Fiber Optic Communication

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48 Port PoE Switch: Cisco Vs HP Vs FS.COM

To meet the growing requirement of an improved enterprise network management, 48 port PoE switch provides optimized solution for network efficiency, operational cost savings, and ease of management. Cisco always plays a leading role in fiber optical communication while HP switches are renowned for competitive price, quality and service. FS.COM is seen as the rising third-party fiber optics’ vendor. It has gained well reputation for their fiber optical transceiver, fiber jumpers, etc. Today, we would touch the basic introduction of the 48 port PoE switch supplied by these three vendors, analyze the difference, and provide a selection guide.

Cisco 48 Port PoE switch

For Cisco 48 port PoE switch, there are many such switches having been launched, such as SG 500X-48P(170/volume per month), SG2010P(210/volume per month), etc. The Cisco SG2010P 48 port poe switch has 48 RJ-45 connectors for 10BASE-T/100BASE-TX/1000BASE-T with 4 Gigabit combo ports shared between mini-GBIC ports. It is optimized for maximum system availability, with fully redundant stacking, redundant power options, and dual images for resilient firmware upgrades. The enhanced quality of service (QoS) and traffic-management features help ensure clear and reliable voice and video communications. The distinctive features of the Cisco SG2010P 48 port poe switch are showing in the below:

IEEE 802.3af PoE delivered over any of the forty-eight 10/100/1000 ports

Dual images for resilient firmware upgrades

96 Gbps nonblocking, store-and-forward switching capacity

Fully resilient stacking provides optimized growth with simplified management

ACLs for granular security and QoS implementation

Configuration and monitoring from a standard web browser

HP 48 Port PoE switch

HP also offers many 48 port gigabit poe switch, such as HP J9853A(50/volume per month), HP 2530-48G(1300/volume per month), HP 2530-48G... HP 2530-48G is the hottest one among all the HP 48 port gigabit poe switches. The HP 2530-48G (J9775A) switch 48 RJ-45 auto-sensing 10/100/1000 ports (IEEE 802.3 Type 10BASE-T, IEEE 802.3u Type 100BASE-TX, IEEE 802.3ab Type 1000BASE-T) and four small form-factor pluggable (SFP) slots for fiber connectivity. The HP 2530-48G 48 port gigabit poe switch consists of four fully managed Layer 2 edge switches, delivering cost-effective, reliable, and secure connectivity for business networks.

FS.COM 48 Port PoE switch

Different from Cisco and HP, the total volume of FS.COM 48 poe switch is far less than Cisco and HP. For FS.COM 48 port poe switch, it offers S5800-48F4S, S3800-48T4S, S5850-48T4Q, and etc. S5800-48F4S 48 port poe switch is a availability, high-compatibility and network-scaling applications of data center as a carrier Access switch. It has 48 port 1GbE SFP and 4 port 10GbE SFP+ in a compact 1RU form factor and low latency L2/L3 Ethernet switch. With support for advanced features, including MLAG, SFLOW, SNMP etc, this switch is ideal for traditional or fully virtualized data center.

48 Port PoE switch: Cisco Vs HP Vs FS.COM

In this article, we would mainly give a comparison on 48 port poe switch among the above three vendors in the respective of power budget, switching capacity, and switching layer.

—Power Budget

Power budget attaches great importance to a PoE switch. And that is a vital element that should be considered for every switch buyers. For Cisco SG2010P 48 port poe switch, each port has independent overload and short-circuit protection, along with LED indicators to show power status. Maximum power of 15.4W to an Ethernet port—360W, total available to all ports with regular AC power; 280W, total available with RPS. The power consumption range of HP 2530-48G 48 port gigabit poe switch is between 29.5 W and 59.5 W. The maximum power draw of FS.COM S5800-48F4S 48 poe switch is 75W.

—Switching Capacity

Switch capacity is often a measure of the switch's fabric bandwidth and the switch's packets per second forwarding capacity. Sometimes a switch’s capacity (fabric bandwidth and/or PPS) cannot support all its edge ports running at 100% with any frame size. At the access-layer it’s more common with plenty of switch ports but with less switching-capacity (since it's highly unlikely that all ports are operating at full speed at all times). The switching capacity of Cisco SG2010P is 96 Gbps non-blocking, HP 2530-48G is 104 Gbps, and FS.COM S5800-48F4S is 176 Gbps and its non-blocking bandwidth is 88 Gbps.

—Switch Layer

Network switches are often described as Layer 2 or Layer 3. Small networks can be built using just Layer 2 devices, but most corporate networks will have a mix of Layer 2 and Layer 3 switches. Dumb Layer 2 products are a cheap and easy way of providing connectivity to working groups while more intelligent Layer 3 switches enable departmental networks to be segmented and controlled with no loss of bandwidth. Both Cisco SG2010P and FS.COM S5800-48F4S support layer 2 and layer 3. HP 2530-48G deliver only full Layer 2 capabilities.

Here are the detailed specification of the above mentioned three 48 port PoE switches.

Conclusion

This article mainly introduced three different 48 port PoE switches from Cisco, HP, and FS.COM. Power consumption, switching capacity and switching layer are what the users should consider when choosing a 48 port poe switch. As for selection, you can choose a proper one according to your budget, switching demand and reliable manufacturer. For reliable 48 port gigabit switch poe vendor, FS.COM is a wise choice. Anyway, there is still a promising prospect for 48 port PoE switches.

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Comparing Three Fiber Optic Cable Manufacturers—Monoprice, C2G & FS.COM

To meet surging market needs for fiber optic cable product, more and more fiber optic cable manufacturers emerges to gain its market share. Fiber optic cable is a necessity for most households. How to keep a balance between price and quality? And how to select a reliable fiber optic cable manufacturer? As the representatives of reputable fiber optic cable manufacturers, Monoprice, C2G and FS.COM are frequently recommended by many users. This article would give a brief introduction to those three companies and analyze the difference between their fiber optic cable.

Monoprice—The Meek King of Cables

Five years ago, Monoprice was associated with two things: HDMI cables and nerds. Being able to tell people about two-buck Monoprice cables, and to explain, with confidence, why Monster cables were a scam, was one of the wonderful small privileges of geekdom; today, it's one of the dwindling few. Its cables were cheap! They worked fine! The company was based in the U.S., processed orders quickly, had a return policy and answered emails. It was like eBay without the risk.

Founded in 2002 and propelled by word-of-mouth support — the company rarely advertises — Monoprice is now a $120m-a-year business. Monoprice CEO Ajay Kumar says the company has been growing at between 25% and 35% a year for the last five years. The office and shipping operations run out of a 173,000 square-foot warehouse in Rancho Cucamonga, California. Kumar credits Monoprice's early rise to one thing. "The primary focus early on was cables," he says, "and the thing that really accelerated the company was HDMI." For the fiber optic cables, they offer a wide range of them, singlemode, multimode and etc.

C2G—A Trustful Cable Vendor

C2G (formerly Cables To Go), a division of Lastar, Inc., is an industry leader in high performance cabling and connectivity solutions. Founded in 1984, the company provides end-to-end connectivity solutions serving a variety of markets—including hospitality, education, healthcare, corporate, home theater and digital signage. C2G also delivers customized connectivity products and solutions renowned for superior quality, value, and innovation using premium components and the latest technologies to maximize cable performance and ensure compliance with industry specifications for each cable and its designated application. Fiber optic cabling and hardware products including single mode and multimode fiber patch cables of 62.5/125, 50/125, and 9/125, and fiber distribution products used in high tech networking.

FS.COM—A Cost-effective Fiber Optic Cable Manufacturer

Founded in 2009, FS.COM gradually becomes a leading company devoting to research & development, and offer fiber connectivity network solutions for carriers, ISPs, content providers and networks. With a few years of development and accumulation, FS.COM have owned a whole series of optical communication products including the WDM equipment, transceivers, fiber optic assemblies, racks & enclosures, bulk fiber cables, enterprise network and so on.

Their wholesale fiber optic cable products are offered at the lowest price and fully compatible with the original devices. They assured to every customers that every fiber optic cable offered by FS.COM before shipping has to go through strict test to assure high performance. They cover a wide range of fiber optic cables, such as bulk fiber cables, fiber patch cables, MTP/MPO fiber cable, fiber cable assemblies and etc.

Fiber Optic Cable Manufacturers—Monoprice Vs. C2G Vs. FS.COM

—Fiber Optic Cable Price

Price is paramount for every customers when they are purchasing. We can’t list all the products from their website and compare them here. So let’s take the 1m OS2 9/125 singlemode fiber optic cable as an example, the C2G 1m OS2 9/125 singlemode fiber optic cable is sold at $42.99. Monoprice is only $11.35. The price of 1m OS2 9/125 singlemode fiber optic cable from FS.COM is $2.8. You can check it on the below table.

—Products Options

Both FS.COM and C2G offer a full range of fiber optic cable that are of performance. While monoprice, nowadays do not have many selections of optical modules. But if you need HDMI, video or power cables, you can definitely have a look at their website.

—Reputation

FS.COM is known as the cost-effective optical transceiver and fiber optic cable manufacturer that offer high-quality and low price products. Monoprice is mostly recommended for its HDMI, video and power cables. C2G’s price is a little bit higher, but their quality is nice.

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OM3 And OM4 Fiber for 10G/40G/100G Network

Multimode fiber has been highly favored by Ethernet users and gained the widest acceptance in network backbones where it has offered users the opportunity to extend link distances, increase network reliability, and lower costs by centralizing electronics. OM3 fiber emerges just at the right time. The predominance of OM3 fiber is that utilizes laser-optimized fiber, which is the highest-capacity medium for short-wave 10G optical transmission. OM4 fiber just joined multimode fiber family after OM3 fiber in order to meet the requirement of longer range applications. This passage would give a brief introduction to OM3 and OM4 fiber, give a further analysis on their differences and selection guide, as well as list their applications.

Introduction to OM3 & OM4 Fiber

Both OM3 and OM4 fiber meet the ISO 11801 standard. The standard specifies that OM3 fibers are capable of 10 Gb/s performance over distances of up to 300m. Like being mentioned, the laser optimized 50/125 mm multimode OM3 fiber is of predominance, which provides sufficient bandwidth to support 10 GbE and beyond with cable lengths up to 550 meters. OM4 fiber is a further improvement to OM3 fiber. It also uses a 50µm core but it supports 10 Gigabit Ethernet at lengths up 550 meters and it supports 100 Gigabit Ethernet at lengths up to 150 meters.

Main Difference Between OM3 And OM4 Fiber

—Optical attenuation

Attenuation is caused by losses in light through the passive components, such as cables, cable splices, and connectors. Attenuation is the reduction in power of the light signal as it is transmitted (dB). The maximum attenuation of OM3 and OM4 fiber allowed at 850nm: OM3<3.5 dB/Km; OM4 <3.0 dB/Km. So it is obvious that OM4 fiber causes lower losses due to different construction.

—Modal dispersion

As is known to most people, modal dispersion attaches great importance to bandwidth. The lower the modal dispersion, the higher the modal bandwidth and the greater the amount of information that can be transmitted. The minimum OM3 and OM4 fiber cable bandwidth at 850nm: OM3 2000 MHz·km; OM4 4700 MHz· km. The higher bandwidth available in OM4 means a smaller modal dispersion and thus allows the cable links to be longer or allows for higher losses through more mated connectors.

OM3 And OM4 Fiber 10G/40G/100G Transmission Distance

The maximum transmission distance of OM4 fiber is 400-550m (depending on module capability) while OM3 fiber can only be up to 300m. And thus, OM4 can tolerate a higher level of loss at distances between 200-300m as it is designed to operate at longer distances than OM3 fiber. It may be a more flexible option for network managers to install OM4 fiber within these instances. You can check difference between OM3 and OM4 in transmission distance in the following table.

OM3 And OM4 Fiber Price

In comparison to OM3 fiber, the cost for OM4 is higher due to the manufacture process and market fluctuations. In a large extent, cost depends on the construction type of the cable (loose tube, tight buffered, etc.). OM4 fiber cable is about twice as expensive as OM3 fiber cable. This means that the cost difference of lots of fiber products such as standard fiber patch panels, MTP cassette modules, fiber patch cords is very small (as the volume of cable is small).

OM3 And OM4 Fiber Selection Guide

Fifty micron OM3 fiber is designed to accommodate 10 Gigabit Ethernet up to 300 meters, and OM4 can accommodate it up to 550 meters. Therefore, many users are now choosing OM3 and OM4 over the other glass types. In fact, nearly 80% of 50 micron fiber sold is OM3 or OM4. If you require higher data rates or plan on upgrading your network in the near future, laser optimized 50 micron (OM3 or OM4) would be the logical choice. Compared to OM4, OM3 fiber is more future proofing for most applications, which allows speeds of 10 GB/s up to 100 GB/s. OM4 fiber provides users a transmission solution over longer distances and leaves more wiggle room in optical budgets.

OM3 and OM4 fiber cables are typically used in data center structured cabling environments running high speeds of 10G or even 40 or 100 Gigabit Ethernet, SAN (Storage Area Networking), Fiber Channel, FCOE (Fiber Channel Over Ethernet) with such manufacturers as Cisco, Brocade, EMC and others. Typical applications could be virtualized or internal cloud core data center applications. For 40G and 100G fiber cable applications, MTP/MPO cable would also be a great choice. MTP cabling assemblies (MTP/MPO trunk cable, MTP/MPO harness cable, MTP/MPO conversion cable, etc), with their overwhelming advantages, providing a fast, simple and economical upgrade path from 10 Gigabit to 40 or 100 Gigabit applications.

Conclusion

In this article, we mainly discussed OM3 fiber, OM4 fiber, their main differences, transmission guide and applications for 10G/40G/100G network. We put emphasis on OM3 and OM4 fiber 10G/40G/100G transmission distance and selection guide. OM3 and OM4 multimode fiber provide a cost effective solution for inside buildings or corporate campuses. Hope this article would be helpful for you to understand OM3 and OM4 fiber and to select right fiber cable for yourself.

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Mikrotik Switches Vs Cisco Switches

As a worldwide leader in IT and fiber optical networking, Cisco switches play a leading role in manufacturing network switches and in providing switching solutions for data center and enterprise networks with large and medium-size forms. MikroTik, a Latvian company which was founded in 1996 to develop routers and wireless ISP systems. Their cloud switches are highly favored by many Ethernet users in recent years. And thus, people are entangled with Cisco and Mikrotik switches. This article would give brief introduction to Cisco and Mikrotik switches, and put emphasis on Mikrotik Switches Vs Cisco Switches.

Cisco Switches

According to different usage, Cisco divided their switches into the following categories: LAN Access Switches, LAN Digital Building Switches, LAN Core and Distribution Switches, Data Center Switches, Service Provider Switches, Industrial Ethernet Switches, Virtual Networking and Small Business Switches. And every category has its switching series. The Cisco Catalyst series switch delivers ease of management and configuration for small to medium-sized enterprise wiring closets in a single system, without the need for additional modules. The following list is about the Cisco Catalyst series switch.

Mikrotik Switches

Comparing to Cisco switches, the total amount of Mikrotik switches is much smaller. According to the official website of Mikrotik, there are only twelve Mikrotik switches. Ethernet smart switches and cloud core router switches are two series switches of Mikrotik switches. The cloud core switch, or cloud router switch, abbreviated as CRS, is a highly configurable switch, powered by RouterOS. They are the new products of Mokrotik switches. For the cloud router switch, there are nine models currently available. Here lists three different cases of the cloud core switch:

CRS125-24G-1S-2HnD-IN (integrated wireless, indoor case)

CRS125-24G-1S-IN (indoor case)

CRS125-24G-1S-RM (rackmount case)

Mikrotik Switches Vs Cisco Switches

—CPU

The CPU on both Cisco and Mikrotik switches is used for management purposes (snmp stats, cli management, etc) and it does not affect the data path. Switching is not done in CPU, neither on Cisco nor on Mikrotik. Switching is done on dedicated ASIC chips specifically designed for this job (thus giving wirespeed). So comparing the CPUs won't mean much about forwarding performance - which is the metric you should care about.

—Power Consumption

One of big problems with Mikrotik switches is their power. The buyers would prefer to pay another couple hundred dollars to have dual power supplies that are removable. And thus, many Ethernet users cannot use Mikrotik in these cases. Comparing to Mikrotik switches, Cisco switches have less power consumption by their advanced technology.

—Network Monitoring Software Systems

Most network monitoring software systems natively understand, support and auto-detect Cisco devices and support Cisco SNMP OIDs (CPU, temp, load, bandwidth, errors, power supply status, and many other sub-system counters in a Cisco device.

When configuring your existing network monitor system(s), your network monitor system(s) may not even know what a Mikrotik is and probably does not have native built-in MIBs/OIDs used by SNMP to auto-check/monitor a network. Thus, an administrator would probably need to configure the Mikrotik graphic icons and configure all of the SNMP checks for MIBs/OIDs from/to a Mikrotik.

Mikrotik Switches Vs Cisco Switches: How to Select?

Mikrotik routers and switches are great. Most people like them and use them almost everywhere. However, because Mikrotik is still the new kid on the block when it comes to carrier-grade commercial-grade business grade high-throughput products, it may sometimes be a little difficult to find local network technicians or local phone support for Mikrotik products when adding new equipment into your network. So Cisco switch is more solid and people are more satisfied with them.

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25G Switch Vs. 40G Switch: How to Choose?

25G Ethernet and 40G Ethernet are two “transiting” approaches for upgrading network from 10G to 100G. Some analysts believe 25G could be the second highest Ethernet server connectivity technology sold and shipped in the next five years, behind 10G. Meanwhile, a number of comments from industry experts declaring that 40G Ethernet is dead. Is that true? And how to make a right decision? This passage would give a brief introduction on 25G switch and 40G switch and put emphasis on 25G switch Vs. 40G switch.

25G Switch

25G technology is the new standard that offer significant density, cost and power benefits for server to top of rack connections. Its single higher speed 25 Gb/s lanes maximize bandwidth and switch fabric utilization. A single lane per physical port maximizes the number of connected servers or uplinks per switch. Generally, 25G switch is a 48 port switch on the 25G switch market right now. Nowadays, many major brands of switch manufactures have launched their 25G switch, such as Cisco, Juniper, Arista, Mellanox, Dell.

40G Switch

Comparing with 25G switch, 40G switch is much familiar to us. A 40G switch generally refers to the data speeds of the ports feeding into the switch. Hence, a 40G switch has 40 Gb/s ports. The overall switching capacity of the 40G switch will be much higher depending on the total number of ports and the power of the switching fabric itself. According to Infonetics Research in early 2015, 40G switch has been popular in the data center market while 100G switch is more popular with service providers. And thus, 40G Ethernet and 40G switch are not so dead like being mentioned in the fast paragraph.

25G switch Vs. 40G switch

—Switch Compatibility

Relatively speaking, 25G switch is less common on the market. In terms of 25G switch compatibility, that is depending the switch supplier. Just take Arista 25G switch for an example, the majority of their 25G switches and Network Interface cards offer backward compatibility to 10G, there is the flexibility to manage a gradual migration to higher speed servers and mix and match port speeds. All SFP based 25G ports on Arista switches and 25G NICs from Cavium can be used at 10G speed. The compatibility of 40G switch also depends on the switch brands. But as a new emerging technology, 25G switch has higher compatibility than 40G switch.

—Port and system density

High performance 25GbE chips use single-lane 25G serializer-deserializer (Serdes) technology similar in operation to 10GbE but delivering 2.5 times the performance, thus reducing the power and cost per gigabit significantly. 25G provides higher port and system density than a comparable 40G solution. Both power savings and higher density results in lower cooling requirements and operational expenditure for data center operators.

—Connection Option

Switch-to-server or switch-to-switch (or switch-to-blade switch) are two connection options for 25G switch connection. Right now, network vendors are positioning 25G only for switch-to-server. Until now, no network vendor advertising 25G for switch-to-switch—Cisco doesn’t even offer a 25G fiber transceiver, and HPE has priced theirs higher than 40G and 100G transceivers. In other words, no one is talking about 25G for switch-to-switch links right now. We shall see this in 2018.

—Cabling

25G twinax works best within a single rack with a top-of-rack switch and 1 and 2 meter cables. 25G with 3+ meter cables requires forward error correction (FEC), which adds ~250ns of one-way latency and may introduce vendor interop issues. If you’re adopting 25G, plan to densely pack compute into 10kVA–12kVA racks. 40G DAC cable is more expensive than 25G DAC cable based on the identical cable length.

25G Switch Vs. 40G Switch: How to Choose?

Through the above description and comparison, we are cleared about some pros and cons of 25Gb Ethernet switch and 40Gb Ethernet switch as well as their main differences. As for how to choose the best one, that depends on your demand and usage environment. 25G switch uses less power and produce less heat than 40G, but it is limited at 25G distance. For data center network connectivity, 100G switch is more of a smart choice than 25G switch and 40G switch. In campus and access networks with their long fiber runs and low bandwidth needs, 40G switch is more worthy to buy. So far it seems that 25G switch is not a cost-effective solution.

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How to Select The Perfect Fiber Jumper Cables?

Fiber jumper cables are mainly used for connection in the context of optical fiber communications including applications like cable TV (CATV), inside buildings and in fiber to the home (FTTH) installations. Nowadays, optical fiber jumpers are varied in cables and connector types. It is hard to determine the differences between one fiber optic cable jumper and another. This article would put emphasis on guiding you to select the perfect fiber jumper cables from the following six perspectives.

Cable Type of Fiber Jumper Cables

Fiber jumper cables comes in two general types, singlemode and multimode optical fiber jumper. They are different in fiber diameter, classifications of fiber strands, jacket color, transmission speed and etc.

Singlemode fiber jumper cable generally has a 9 micron diameter glass fiber. There are two sub groups (referred to as OS1 and OS2) but most cable is "dual rated" to cover both classifications. Multimode optical fiber jumper can have several different diameters and classifications of fiber strands. The two diameters currently in use are 62.5 Micron and 50 Micron. Within the 50 Micron diameter multimode cable, there are three different grades (referred to as OM2, OM3, and OM4). The cable types used in the patch cord should match that of the network cabling to which they are attached via the patch panel.

Jacket Diameters

The fiber optic cable jumpers may be available in different "jacket diameters" (such as 2mm or 3mm). Thinner diameters (1.6 or 2mm) may be preferable in dense installation within a single rack since they take up less space and are more flexible. Fiber optic cable jumpers that route from rack to rack (especially via cable tray) may be more suitable if they have the thicker jacket that results in larger diameters thus making them more rigid.

Jacket Material

Flammability of the jacket material could become an issue if the area they are in has special requirements for flame spread or products of combustion in case of a fire. In these cases, optical jumpers may have to be classified as "Plenum Rated" (OFNP) rather than "Riser Rated" (OFNR).

Connector Type

See the connector type descriptions below. Some fiber jumper cables may have different connector types on each end to accommodate interconnection of devices with dissimilar connectors. In some cases, there may be a connector on only one end, and bare or unterminated fiber on the other. These are usually referred to as "pigtails" rather than "patch Cords".

Simplex or Duplex

Unlike copper patch cords which send information in both directions (having multiple pairs of conductors with which to do so), most fiber jumper cables have a single strand of fiber allowing for signal flow in one direction only.

Connecting equipment so that it can send and receive information requires two strands of fiber (one to transmit and one to receive information). This can be accommodated by using two "simplex" (single strand of fiber) cables for each equipment interconnection or a "duplex" cable, with conductors and/or connectors bonded together in pairs.

Length

Overall length of the fiber jumper cables may be specified in feet or meters, depending on your preference.

Conclusion

In this article, we mainly introduce six factors attaching to the fiber jumper cables—cable type, jacket diameters, jacket material, connector type, type of communication service as well as the length. You can select the proper patch cord you need through considering those six attributes. Hope this post is helpful for you to fully understand optical fiber jumper.

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Types of outdoor fiber optic cable

We may quite familiar with indoor fiber optic cable, because it is an indispensable part of our daliy life. But for outdoor fiber optical cables, there are many factors needed to be considered, such as Ultraviolet, specific environment and etc. Different outdoor fiber optic cable matches for different environment. So what are they? And how they apply? This article would put emphasis on introducing the following four types of outdoor fiber optic cable, both singlemode fiber outdoor cables and multimode fiber outdoor cables are fully covered.

Aerial outdoor cable

Aerial outdoor cable is a kind of fiber optic cable, which is designed to be easier to install and faster to terminate than loose tube cables. 900-µm tight-buffered cables (one kind of aerial outdoor cable) are UL riser- and plenum-rated fiber optic patch cable, which are specially suited for duct and aerial installation points. No transition points are required at the building entrance.

The construction of this kind of fiber optic patch cord consists of color-coded buffered fibers surrounded by water-swellable aramid-strength members and a ripcord under an overall UV-resistant, flame-retardant black jacket. Bundles of six or 12 fibers are used for cables with fiber counts over 24. A water-swellable tape barrier provides additional water-blocking to protect the interstices from axial moisture migrations. Cables are available with fiber counts ranging from 6 to 48. Distribution cables include a selection of 62.5/125 µm and 50/125 µm multimode outdoor cables cables and singlemode outdoor cables enhanced.

Dry water-blocking outdoor cables

Being exploited by a dry water-blocking technology, dry water-blocking outdoor cables are designed to withstand harsh outdoor conditions. This kind of fiber optic cable is suitable for use within buildings, for outdoor installations or transitional aerial and duct applications, and for entrance facilities that require riser- or plenum-rated cable. An all-dielectric construction requires no grounding or bonding, while an armored cable construction has interlocking aluminum armor that eliminates the need for innerduct or conduit. The RoHS-compliant cable is available in singlemode (meets OS1 and proposed OS2 standards) and multimode (OM1, OM2, and10-Gbits/sec laser optimized OM3) types, and in fiber counts up to 144. This kind of fiber optic patch cord is an optimal choice under harsh environment.

Plenum outdoor cables

Plenum outdoor cables are flame-retardant and suitable for aerial, duct, riser and plenum installations. No transition splice is required when entering the building from a dedicated outside plant cable. Part of the company's LANs solutions, these cables feature 250-µm color-coded fibers for simplified identification during installation. The loose tube design provides mechanical and environment durability, and the cable's all-dielectric construction requires no grounding or bonding. This kind of fiber optic cable is available with 12 to 60 fibers and in 62.5- and 50-µm (including laser-optimized) and singlemode fiber outdoor versions, along with a flexible, flame-retardant, UV-resistant jacket.

Outdoor cable for factory

Featuring a proprietary pressure-extruded (core-locked) tightly bound outer jacket that firmly binds all fibers together so that the cable moves as a solid, rope-like unit, these tight-buffered cables are suited for industrial applications. This kind of fiber optic patch cable is designed with flex resistance of thousands of cycles, crush resistance of 2200 N/cm, the ability to withstand 1,000 impacts, and tensile load rating exceeding a ton. They are also constructed to withstand caustic and volatile chemicals, excessive moisture and fungus, UV exposure, and operating temperatures ranging from -55℃to 124℃. They are perfect options for factory environment.

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Why Do We Use Fiber Optic Switch?

A fiber optic switch is a device of transferring signal and data through fiber optic cables and optical modules. Compared to copper cables, the speed of data transmission is faster and more efficient. Nowadays, the fiber optic switches have been widely applied to our daily life and data center. Some extremely fine glass tubing is used to send signals for phones, computer networks, televisions and other systems. Like with many other great inventions, there are both advantages and disadvantages associated with fiber optic. This article would mainly give an explanation about the reason of using fiber optic switch from the perspective of pros and cons of fiber optic switch.

Advantages

Fiber optic usage can be used in a wide range of applications to enhance service delivery. Phone systems, mechanical systems, lighting, television and computer networking have all benefited from fiber optic developments. The improved system performance is a vital factor in the overall service delivery as well as efficient and improved communications. Congestion and crowded networks are now a thing of the past with the invention of the fiber optic switch. Signals are transmitted as they occur rather than all at once.

Fiber-optic is versatile, it has been penetrated almost every walk of life, the telecommunication industry in particular. Phone systems, mechanical systems, lighting, television and computer networking have all benefited from fiber optic developments. Thanks to the fiber optic switch, the efficiency of the service delivery has been greatly enhanced. With the invention of fiber optic switch, network congestion is no longer a problem. All the signals and data can almost be transmitted and received at the same time. Moreover, the number of transmitting signals are not limited anymore.

Fiber optic cable are used for transmitting signals, which could be more clear and stronger than those transmitted via copper cabling. Signals attached great importance to create a more organized system of signal delivery. Through fiber optic installations, crashing or stalling of systems due to signal overload is eliminated.

In addition to signal delivery systems, fiber-optic also has to do with other systems such as electrical noises, radio frequencies, electromagnetic interference or alarm systems. The disruptions caused in the airwaves would not affect signal transmitting. Apart from being more efficient, the fiber switch is also much faster than the previously used copper switch. This has positively lifted the Internet bandwidth. Increased bandwidth and capacity encourages more effective data handling and transfer. Signal security is also much higher with fiber cabling than electric interfaces. This is extremely vital where sensitive and confidential transmissions are involved, such as FBI (Federal Bureau of Investigation), CIA (Central Intelligence Agency), DHS(United States Department of Homeland Security).

Disadvantages

Every new invention has its defects, so does the fiber optic switch. Relatively speaking, the fiber optic is an emerging technology and there is still a long way to go. The expertise and resources required to install fiber cabling have not yet spread out widely. In this way, the fiber cabling really costs a lot. It is a complex project, for it covers a wide range of specialized knowledge, tools and complicate processes.

It seems that fiber optic switch is easy to make network connectivity, but it is not so easy to install it. Installation is both a time and labor-intensive undertaking albeit one that yields improved communications. Prerequisite conditions add to the rigors of installation. Prior to installing of a fiber optic cable and switches, the environment must be checked and found to be free of pollution and dust. Temperatures must not exceed 113 degrees Fahrenheit, and the area must be well-ventilated. It is a delicate process that requires extremely careful handling.

Economic Choices for Fiber Optic Switch

For optical switch, you can take FS.COM for a try. The following is their S3700-24T4S, which is deployed at the access layer of an enterprise network to deliver cost-effective packet switching capability. It provides 24*10/100/1000Base-T Ports and 4 10G SFP+ ports to extend your home or business network at gigabit speeds.

Conclusion

This article mainly talked about the merits and defects of using fiber optic switch. All in all, the advantages outweigh the disadvantages. It has changed our life a lot, and we are benefit from it, especially the datacom industry. Overall, there is a prosperous future ahead for the fiber optic switch, we shall see.

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Why MSA Standard Is So Important for QSFP Transceiver?

When we are selecting some optics for our switches and servers, the MSA (Multi-Source Agreement) standard always come first in our mind. No matter the optical transceiver are made by some major brands, such as Cisco, Juniper, Brocade, HP, or by third-party manufacturers, they all emphasis MSA compatibility. With the upgrading of Ethernet network, more and more Ethernet users turn their eye on 40G optics, 40G optical transceivers in particular. So why MSA standard is so important for QSFP transceiver? This article would provide a satisfied answer for you.

About MSA standard

MSA is a standard to normalize the networking equipment among competing industry manufacturers, such as Ethernet switches, routers, servers and etc. All optic transceivers are manufactured to comply with MSA standards. All elements of fiber optic transceivers are specified by a MSA agreement, including the mechanical and electrical interface.

40G QSFP Specification

There are many common types of 40G QSFP transceiver, such as 40G QSFP SR4, LR4, PRLR4, CSR4, and etc. We would choose 40GBASE-SR Bi-Directional QSFP transceiver to illustrate. It is a Four-Channel,Pluggable, LC Duplex, Fiber-Optic QSFP+ Transceiver for 40 Gigabit Ethernet Applications. This transceiver is a high performance module for short-range duplex data communication and interconnect applications. It integrates four electrical data lanes in each direction into transmission over a single LC duplex fiber optic cable. Each electrical lane operates at 10.3125 Gbps and conforms to the 40GE XLPPI interface. It conforms to the QSFP MSA standards. The following figure is serveral types of 40G QSFP transceiver.

Why MSA Standard Is So Important for QSFP Transceiver?

For this question, we would clarify it from four aspects—cost, security and issurance as well as wide selection.

—Cost

MSA standards brought great changes to optical transceiver market, it is no more monopolized by some certain major manufactures. In this way, customers have more choices for their optics over the competitive price. Moreover, customers could save more costs by purchasing their ideal optical transceivers with high quality but low costs.

—Security and Issurance

The QSFP MSA standards guarantee that QSFP modules are identical in form factor and functionality to the equivalent Cisco QSFP modules and meet the requirements of all networking equipment brands that follow the MSA standards.

—Wide selection

Using third-party, MSA compliant QSFP optical transceivers offer all the benefits of the name-brand product, but offer more selection and competitive pricing. This means that you can find a supplier who focuses on having the right product available at all times and at a fair price. Sounds like a win-win right?

Conclusion

Through this article, we cleared at MSA standard, 40G QSFP transceiver specification, and reasons of the importance of MSA standards to QSFP transceivers. Remember to select MSA certified products when looking to replace QSFPs to avoid losing valuable warranty coverage.

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Layer2 Versus Layer3 Networking Switch

Developed in 1980s, Layer 2 (L2) switches have been widely applied to high-speed data transmission in the enterprise between end stations. Layer 3 (L3) switch works as routing over IP network, which mainly functions as dealing with network traffic. This article would provide general information about layer 2 and layer 3 switches, their differences as well as guidance on making choices between those two switches.

Information About OSI Model

If you want to figure out the layer things, you must understand what is the OSI model at first. OSI stands for Open Systems Interconnection, which is a model used to standardise the functions of telecommunication and computing systems around the world. It is a controlled hierarchy where information is passed from one layer to the next creating a blueprint for how information is passed from physical electrical impulses all the way to applications.

Basically, there are totally 7 layers in the OSI model, the “layers” refers to how you configure an IT network. Function of each layer is to provide services to the above layer, so L2 props up L3, shown as the below figure.

Layer 2 Switch

As per OSI Model, Layer 2 is Data Link Layer (DLL), which is basically divided into two sub-layers: Logic Link Control (LLC) and Media Access Control (MAC). LLC layer provides services to upper layer, and controls frame synchronization, flow control and error checking. MAC layer performs Layer 2 functions like switching, physical addressing etc. Besides, it controls how a computer on the network gains access to the data and permission to transmit it. Traditional switching operates at layer 2 of the OSI model, where packets are sent to a specific switch port based on destination MAC addresses. There are three distinct functions of layer 2 switching. The following figure shows how layer 2 switching working.

Address learning

Forward/filter decisions

Loop avoidance

Layer 3 Switch

With the support of switching and routing technologies, Layer 3 creating logical paths, known as virtual circuits, for transmitting data from node to node. Routing and forwarding are functions of this layer, as well as addressing, internetworking, error handling, congestion control and packet sequencing. Compared to Layer 2 switching, Layer 3 switching is a relatively new term. That has been extended by a numerous vendors to describe their products. Here is an example to illustrate it. one school uses this term to describe fast IP routing via hardware, while another school uses it to describe Multi Protocol Over ATM (MPOA). The following figure shows how layer 3 switching working.

Layer 2 Vs. Layer 3 Switching

—Functions

Layer 2 Data Link: Responsible for physical addressing, error correction, and preparing the information for the media.

Layer 3 Network: Responsible for logical addressing and routing IP, ICMP, ARP, RIP, IGRP, and routers.

—Network traffic

Layer 2 networks forward all their traffic, including ARP and DHCP broadcasts. Anything transmitted by one device is forwarded to all devices. This type of broadcast traffic is very fast. When the network gets too large, the broadcast traffic begins to create congestion and decreases network efficiency.

Layer 3 traffic restricts broadcast traffic. Administrators on L3 can segment networks and restrict broadcast traffic to subnetworks, limiting the congestion of broadcast on large networks. This reduce overall traffic levels by allowing administrators to divide networks into smaller parts and restrict broadcasts to only that sub-network.

In a conclusion, there is a limit to the size of a layer 2 network. However, a properly configured layer 3 network with the correct knowledge and hardware can have infinite growth.

—Network routing

Layer 2 switch lacks router hardware, leaving them susceptible to broadcast storm and the additional administrative overhead of IP allocations due to flat subnet across multiple sites. A Layer 3 switch is a high-performance device for network routing. A router works with IP addresses at layer 3 of the model. Layer 3 networks are built to run on on layer 2 networks. But Layer 2 switches only require switching, no routing gear is necessary. Besides, they cost less and offer very low latency.

Which is Better?

This is an open question, and the answer actually depends on what is your need. Both layers of the OSI have their role in the architecture of network performance. An L2 network would be more useful broadcasting information between two computers in the same office, close together. Routing controls happen at Layer 3, and that is what most businesses need.

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Applications of Fiber Optic Cable

Around 4 decades ago, fiber optic cable brought earthshaking changes to the world, especially for the telecommunication industry. Optic fiber cable has right advantage compared to copper cable in terms of bandwidth, distance, security, reliability and etc. Fiber cables, made of very thin strands of pure glass, can travel between 984.2 ft to 24.8 miles while the maximum transmission distance is 9,328 ft. Nowadays, the common fiber cables are use metallic wires instead of traditional approaches of wiring. And they have been applied to many industries, which are mainly described as the following.

Computer Networking

Using fiber optic cables, data transformation between computers in one same building or some nearby places become faster and easier than copper medium. This make computer network users can receive and read information and files just a few seconds, which incredibly saved time and enhanced efficiency.

Cable Television

Over the years, optical fiber cables are widely applied to cable television from the aspect of speed and price. With the higher and great bandwidth and speed, the optical fiber cables are optimal solutions for high definition televisions. Besides, the fiber cables are cost effective choices compared to the same quantity of copper wire.

Internet

Unlike copper cable, fiber optic cables are less bulky, more flexible and carry more data. They can transmit large amounts of data at very high speeds. Therefore, they have been extensively used in Internet cables.

Telephone

Decades ago, we could only communicates with each other by letters, telegraphs, walkie-talkies, that is too time-consuming and would sometimes cause some irreparable losses for the sake of timeliness. By using fiber optic communication, we could talk to anybody at anywhere we like without any delay. We can receive and transmit our information simultaneously. This effectively improved our time on communication.

Mechanical Inspections

Optical fiber cables can also be deployed into inspection of hard-to-reach places. They are especially applied to on-site inspections for engineers as well as inspection of pipes for plumbers.

Surgery and Dentistry

In the field of medicine and research, you would also find the traces of fiber optic cables. Besides, they are widely applied to microscopy and biomedical researched as well. As an paramount part of non-intrusive surgical methods (also known as endoscopy). In the process of such kind of surgery, bright light is used to lighten the wound on the body. In this way, the number and size of incisions could be possibly reduced.

Military and Space Applications

Data security and confidentiality attach great importance to military and aerospace applications, fiber optic cables provide an ideal solution for data transmission in these areas.

Automotive Industry

In the field of automotive industry, fiber optic cables mainly function in the lighting and safety parts. With their superior lighting and narrow spacing, fiber optic cables are widely used in lighting in automotive industry, both in the interior and exterior of vehicles. Moreover, fiber optic cables can transmit signals between different parts of the vehicle at lightning speed and have been deployed in many other vehicles as well, especially the vehicles related to lighting. This attaches great importance in the use of safety applications such as traction control and airbags.

Lighting And Decorations

As we mentioned in the last paragraph, fiber optical cables have been widely deployed into the industry related to lighting. And thus, they could be used for decorations for house, streets, office, almost everywhere you want to decorate. They are easy, economical and attractive solution to lighting projects, especially for celebrating some festivals, birthday parties.

Conclusion

Fiber optic cables provide a convenient, cost-effective and easy solution to many applications of industries, and they have been penetrated almost every walk of life. This article mainly discussed about their main applications—computer networking, cable television, Internet, telephone, mechanical inspections, surgery and dentistry, military and space, automobile, lighting and decorations.

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Zero Cost—40G Migration with QSFP BiDi Transceiver

As the fast development of Gigabit Ethernet, 10Gbps cannot satisfy the users anymore, especially for some medium and large enterprises. Traditionally, it would cost a lot to update your network. It refers to a large range of things—cables, transceivers, switches and etc. But now, it would not be a problem with innovative 40Gbps Quad Small Form-Factor Pluggable (QSFP) bidirectional (BiDi) technology. That allows reuse of reuse of existing 10Gbps fiber infrastructure for 40Gbps connections. We would give further explanation and demonstration in the following passage.

Figure1: 40G QSFP BiDi transceiver in Cisco Switch

Why Standard QSFP Transceivers Are Not Good Options?

We would basically clarify this part from the aspect of connectors and fiber strands.

—Connectors

10G SR SFP+ and 40G QSFP SR transceivers use basically different connectivity formats. 10GBASE SR transceivers transmit data over mutimode fiber with LC connectors while 40GBASE SR4 transceivers over ribbon mutimode fiber with MPO connectors. As a consequence, 40G MPO-based SR4 transceivers cannot reuse aggregation fiber infrastructure built for 10G connectivity. That means we need to redesign and replace the fiber cabling infrastructure.

—Fiber strands

10GBASE SR transceivers require 2 fiber strands per 10Gbps link while 40GBASE SR4 transceivers require at least of 8 fiber strands, and often 12 fiber strands in practice. The reason for this requirement is that 40G SR4 use 4 parallel fiber pairs (8 fiber strands) at 10Gbps each for a total of 40Gbps full duplex, as shown in Figure 2. The 40G transceivers use MPO-12 connectors terminated with 12-fiber ribbons. In this way, 4 fiber strands in each connection are unused and wasted.

Figure2: Principles of 40G QSFP+ transceiver

Why Use QSFP BiDi Transceiver for 40G migration?

The 40G QSFP BiDi transceiver is a pluggable optical transceiver with a duplex LC connector interface for transmission within short distance over multimode fiber. It transmits fully duplex 40G data via OM3 or OM4 multimode fiber cable with one duplex LC connector. This makes it easier to reuse 10G fiber infastructure to migrate 10G to 40G network. In this way, the data center operators could make 10G to 40G migration without making ant changes to the previous 10G fiber cable plant. It offers a compelling solution that enables reuse of their existing 10G duplex multimode infrastructure for migration to 40G Ethernet connectivity.

Figure3: Principles of 40G QSFP BiDi transceiver

The 40G QSFP BiDi transceiver consists of two 20G transmit and receive channels in the 832-918 nanometer wavelength range, each transmitted and received simultaneously over two wavelengths on a single multimode fiber strand. As a consequence, an aggregated duplex 40-Gbps link can be achieved over a multimode duplex LC-terminated fiber cable. The link lengths of 40G QSFP+ transceiver can be up to 100 and 150 meters respectively on laser-optimized OM3 and OM4 multimode fiber.

>How Money Saved with 40G QSFP BiDi Transceiver for 40G Upgrading?

In the following part, we would take Cisco QSFP BiDi transceiver as an example to demonstrate costs saved by using the module in data center networks. We would show you how the cost saved by the BiDi transceiver for migrating 10G to 40G network.

As is known to all, networking devices can be directly connected with fiber cables. This direct connection design can be used to connect devices within short distance in an unstructured cabling system. Direct connection between two 40G transceivers can be provided by multimode cables with either QSFP SR4 or QSFP BiDi transceivers at two ends, just shown as the following figure.

Figure4: 40G direct connection

The Cisco QSFP BiDi transceiver uses LC connectors while QSFP SR4 uses MPO-12 fiber connectors. None of the existing 10G multimode cables can be reused with QSFP SR4 transceivers, because the two connectors are completely not matched at all. With Cisco QSFP BiDi transceiver, the cable can be reused for the same type of connectors. As a result, it would bring zero-cost cabling migration from direct 10Gbps connections to direct 40Gbps connections. Therefore, in comparison to QSFP SR4 transceivers, Cisco QSFP BiDi transceivers reduce costs by 100 percent.

Conclusion

40G QSFP BiDi transceiver provides the most cost-effective solution for 10G to 40G network migration. By transmitting full-duplex 40 Gigabit Ethernet over a duplex multimode fiber, it helps enable seamless 10 to 40 Gigabit Ethernet migration over your 10 Gigabit Ethernet fiber infrastructure in a zero cost cabling.

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Why OM2 Multimode Fiber Has More Fiber Loss Than OM1?

The OM1 and OM2 fiber have been widely adopted and deployed in enterprise networks and campus networks and small office buildings throughout 80's, 90's and into the early 2000's. During the process of usage, users are gradually noticed that OM2 fiber are more easily damaged compared to OM1. Due to OM1 and OM2 are completely two different fibers, it is hard to compare them at some extend, especially in terms of parameter. In this article, we would clarify the reasons from the aspect of diameter core, modal bandwidth, and modal dispersion.

Figure1: OM2 Multimode Fiber

Core Diameter

Core diameter is the key factor that affects the fiber loss. OM1 has 62.5um (micron) core diameter while OM2 has 50 um (micron) core diameter. A smaller 50μm core reduces the coupling input optical power based on the led light source, and thereby reduces the number of connectors allowed in the link and shortens the distance supported by the power limit. Due to the small core diameter and numerical aperture of 50/125μm multimode fiber, it is not conducive to efficiently coupling the fiber with the LED. And that is the one of the reasons why OM2 optical fiber has more fiber loss than OM1. Besides, the low-cost LED was generally adopted for OM2 as a light source rather than expensive ld with a purpose to minimize the cost of LAN systems. The low output power of LED leads to that the divergence angle is much larger than ld, and thus the connector loss is heavy.

Figure2: Core diameter of OM1&OM2 MMF

Modal dispersion

Modal dispersion is basically the way the light travels more "efficiently" with the lasers/leds. When an optical signal is transmitted over multimode fibers, it spreads into multiple modal components as it enters the medium and travels along the path. These components need to be recombined in a timely manner at the other end of the transmission link in order to be recognized and processed by the detection subsystem converting the optical signal into an electrical signal. The larger the size of the core, the easier it is for modes to be spread, and the harder it is for them to be recombined. Smaller core diameter eliminates modal dispersion and enables tremendous transmission capacity over very long distances. The number of transmission modes of 50μm multimode fiber is about 1/2.5 of the 62.5μm multimode fiber. You can get up to 10 times the speed in 50 micron rather than 62.5 just because of the effectiveness.

Figure3: Modal dispersion in OM1&OM2 MMF

Modal Bandwidth

Pulse spreading occurs due to Modal Dispersion or Differential Mode Delay (DMD). Pulse spreading limits Bandwidth. The main property of a multimode fiber is its capability to transmit a certain amount of information over a certain distance. This property is known as "modal bandwidth" and is expressed in MHz*km. The mode dispersion of the OM2 multimode fiber is effectively reduced, which results in a significant increase in bandwidth. OM1 supports between 160 and 200 MHz*km while OM2 supports between 400 and 500 MHz*km.

Conclusion

This article mainly discussed the reason why OM2 has more fiber loss than OM1, and that lies in three factors—diameter core, modal bandwidth, and modal dispersion. You can use both OM1 and OM2 fiber cable in the same types of networks, although OM2 cable is recommended for premise applications: backbone, horizontal, and intrabuilding connections, and should be considered especially for any new construction and installations. If you ever patch OM1 and OM2 fiber cable together, it is a kind of like putting two diffrent water pipes together. The data will work pretty good from 50 to the 62.5, but 62.5 to 50 it will have lots of loss. You can patch them to a GBIC or adaptor to do the conversion properly.

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FTTH Fiber Drop Cable—Indoor&Outdoor Application

As an access to providing high-speed Internet speed, Fiber to the home (FTTH) has been highly favored in recent years. It can achieve high-speed and long distance transmission, from a central point directly to individual buildings such as residences, apartment buildings and businesses through installation and use of optical fiber. FTTH drop cable plays a prominent role during this process. So what is FTTH drop cable? And how to install? This article would provide a satisfied answer for you.

About FTTH Drop Cable

FTTH drop cable contains 1 to 4 colored singlemode optical fibers with 250 µm individually, which provides a good solution for fiber to the home last mile solution. The cable contains two Fibre Reinforced Plastic (FRP) strength members and Low Smoke Zero Halogen (LSZH) jacket with nominal dimension 2 x 3 mm. They are fully meet the RoHS standards. With its small diameter, light weight and special structure, it is easy to use, to handle and to pull the fibers out from the cables. It is an ideal option for direct installation into the houses.

Features&Benefits

Choice of fibre types

Individually coloured optical fibres

Notched 2 x 3 mm construction for easy stripping

Singlemode optical fibre meeting ITU-T G.657A1 or ITU-T G.657A2 standard

How to Choose Right LSZH Jacket?

You can choose white LSZH jacket for indoor use and black LSZH jacket for outdoor use within short distance. For the white cables that are installed where they may be in direct sunlight for extended periods of time will need to be replaced more often. So we need to pick black LSZH jacket for they are UV-resistant.

Indoor And Outdoor Applications

There are mainly three applications of FTTH drop cables: internal FTTH applications horizontal and riser, clipping to surfaces including skirting boards, and short distance external use with black LSZH jacket. Due to time and space limiting, this article would mainly introduce the internal horizontal and riser cabling for FTTH applications, which attach great importance to FTTH cabling.

Horizontal Cabling

Drop cable all dielectric for Fibre To The Home (FTTH or FTTx) application, this means we need intrabuilding conduit. Conduit can be made of metallic tubing or rigid polyvinyl-chloride plastic. Conduit runs should be limited to 100 feet, with no more than two 90-degree bends between pull points or boxes. It runs can be in ceilings or walls or under floors.

To apply the FTTH fiber drop cable, we need pull boxes. They are installed for fishing the run and looping the cable for the next length of conduit. Pull boxes are not used for splicing cable. Fish tapes or pull cords should always be placed in the conduit to ease installation. Inner duct is an excellent tool for protecting cable and easing future installations.

Riser Cabling

Drop optical fiber cables intended for vertical applications have a calculated maximum vertical rise value assigned to them. The vertical rise is the distance the cable may be pulled vertically before being supported. It is determined by the weight of the cable and its ability to resist buckling or kinking.

You can use split wire mesh grips to pull cable vertically. The device works like basket or finger grips, supporting the cable without crushing the core. Cables should be supported by cable ties, straps or clamps in wiring closets. Whenever possible, begin the installation from the top, allowing the weight of the cable to help the pull rather than adding more load.

Conclusion

FTTH dramatically and unprecedentedly increases the connection speeds available to computer users. FTTH drop optical cable is a special cable that provide a perfect solution for FTTH transmission. The article mainly discussed its definition, benefits and applications.

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Solutions to Common Issues About Fiber Optic Cable

It is a common sense that the light of optic transmission can travel much longer distances than normal transmission medium. And that is why fiber optic cable is of popularity than copper cable those years. Apart from the higher bandwidth, its very high performance data working and telecommunications has won the good reputation for itself. As it has been used by more and more Ethernet users, some common problems about fibre cable occur. Then how to solve them? This passage would provide a satisfied answer for you.

Fiber Damage

It is reckless to judge whether the fibers within the cable are broken or damaged just by looking at it through the naked eye. In most cases, the optical fiber damage would not so evident that could be observed by its outer appearance. Under this occasion, a fiber optic tracer can be utilized to trace any faults within the cable. Its operation principle just like a miniature flashlight that uses an LED and can be fitted to the the cable connector for the purpose of checking continuity. If the fibers are all complete and not damaged, you can see the light from the two ends the cable is shone.

Connectors

LC, SC, ST, FC, MPO, MTP...are common connectors of optic cords, and it is paramount to fit correct connectors to the fiber cable. Before you use the fibre cable, you should check each of the connectors to see if they well fitted or not. If not, it is necessary for you to rectify it by inserting them properly. If the issue still happens, you can replace the cable by a cable of spring loaded connectors. In that way, the connectors would fit the cable securely and would not slip out.

Length Problem

Once the a fiber optic cable has redundant length after it has been used for a connection, there are potential risks with the left cable and it would result in permanent damage to the fibers and components within the cable. The potential risks are bending, twisting or winding around the cable itself. Almost every store provides different cable length for meeting the requirement of various length demand, especially the online store, they still offer the service of customizing, and you can get the exact cable length according to your actual demand. Before you look through the online cable store, it is essential for you to get your optimal needing length by using a measuring tape. You can position all the equipment that you intend to connect with the cable, and then measure the distance of them and get the approximate length.

Stretching Problem

If an optical fiber cable being stretched over a range itself, and then the fiber and other components within the cable would be damaged. You can move the cables closer or buy an additional cable with proper length. There is another case would cause stretching. Sometimes, it just occurs when you pulling at the jacket of the cable. You should use the grips at the connectors designed to be used to fit and remove them.

External Damage

It is quite necessary to have a thorough visual inspection of the optical fiber cable from time to time. Because any defects would affect the ability of the cable to work properly and even bring unimaginably consequences. During the inspection, if you find any prominent defect occurs, such as splits or scratches, and then please replace the cable.

Conclusion

It seems that it is an irresistible trend to use optical fiber cables now and future. According to this article, we are cleared that some basic solutions for the some common issues about fibre cables.

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Choosing the Right Cisco Compatible SFP Transceivers for Your Network

Choosing a right compatible optical transceiver just like choosing a specific wand by a wizard in Harry Potter—the consequences of using the wrong one can result in some serious irreparable loss. Thus, it is paramount to choose a right compatible optical transceiver for your network switch. Selecting the right optical module can save you more time and money to plan out your network’s future. This article would provide a solution about how to choose the right Cisco compatible SFP transceivers for your network.

About Cisco Compatible SFP Transceivers

A complete network system includes many components, such as servers, racks, cabinets, etc, the small form-factor pluggable (SFP) optical transceiver is indispensable in the whole network setup. SFP transceivers are hot-swappable and have the capability to allow design modification until the final stages of manufacturing. This makes it easier to accommodate different connector interfaces. SFP transceivers also have a higher optical reliability and will permit higher soldering temperatures. They are recommended by fiber optic component providers to ensure proper data transmission.

As a worldwide leader in IT and networking, the Cisco SFP optical transceivers are really costly, which brought much trouble when you budget your money on network deployment. Fortunately, there is an alternative: Cisco compatible SFPs. The Cisco compatible SFP transceivers can be used in campuses, data centers and metropolitan area access networks for Gigabit Ethernet and Fiber Channels as it is a commendable and cost-effective option.

Two Major Things to Consider When Looking at Cisco Compatible SFPs：

—Parameters

Before you start searching for a Cisco compatible SFPs, you should ask yourself, “What type of SFP transceivers do I need?” In this occasion, you should take your existing network equipment into consideration, the crucial thing is that the parameters of your switch port, which refers to number, type, density and etc. If you intend to improve and upgrade your network efficiency but have no idea about the detailed approach, you can ask advice from a trusted networking vendor.

Although the form factor isn’t that large, the role it plays cannot be ignored—SFPs are the workhorses of a network system, and you can find one for every job. Because they provide a wide range of inputs beyond those provided by a switch on its own. The main advantage of a Cisco compatible SFP lies in its scalability, which reduce needless bother for a full-on upgrading of your network switch. In this way, a lot of money can be saved for your network deployment.

—A trusted vendor

Over the years, the third-party vendors of optics just emerge as the pouring water. A trusted and reliable vendor seems hard to find facing so many optic’ vendors on the market. So how do you find a trusted vendor?

First off, you want to ensure that any Cisco compatible SFPs you purchase will actually be compatible and are made with quality raw materials. Secondly, you need to investigate the most optimal third-party vendor for yourself. The approaches vary: you can submit your question to several professional forums about networking, such as Cisco support community, SNB forums, network engineering stack exchange...You could receive professional replies and solutions from there. After that, you need to compare price of the several third-party vendors with a purpose to select a most appropriate one for yourself. Last but not least, when you make up your mind the final optics vendor to go, the final factor you should consider is product warranty. A good vendor is willing to provide you with a guaranteed long-term warranty. Bad quality products typically have short-term warranties because a vendor knows they won’t last as long.

FS.COM’s Compatible Cisco SFPs

According the last paragraph, we clearly know the importance of selecting a reputable third-party vendors. It is true that there is a certain amount of such vendors on the market, but it is not so easy to find products from such an optics’ vendor with much preference in terms of cost. FS.COM (Fiberstore) is a leading manufacturer and supplier of fiber optic subsystems, components and solutions.

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Cable Specifications&Deployment for QSFP28 Transceivers

100G QSFP28 transceivers have currently been highly favored by Ethernet users and been widely applied to the data centers. The QSFP28 transceivers that are supported on Ethernet network devices use fiber optic cables and connectors. The type of connector and the type of fiber depend on the transceiver type. To make sure right connectivity, it is of necessity to know the appropriate patch cable and connectors for QSFP28 transceivers. This article would introduce the cable and connector specifications and deployment as well as some precautions for QSFP28 transceivers.

Cable Specifications for 100G QSFP28 Transceivers

12-Ribbon patch cable with MPO connectors and LC duplex patch cable are two common fiber optic patch cables connected with 100G QSFP28 transceivers to achieve 100G Ethernet network connectivity. A 12-fiber ribbon cable can be used in outside plant applications or inside buildings when covered with flame-retardant outer jackets. LC duplex patch cable uses for specific 100G transceivers, such as 100GBASE LR4, 100GBASE CWDM4 and etc. The 100GBASE SR4 transceiver supports maximum data links up to 100 m through MTP-12 patch cables. By using LC duplex patch cable, the transmission distance of 100GBASE-LR4 can arrive 10 km.

Deployment for 100G QSFP28 Transceivers

You can use 12-Ribbon Patch cable with MPO connectors to connect two transceivers of the same type—for example, 100GBASE-SR4-to-100GBASE-SR4 or 100GBASE-PSM4-to-100GBASE-PSM4. That is to say, you can choose a MTP trunk cable together with the 100GBASE-SR4 QSFP28 module for direct 100G connection. The following picture shows two 100GBASE-SR4 QSFP+ transceivers connected by a multimode 12-fiber MTP trunk cable.

As we mentioned above, you can also use SMF patch cables with LC duplex connectors to connect two supported transceivers of the same type—for example, 40GBASE-LR4-to-40GBASE-LR4 or 100GBASE-LR4-to-100GBASE-LR4. The SMF patch cable is one fiber pair with two LC duplex connectors at opposite ends. You can simply plug the LC duplex connectors into the corresponding duplex ports of 100GBASE-LR4, 100GBASE-CWDM4 and etc. 100G direct connection is just achieved by LC duplex patch cable connected with two same 100GBASE-LR4 transceivers, presented in the below figure.

Notes And Cautions:

1.Ensure that you order cables with correct polarity. The multifiber push-on (MPO) connectors on the 12-ribbon cables must be key-up (sometimes referred to as latch up, Type B, or Method B). If you are using patch panels between two QSFP28 transceivers, ensure that the proper polarity is maintained through the cable plant.

2. Ensure that the fiber end in the connector is finished correctly. Physical contact (PC) refers to fiber that has been polished flat. Angled physical contact (APC) refers to fiber that has been polished at an angle.

3. Caution: Use only a properly constructed, shield cable to ensure correct connectivity.

Conclusion

100G QSFP28 modules is an inevitable choice for Ethernet connectivity with a purpose to suit the future Ethernet network upgrading and higher bandwidth. 12-fiber MTP patch cable and LC duplex patch cable are used for connecting different 100G transceivers with different ports respectively. Moreover, there are something you need to keep in mind in case of causing unnecessary losses and incidents.