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MTP/MPO Trunk Cables vs. Breakout Cables
  In data center environments, fiber connections between equipment such as switches, servers, and storage devices are achieved via cable assemblies, which is a generic term that refers to any collection of fiber strands grouped together within a cable and terminated to connectors. MTP/MPO trunk cables and breakout cables are two of the most common types of cabl …
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Fiber Insertion Loss: What it is & How to Reduce It

Posted by Troy Snobecy on Feb 16th 2024

Fiber Insertion Loss: What it is & How to Reduce It
  Fiber insertion loss (sometimes referred to as attenuation) is a primary performance factor in fiber optic transmission. Industry standards specify the maximum channel insertion loss for specific fiber applications and channel length. Exceeding the loss requirements can increase bit error rates or prevent your fiber network links from functioning altogether. Ther …
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Fiber Optic Patch Cable Connector Types & Their Uses
Fiber optic patch cables are vital to every optical network, establishing connections to servers, switches, storage devices, and other equipment and devices in data centers, telecommunications rooms, and other network spaces. Patch cables terminate to various fiber connector types to maintain compatibility with equipment input/output (I/O) connectors and support multipl …
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How Much Does Fiber Optic Cable Cost?
Fiber optic cable is a vital component of every network—whether it’s an outside plant (OSP) service provider network, data center, or LAN. Knowing how much fiber optic cable costs, which factors can impact cost, and key cost considerations can help you avoid unnecessary expense and get the most out of your budget.Fiber type, construction, and application matters Several …
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Solving Fiber Network Problems
Every network today includes fiber optic cable and connectivity—whether it’s an all-fiber outside plant (OSP) infrastructure, thousands of fiber links between equipment in the data center, or the fiber backbone in a LAN. While fiber provides greater reach and bandwidth than copper, you may be surprised to learn that fiber is also more durable than copper—even though it’s …
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TAA-Compliant Networking Solutions: Why, How & Where to Buy
The Trade Agreements Act (TAA) requires procurement of products manufactured or “substantially transformed” in the United States or from TAA-designated countries that include free-trade agreement and underdeveloped countries and excludes several countries, including China, Russia, Brazil, India, Iran, and Iraq. Let’s take a closer look at why, how, and where to buy T …
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MPO Type A vs. MPO Type B
Multi-fiber push-on (MPO) connectors are a mainstay in the data center for parallel optics applications that transmit and receive data over multiple fibers to support high-speed applications. MPO connectors are typically available with 8, 12, 16, 24, or 32 fibers to support 40 to 800 Gigabit parallel optic applications, where each fiber transmits and receives at 10, 25, 50, or …
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Cat 6 vs. Cat 6A: Understanding the Real Difference
Everyone knows that Category 6A twisted-pair cabling offers augmented performance over Category 6—hence the "A" for augmented. But understanding technically how Cat 6A compares to Cat 6 can help you determine which is best for your specific application needs and budget. Cat 6 Cabling Cat 6 cabling was ratified by TIA industry standards in 2002, just a year after Cat 5 …
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Multimode Fiber Cabling Types:  From OM1 to OM5
Over the past four decades, fiber optic cabling has advanced considerably to keep up with increasing bandwidth and performance demands. Specifically, multimode fiber cables deployed throughout data centers, backbone LAN infrastructure, and for fiber-to-the-desk applications have evolved significantly since they were first introduced in the 1970s, advancing from OM1 to OM2, O …
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What's the Difference Between UTP, FTP, STP, and S/FTP Cabling?

Posted by Troy Snobecy on Jun 26th 2023

What's the Difference Between UTP, FTP, STP, and S/FTP Cabling?
Copper category cables feature four twisted pairs of insulated conductors that range from 22 to 30 AWG. They can be shielded or unshielded construction. Shielding protects against noise that can disturb signals, such as crosstalk and external electromagnetic interference (EMI) and radiofrequency interference (RFI) caused by magnetic and electric fields from a variety of sources …
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Splitters, PLC vs. FBT: What You Need to Know

Posted by Troy Snobecy on May 16th 2023

Splitters, PLC vs. FBT: What You Need to Know
If you’re familiar with passive optical networking, whether in the LAN or in the outside plant FTTX world, you likely know what an optical splitter (or beam splitter) does. In basic terms, optical splitters are simple passive devices that split incoming light signals into multiple signals. But did you know that there are two distinct types of splitters …
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Skip the Hassle and Go Live Faster with Integrated Fiber Panels - Cables Plus USA
Every data center project is different, and business needs are fluid and ever-changing. Sometimes an upgrade or expansion is planned well in advance, giving you ample time to effectively determine your equipment, space, power, and connectivity. Other times you may be faced with an urgent project and faster-than-average timing that leaves you scrambling and needing qu …
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Choosing the Right Type for Your Next Fiber Optic Project

Posted by Troy Snobecy on Mar 21st 2023

Choosing the Right Type for Your Next Fiber Optic Project
Innerduct has long been used to protect and segregate fiber optic cables installed in conduit outside-plant and premise environments. It also protects and segregates fiber cables in cable tray throughout telecommunications spaces and pathways. But did you know that there are multiple types of innerduct available? Where, how, and to what distance you plan to deploy fib …
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Fiber Testers: What You Need to Know before you buy!

Posted by Troy Snobecy on Feb 16th 2023

Fiber Testers: What You Need to Know before you buy!
Whether it’s outside plant (OSP) infrastructure, links between equipment in the data center, or the backbone in a LAN, a light source and power meter (LSPM) test set is the most vital of all tools for testing an installed fiber plant. Most specifications require Tier 1 testing per TIA and ISO standards using an LSPM to calculate total insertion loss and length. And even if …
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Wall Mount Racks & Cabinets: Save Space & Cost

Posted by Troy Snobecy on Jan 12th 2023

Wall Mount Racks & Cabinets: Save Space & Cost
While most of us think of free-standing racks and cabinets for housing IT equipment in data centers and telecom rooms (TRs)—MDFs and IDFs—there are plenty of scenarios where a wall mount rack or cabinet is the better option. And like free-standing racks and cabinets, there are many options to choose from. We thought we’d take a look at some common scenarios …
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Choosing the Right Freestanding Rack or Cabinet

Posted by Troy Snobecy on Dec 5th 2022

Choosing the Right Freestanding Rack or Cabinet
When we think about today’s networks, all of the advanced technology enabling high-speed, low-latency transmission for the latest applications is pretty darn exciting. While racks and cabinets may not be the sexiest infrastructure component in your telecom spaces, they are an absolute necessity for housing and protecting the equipment that makes our digital world fun …
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Which Fiber Termination Method is Right for You?

Posted by Troy Snobecy on Nov 1st 2022

Which Fiber Termination Method is Right for You?
Which Fiber Termination Method is Right for You?Fiber optic cabling can be pre-terminated to connectors by your cabling supplier, or they can be terminated in the field using fusion splicing with pigtails or splice-on connectors or using mechanical splice or traditional epoxy/polish connectors. With an increasing number of fiber links in LANs and data centers, designers an …
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Website Navigation Matters and We Listened!

Posted by Troy Snobecy on Oct 19th 2022

Website Navigation Matters and We Listened!
Network infrastructure is becoming more complex than ever with an ever-increasing number of connected devices in more places and data centers shifting to strategic architectures with more fiber to support faster transmission speeds in switch-to-switch and switch-to-server links. With these complexities come a wider variety of copper and fiber cable and connectivity compone …
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The Basics of Pulling Fiber

Posted by Troy Snobecy on Sep 16th 2022

The Basics of Pulling Fiber
The Basics of Pulling Fiber When deploying fiber links in data centers, LANs, or even in outside plant networks, fiber is pulled between equipment and spaces through pathways, cable managers, cable tray, risers, or conduit. While it may seem like a routine task, failure to pull properly can damage the cable in a way that prevents data transmission or impacts n …
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Choosing your network Transceiver

Posted by Troy Snobecy on Aug 17th 2022

Choosing your network Transceiver
Which Network Transceiver Do I Need?In networking, transceivers are the critical components that enable data transmission. The name “transceiver” comes from the fact that these components consist of both receiver and transmitter assemblies required for data transmission. While transceivers can be embedded into short-reach direct attach copper and optical cables, they offer …
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Powering & Protecting Your Network Equipment?

Posted by Troy Snobecy on Jul 28th 2022

Powering & Protecting Your Network Equipment?
Power distribution units, or PDUs, are a necessity for distributing power to active network equipment in racks and cabinets located in the data center or telecom room. They come in a variety of sizes and flavors to ensure the right input and output voltages, amount of power, and type of receptacles required by your critical network equipment. PDUs can also protect you …
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Power Cables in Your Network: What You Need to Know

Posted by Troy Snobecy on Jul 25th 2022

Power Cables in Your Network: What You Need to Know
In our last blog, we discussed PDUs and how to select the right one for powering your data center equipment like servers and switches. Throughout the network, PCs and peripherals like monitors and printers also need power to connect to outlets. When it comes to providing secure and reliable power connections for all your networking equipment, you need the right power …
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In-Person Events Are Back! Are Your Cables Protected?

Posted by Troy Snobecy on Jul 11th 2022

In-Person Events Are Back! Are Your Cables Protected?
After a very long two years, we are finally starting to see the return of large-scale in-person events—from concerts, parades, and festivals, to sporting events and expositions. While event organizers are doing their due diligence to ensure attendee safety and reduce the risk of Covid-19 spread, it’s not just the event goers that need protection. These events requi …
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5 Tips for Troubleshooting Your Fiber Network

Posted by Troy Snobecy on Jun 21st 2022

5 Tips for Troubleshooting Your Fiber Network
                         Every network today includes fiber optic connectivity—whether it's an all-fiber outside plant (OSP) infrastructure, thousands of fiber links between equipment in the data center, or the fiber backbone in a LAN. However, sometimes ev …
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Stepping Up (And Speeding Up) Your MPO Fiber Inspection

Posted by Troy Snobecy on Jun 7th 2022

Stepping Up (And Speeding Up) Your MPO Fiber Inspection
                          As fiber connectivity continues to advance and address the need for next-generation transmission speeds to support emerging technologies, today’s data centers encompass more fiber links than ever before. And whether …
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Fiber is Becoming the Mainstay of the Connected World

Posted by Troy Snobecy on May 10th 2022

Fiber is Becoming the Mainstay of the Connected World
                        Twisted-pair copper cabling continues to be the predominant media in the horizontal LAN infrastructure for connecting and powering devices at the edge of the network—for everything from Wi-Fi access points and surveillance cameras to LED …
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Get Ready for 16-fiber Small Form Factor Connectors!

Posted by Troy Snobecy on Apr 28th 2022

Get Ready for 16-fiber Small Form Factor Connectors!
                         As we discussed in a previous blog , multi-fiber MPO connectors have become the connector of choice for high-speed parallel optics applications that transmit and receive over multiple fibers. These include 8-fiber and 16-fiber appli …
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Addressing the Number One Network Complaint – Speed!

Posted by Troy Snobecy on Apr 12th 2022

Addressing the Number One Network Complaint – Speed!
                      Limited network speed could be due to a range of factors—from VLAN misconfigurations and outdated equipment to poor network design or issues with the cable plant. The first step is to diagnose and try to fix the problem, but once you’ve exhausted those efforts, it may be tim …
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Tackle Fiber Polarity Mishaps Like a Pro!

Posted by Troy Snobecy on Mar 22nd 2022

Tackle Fiber Polarity Mishaps Like a Pro!
                                Multi-fiber push-on (MPO) connectors like the US Conec MTP® Elite designed for exceptional low-loss performance have become a mainstay in the data center for today’s high-density, high-speed …
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Six Must-Haves to Improve Data Center Efficiency

Posted by Troy Snobecy on Mar 8th 2022

Six Must-Haves to Improve Data Center Efficiency
With emerging 5G and IoT/IIoT technologies and ever-increasing demand for more bandwidth, data centers are housing more power-hungry equipment than ever before. And that means more energy consumption and higher cost. At the same time, increasing regulations on energy use and the need for industries to reduce emissions are requiring data centers to become more efficient tha …
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Tips for Improving Connectivity in Healthcare Facilities

Posted by Troy Snobecy on Feb 22nd 2022

Tips for Improving Connectivity in Healthcare Facilities
                            Today’s hospital and healthcare facilities are becoming increasingly dependent on technology to streamline patient care, deliver quality healthcare services, and improve operational efficiencies. According to …
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Optical Fiber Attenuators, Adapters, Couplers & Splitters

Posted by Troy Snobecy on Feb 9th 2022

Optical Fiber Attenuators, Adapters, Couplers & Splitters
                          When it comes to fiber optic connectivity, we always hear a lot about the various types of connectors and their applications such as duplex LC connectors and multi-fiber MTP/MPO connectors. As probably the most …
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Fiber Splicing: What You Need to Know

Posted by Troy Snobecy on Jan 25th 2022

Fiber Splicing: What You Need to Know
                          Pre-terminated fiber assemblies are ideal for data center deployments because they enable high density, reduce labor and deployment time, and offer superior performance with less variability due to factory termination …
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The Complete Guide to Media Converters

Posted by Troy Snobecy on Jan 11th 2022

The Complete Guide to Media Converters
                            Media converters are fairly simple networking devices for connecting dissimilar media, and most people think of them as being used for transitioning from electrical signals transmitted over copper to op …
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Fiber Patch Panels: What You Need to Know

Posted by Troy Snobecy on Dec 28th 2021

Fiber Patch Panels: What You Need to Know
                        If you’re new to the industry or just happen to work in an area of IT that doesn’t deal with the cabling infrastructure, you might be wondering exactly what a fiber patch panel is and how it’s used. In reality, a fiber patch panel is not …
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MTP vs MPO: What's the Difference & Why You Should Care

Posted by Troy Snobecy on Dec 9th 2021

MTP vs MPO: What's the Difference & Why You Should Care
                              In a previous blog, we discussed how multi-fiber push-on (MPO) connectors support 400 and 800 Gigabit applications and beyond. A mainstay in the data center, these connectors use a linear array of fibers …
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Difference Between Cat 5e, 6 & 6a Ethernet Cables

Posted by Troy Snobecy on Dec 1st 2021

Difference Between Cat 5e, 6 & 6a Ethernet Cables
                            Local area networks primarily use category balanced four-pair copper Ethernet cabling in their horizontal infrastructure to connect wireless access points, laptops, phones, surveillance cameras, and a variety of …
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Key Things to Consider When Buying Fiber Optic Cable

Posted by Troy Snobecy on Nov 10th 2021

Key Things to Consider When Buying Fiber Optic Cable
With emerging technologies like high-definition 4K video streaming, online gaming, IoT, virtual reality, artificial intelligence, 5G, and others requiring the transmission of more data at faster speeds, fiber optic cabling infrastructure has become the de facto standard for backbone switch-to-switch links in data center, LAN, campus, and outside plant environments. The …
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Why is Made in the USA & TAA compliance Important?

Posted by Troy Snobecy on Oct 19th 2021

Why is Made in the USA & TAA compliance Important?
                          Supply chain issues are plaguing the information communications technology industry, resulting in limited access to components and lead times at an all-time high that are hampering the ability for companies and service prov …
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800G & Future Terabit Data Center Apps: What's in Store?

Posted by Troy Snobecy on Oct 5th 2021

800G & Future Terabit Data Center Apps: What's in Store?
                                While large hyperscale and cloud data centers are now adopting 400 Gigabit applications, and large enterprise data centers are just beginning to evaluate their options to migrate t …
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Fiber End-Face Contamination: #1 Cause of Failures

Posted by Troy Snobecy on Sep 7th 2021

Fiber End-Face Contamination: #1 Cause of Failures
There is no doubt that fiber connectivity has improved over the years with advancements like superior insertion loss, better alignment, gender and polarity field changes, shutters, and smaller form factors. But despite these advancements, contaminated fiber end faces remain the #1 cause of performance issues in fiber links. As the number of devices and amount of data r …
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Optimize Your Data Center with 400 Gig Breakouts

Posted by Troy Snobecy on Aug 17th 2021

Optimize Your Data Center with 400 Gig Breakouts
                          In out last blog on using duplex and MPO connectivity together , we talked about breakout applications and the advantages of supporting multiple lower-speed connections from a single port to maximize port utilization and switch density. …
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Duplex and MPO Connectivity — Better Together

Posted by Troy Snobecy on Jul 29th 2021

Duplex and MPO Connectivity — Better Together
                          In last month’s blogs, we covered new high-density duplex connectors like Senko’s CS™ and SN™ connectors US Conec’s MDC™ and the role of MPO connectors on the road to 800 Gig and beyond. But did you kn …
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MPOs Are on the Road to 800 Gig and Beyond!

Posted by Troy Snobecy on Jun 25th 2021

MPOs Are on the Road to 800 Gig and Beyond!
Multi-fiber MPO connectors have become a mainstay in the data center, originally deployed as a space-saving and cable management solution via  trunk cables used with MPO-to-LC cassettes to simplify and speed deployment in duplex applications and ultimately becoming the connector of choice for high-speed parallel optic applications. Now new developments in 400 and …
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New High-Density Duplex Connectors - Cables Plus USA

Posted by Troy Snobecy on Jun 14th 2021

New High-Density Duplex Connectors - Cables Plus USA
                           While LC duplex connectors have dominated as the interface for duplex fiber applications, there are some new smaller form-factor duplex connector designs out in the market—and they are giving the LC a run for its mone …
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HD8 Fiber Patching System Featured in Cabling Magazine

Posted by Troy Snobecy on May 13th 2021

HD8 Fiber Patching System Featured in Cabling Magazine
                            HD8² cassettes are rear entry loaded and can be “hard wired” utilizing terminated optic fiber cable and a Heyco® strain relief. A pulling eye cap facilitates the installation of the cassettes through ladder rack, inne …
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