GBIC Gigabit Interface Converter abbreviation, is the gigabit optical signal is converted to an electrical signal interface device. Design hot-swappable, GBIC is an interchangeable products that meet international standards in the market account for a large market share. Which one is a generic GBIC male, the other end of the electrical signal may be walking DB9, HSSDC, HSSDC2,may be a light transmitting signals LC, SC. General GBIC insertion port into the storage device provides GBIC female, which requires storage device provides an industry-standard GBIC female, what type of signal is determined by the specific offer GBIC type. Longwave optical fiber can run 5 km away, 1000BASE-LX GBIC WS-G5486 have the short fiber, 500 meters, 1000BASE-SX WS-G5484, there is a rare 1000BASE-ZX, you can run dozens of kilometers.

GBIC module is divided into two categories:

One common use of cascade GBIC module, common connection to other switches;

The second is dedicated stacking GBIC module, redundant connection to other switches.