Tuesday 11 August 2015

Fiber Optics and Switches 101

Typically when dealing with fiber connections you will have either an LC or SC cable that will go over a patch panel and terminate on both sides on a switch with a transiever module such as the MGBSX1 transiever commonly used on Cisco switches.

Two main types single mode and multimode:

Single Mode - Offers less bandwidth, although can transmit further distances (around 5KM maximum)

Multimode - Offers more bandwdith but at a reduced maximum distance (between 300 - 600 meters approx)

Two common connector types:

SC - 1.25mm in diameter

LC - Older 2.5mm in diameter

Typically as good practise the transit cables (the casbles connecting the two patch panels together) should be straight through (e.g. Fiber 1 on Patch Panel A should be Fiber 1 on Patch Panel B and so on)

One of the patch cables should be Fiber 1 = A and Fiber 2 = B. The other patch cable on the other site should be crossed e.g. Fiber 1 = B and Fiber 2 = A.

** The fibers must be crossed at one end for a connection to be established on the switches. **

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