Ever since I bought my first 10-gigabit ethernet device, a MikroTik CRS305 switch, I've always wondered what lurks in the RJ45/8P8C SFP+ modules you plug into this kind of switch. Unlike earlier ethernet standards, 10GBase-T is faster, more complicated, and trickier to keep under wraps compared to earlier ones where NICs could be had for pennies on the dollar for years prior. However, many of these challenges are eliminated with the use of optic fiber-based modules which comparatively sip power and use a more flexible standard. This led me to believe that it was going to be like a party inside of my RJ45/8P8C modules. As you'll see shortly, this is plain untrue. This is the SFP+ module we're going to be taking apart. Can you notice any ways in which we can open it? Here's the bottom view of our module. Answering the above question, I can see a couple metal hook-type clips and some retainer clip. Let's start by getting a precision screwdriver. It should fit under the semicircle-looking area in the retainer clip near the front of the SFP+ module. Now that we've got the tip of the screwdriver underneath the clip, carefully slide it over to the lefthand side of the area under the retaining clip. If it gets pushed out, repeat Step 3. Repeat Step 3 and Step 4 for the other side of the clip. Pry at the clip to get it to lose grip of the module. Don't worry, as it seems to be made of a springy metal. Keep prying until it slides down the side of the module. Try to remove the retainer clip. It could be tricky. However, never give up! We're almost at the endgame. Can you see those two little clips next to the circuitboard? Pry those up using the appropriate size of precision screwdriver. Then, grntly push on them with the tip of your screwdriver to make the next step easier. Use your tiniest screwdriver and lodge its tip in the seam where the top cover and the main body of the module meet. Now pry it up and remove the cover. We can new see the inside of the module. There's not much here, but that shiny chip in the middle looks interesting. You can't see this on camera, but the chip is covered in a light coat of mineral oil. This mineral oil helps transfer heat to the thermal pads on the top cover. This is interesting. Most/all of the processing in the module is done by this NIC chip. The transformer (the big black chip) only serves as a way to amplify the signals produced by the NIC. Surprisingly, this isn't as much of a party as I thought it was going to be. Ironically, LTE modems, which arguably have an easier job at communicating, have entire Linux systems inside of them with all the parts needed to be a complete computer.

That's it! 12 steps sounds like a lot, but each step was trivial to do by itself. Never let such a title ("...12 Easy Steps") discourage you from trying something.