QSFP+ is a type of transceiver that supports 40 gigabit Ethernet (40GbE) over four lanes of 10 gigabit Ethernet (10GbE) each. QSFP+ stands for quad small form-factor pluggable plus, and it is a compact and hot-swappable module that plugs into a QSFP+ port on a network device. QSFP+ transceivers can support various types of cables and connectors, such as direct attach copper (DAC), active optical cable (AOC), or fiber optic cable.
Multimode is a type of fiber optic cable that supports multiple modes of light propagation within the core. Multimode fiber optic cable can carry higher bandwidth and data rates than single-mode fiber optic cable, but over shorter distances. Multimode fiber optic cable is commonly used for short-reach applications, such as within a data center or a campus network. Multimode fiber optic cable can be paired with QSFP+ transceivers to achieve 40GbE connectivity.
The other options are not correct because they do not support 40GbE. They are:
SFP+. SFP+ is a type of transceiver that supports 10 gigabit Ethernet (10GbE) over a single lane. SFP+ stands for small form-factor pluggable plus, and it is a compact and hot-swappable module that plugs into an SFP+ port on a network device. SFP+ transceivers can support various types of cables and connectors, such as direct attach copper (DAC), active optical cable (AOC), or fiber optic cable. However, SFP+ transceivers cannot support 40GbE by themselves, unless they are used in a breakout configuration with a QSFP+ transceiver.
SFP. SFP is a type of transceiver that supports 1 gigabit Ethernet (1GbE) over a single lane. SFP stands for small form-factor pluggable, and it is a compact and hot-swappable module that plugs into an SFP port on a network device. SFP transceivers can support various types of cables and connectors, such as twisted-pair copper, coaxial cable, or fiber optic cable. However, SFP transceivers cannot support 40GbE by themselves, unless they are used in a breakout configuration with a QSFP+ transceiver.
Cat 6a. Cat 6a is a type of twisted-pair copper cable that supports 10 gigabit Ethernet (10GbE) over distances up to 100 meters. Cat 6a stands for category 6 augmented, and it is an enhanced version of Cat 6 cable that offers better performance and reduced crosstalk. Cat 6a cable can be paired with 10Gbase-T transceivers to achieve 10GbE connectivity. However, Cat 6a cable cannot support 40GbE by itself, unless it is used in a breakout configuration with a QSFP+ transceiver.
Cat 5e. Cat 5e is a type of twisted-pair copper cable that supports 1 gigabit Ethernet (1GbE) over distances up to 100 meters. Cat 5e stands for category 5 enhanced, and it is an improved version of Cat 5 cable that offers better performance and reduced crosstalk. Cat 5e cable can be paired with 1000base-T transceivers to achieve 1GbE connectivity. However, Cat 5e cable cannot support 40GbE by itself, unless it is used in a breakout configuration with a QSFP+ transceiver.
References1: QSFP+ - an overview | ScienceDirect Topics2: Multimode Fiber - an overview | ScienceDirect Topics3: Network+ (Plus) Certification | CompTIA IT Certifications4: SFP+ - an overview | ScienceDirect Topics5: SFP - an overview | ScienceDirect Topics6: Cat 6a - an overview | ScienceDirect Topics7: [Cat 5e - an overview | ScienceDirect Topics]
