Optical Interconnect Planning for AI Data Centers: Speed, Scale, and Reliability AI infrastructure places unusual demands on the network. Training and inference systems can move large data sets between servers, storage, and accelerators; distributed workloads may require frequent communication betwe...

Topstar 2025 Annual Meeting: Review, Recognition, and Service Continuity On January 17, 2025, Topstar held its annual meeting to review the previous year, recognize team and individual contributions, and align around priorities for the period ahead. Annual meetings provide more than a moment of cele...

Topstar Places Second in the 2024 Liangxin Sales Competition After a 60-day program, Topstar concluded the 13th Liangxin Sales Competition in 2024 with a second-place result. We are grateful to the customers, suppliers, and colleagues whose cooperation made this achievement possible. A sales competi...

11th Optical Communication Carnival Badminton Tournament: Industry Connection Through Sport On September 10, 2024, the 11th Optical Communication Carnival Badminton Tournament opened at the Shenzhen Longhua Jianshang Sports Complex Hall. The event brought together participants from across the optica...

Topstar at the 25th CIOE: Listening to AI Connectivity Requirements The 25th China International Optoelectronics Expo (CIOE) provided Topstar with an opportunity to meet customers, partners, and industry colleagues in Shenzhen and discuss the changing requirements of optical communication. Exhibitio...

25G SFP28 optics are an interface decision, not a universal 5G module 25 Gigabit Ethernet is widely used for server connectivity, switch uplinks, storage paths, and selected mobile-network transport designs. It is often described loosely as a “25G optical module,” but a deployable link depends on mu...

The HPE Cray Storage Systems C500 is tuned to avoid I/O bottlenecks and offers a lower entry price than Cray systems designed for top supercomputers. Smart motorway in England, UK with light trails signifying busy traffic at rush hour. The NSL symbols under the gantry sign signify an end to speed re...

About Topstar: A Long-Term Commitment to Technical Hardware Sourcing Topstar supports customers who are planning, maintaining, or expanding optical, networking, server, storage, and related data-center hardware environments. Our role is to help turn a technical requirement into a clearer procurement...

5G and 4G: Key Differences for Network Planning 5G is not simply “4G with a higher speed.” It is a newer generation of mobile-system standards with a new radio interface, new core-network capabilities, and several deployment options. At the same time, 4G/LTE continues to serve a large share of mobil...

Cisco is seeing a tough climate for its networking business, but it's reporting better news on the AI and security fronts. After days of speculation, Cisco today announced a restructuring plan that will see the networking vendor cut 5%, or about 4,200 jobs, from its 84,900 workforce as it plans to c...

40G QSFP SR4 and 40G QSFP BiDi at a Glance Before we go any further, it’s better to first obtain some basic information about 40G QSFP SR4 and 40G QSFP BiDi transceiver. As they both used to support short-range (SR) 40G connectivity, the major difference lies in the protocols, namely ...

Fiber Optic Patch Panels: Selection, Installation, and Maintenance Guide A fiber optic patch panel is an organized termination and cross-connect point for fiber cabling. It is not simply a device that joins two connectors. In a structured cabling system, the panel provides a protected, labeled locat...