Issue with LAN4 Port on Alta Route10 When Using 10Gtek SFP+ to RJ45 Module

Routers
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My home ISP provides 500 Mbps upload and 500 Mbps download. On the Alta Route10, I use PPPoE for this connection.

I purchased the Alta Route10 from Amazon, and also bought a 10Gtek 10GBase-T (SFP+ to RJ-45) module based on recommendations.

I plugged this module into the WAN2 port (the rightmost SFP+ port).

Two Alta Switch8Pro units are connected to WAN1 (which I reconfigured as a standard LAN port) and LAN3.

Two AP6 Pro units are connected to LAN1 and LAN2, both of which support PoE.

Everything is currently working fine.

(I did not use LAN4 since it is an SFP+ port.)

Yesterday, I bought two more 10Gtek 10GBase-T (SFP+ to RJ-45) modules.

I attempted to convert the LAN4 port for RJ45 use, planning to use it for future devices such as a NAS.

In the Cloud Controller, I confirmed that the LAN4 port was set to “standard.”

However, the moment I plugged in the SFP+ to RJ45 module, my entire home network went offline and stopped working completely.

Even after unplugging the module, the network didn’t recover — only a reboot of the Route10 restored connectivity.

Later, I tested by connecting the switch (originally connected to WAN1, now a LAN port) to the 10Gtek module and then plugged that into LAN4.

Surprisingly, it worked normally.

However, after about eight hours of operation, the Switch8Pro suddenly went offline.

Since I bought two modules, I tried cross-testing all three SFP+ to RJ45 units, and the hardware itself seems fine.

But whenever something is connected to LAN4 — either it causes an immediate network failure, or after some time the port becomes unresponsive.

I don’t know whether the issue lies with the SFP module, the Route10 itself, or specifically the LAN4 port on the Route10.

This testing experience left me very confused.

Since the product advertises support for this feature, I wanted to make full use of it.

If you recommend that I purchase a different SFP module, please let me know which brand and model is suitable.

It seems that Alta has not officially provided any recommendations for compatible SFP modules.

I kindly ask for your advice on a recommended solution.

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Finally, I reset my Route10, reconfigured everything and reconnected the setup…

WAN1 → My ISP

LAN1 → 8-port switch

LAN2 (PoE) → AP6 Pro

LAN3 (PoE) → AP6 Pro

LAN4 (SFP+) → 8-port switch

WAN2 (SFP+) → empty (no SFP+ to RJ45 module installed)

I just completed the setup — everything seems to be working fine for now. Hopefully, there won’t be any more issues.

Note: The IP range was originally 10.xxx.xx.xx, but now all devices are using the default 192 range provided by the Alta Route10.

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I have almost identical setup as yours, my right most SFP+ port is to connected to ISP as WAN, the other SFP+ is connected as LAN 10Gbps port and they are stable so far, no disconnection at all. Maybe you would like to observe the temperature, in case there is any overheating issue.

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This is an interesting issue:

The Route10, AP6 Pro, and 8-port switches all have built-in temperature monitors,

but I honestly don’t know how to check anything on the 10Gtek 10GBase-T module.

Although it’s plugged into the Route10, I’m also not sure what temperature would be considered “overheating”.

That said, I do have a 10cm x 10cm fan underneath the Route10 blowing cool air—so it stays quite cold.

The issue is that when I initially plugged in the 10Gtek 10GBase-T module, my entire network went down instantly…

So now I’m wondering if the 10Gtek 10GBase-T might be the culprit.

Do you have any suggestions?

(I did mention in my second reply that I reset and reconfigured everything—things look stable for now,

but I’m not sure if the issue might come back in 8 hours.)

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Three hours later… the LAN4 (SFP+) connection to my 8-port switch disconnected again.

I’ve officially given up on using any of the SFP+ ports on the Route10—it’s honestly confusing.

Is the problem with the SFP+ to RJ45 module?

Or is it the SFP+ port on the Route10 itself?

Or could it be a firmware issue with the Route10?

—I’ve decided to give up. For now, I’m only using WAN1 and LAN1 on the Route10.

LAN1 connects to the 8-port switch, and from there it branches out to the entire home network.

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We have definitely seen more issues with the 10Gtek transceivers than other brands like FS or UI. Some 10 Gtek transceivers work great, and others are spotty. I would try another transceiver (even another 10 Gtek one due to their low cost…), or spend a little more for a different brand.

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Hi Jeff,

Thank you for your reply.

If it turns out that the 10Gtek 10GBase-T modules I purchased are indeed problematic (I actually bought three of them, including one paired with the Amazon-purchased Route10), I am more than willing to replace them with a more expensive SFP+ to RJ45 module. Cost is not an issue for me.

However, I would really appreciate it if you could share which SFP+ modules your team recognizes as the most stable and reliable. Alta hasn’t publicly listed any specific brands or models that are known to be compatible or have passed long-term testing.

As someone who follows Alta 100% and is a loyal fan, I genuinely hope Alta will release its own branded SFP+ to RJ45 module someday — I would be the first to buy it!

For now, I’ve had to disable both of my SFP+ ports… I look forward to the day when there’s an official recommendation or announcement from Alta.

Although I still don’t know which brand to confidently buy, I do hope that my own experience — and money spent testing the 10Gtek 10GBase-T — can serve as a reference for other Alta users. I encourage you to share this with the community as a heads-up against using this model.

In fact, my Route10 has a large fan blowing on it continuously, so it has always been operating at a stable temperature of around 30°C.

Thank you!

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We’ve had pretty good success with FS.com and UI modules. We are still trialing our own branded modules, but do not have something that we can put our name behind yet.

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10Gtek vs FS… I ultimately chose 10Gtek — simply because it’s easier to get on Amazon. A real pity!

But I can wait! Really looking forward to the launch of Alta SFP+.

Everything is still running smoothly on my end — just added an extra 8-port switch into the setup. No worries at all :slight_smile:

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