the other at 40 Gbit/s
• 425GE + 40GE + 410GE: Four SFP28 ports at 25 Gbit/s, one QSFP28 at 40 Gbit/s, the other split into four 10GE ports
• 425GE + 810GE: Four SFP28 ports at 25 Gbit/s, both QSFP28 ports split into four 10GE ports each .

Key Considerations

• Multiplexing: Combo ports share one interface view; configure rate, duplex, and other attributes in the same interface view.
• Auto Mode: If a combo port is in auto mode and an optical module is installed, the port will operate as optical after a device restart.
• Compatibility: Ensure SFP/SFP28/QSFP modules are compatible with Huawei devices to avoid errors or alarms.
• Layer 2/3 Switching: Some Huawei switches default to Layer 2; switching to Layer 3 requires portswitch commands with a 30-second interval between operations . By following these commands and considerations, you can effectively convert Huawei switch ports between electrical and optical modes and configure high-speed optical interfaces for your network.