CRS518/CRS510 25G SFP28 DAC compatibility with Dell PowerVault ME5224 iSCSI ports

Hardware MikroTik hardware general
1

Hello,

We're planning a deployment with MikroTik CRS518-16XS-2XQ-RM (or CRS510-8XS-2XQ-IN) switches connecting to:

  • 3x Dell PowerEdge R670 servers with 25GbE SFP28 OCP NICs

  • 1x Dell PowerVault ME5224 SAN with 4x25G SFP28 iSCSI ports

For the server connections, we expect generic/MikroTik DAC SFP28 cables to work without issue.

Our concern is specifically the MikroTik switch ↔ Dell ME5224 link. We've read that some Dell storage controllers perform module/cable "qualification" checks via EEPROM and may log "unsupported module" warnings or refuse to link with non-Dell-branded DAC cables/transceivers, even when the cable is electrically compatible (25G SFP28).

Questions:

  1. Has anyone successfully connected a MikroTik CRS510/CRS518 (or other 25G SFP28 RouterOS switch) directly to a Dell ME5 series SAN via DAC?

  2. Did you encounter any "unsupported module" warnings, link negotiation issues, or the need for specific transceiver brands?

  3. Any recommended DAC cable brands/part numbers known to work reliably in this MikroTik↔Dell SAN scenario?

Thanks!

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