Data centers contain multiple switch layers to efficiently route data and optimize network performance, scalability, and utilization of resources. Access-layer switches move large volumes of data from servers to aggregation and core layer switches that consolidate and transmit data to and from other data centers, storage area networks (SANs), backend high-performance comp …
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Since its 2003 introduction, Power over Ethernet (PoE) technology, which transmits DC power alongside Ethernet data across twisted-pair copper cabling, has experienced widespread adoption. This technology has continually progressed, exponentially increasing its power delivery to accommodate an expanding array of connected devices.  The primary advantage of PoE is sub …
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Reliable and efficient connections are essential for fiber optic networking. While there are many different types of fiber optic connectors available, LC connectors stand out for their compact design and exceptional performance. Whether you're working on a data center upgrade, building an enterprise network, or improving telecommunications infrastructure, LC connectors play a …
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Category 6 and Category 6A cables are the dominant media comprising today’s copper-based networks. These twisted-pair copper cables are deployed primarily for horizontal links in local area networks (LANs) to enable IP-based communication and deliver power over Ethernet (PoE) to networked devices throughout commercial buildings and campuses, including phones, laptops, wi …
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Although fiber optic systems are the foundation that underpins all digital communications and make up the backbone of how the world connects, contamination of fiber optic connector end faces remains a primary cause of network failures.  Dust and oil on a fiber end face can block light signals, causing loss and reflections that degrade network performance or cause costly d …
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Fiber optic cables are essential for today's digital communications. With the ability to support superior transmission speeds over longer distances compared to copper cabling, fiber optic cables have become the de facto media for data center links and high-speed connections between spaces, buildings, cities, and regions. But how exactly do fiber optic cables transmit data, and …
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HDPE innerduct plays a pivotal role in protecting and organizing fiber optic cables in underground conduit systems. Innerducts are smaller conduits designed to subdivide larger ones, making cable installations more efficient and organized. High-Density Polyethylene (HDPE) is the material of choice for innerducts due to its durability, flexibility, and ability to withstand chall …
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While fiber optic cabling offers superior transmission speed and distance over copper cabling, it’s also surprisingly durable. Despite being made of glass, fiber cables can last much longer than copper cables when installed correctly. However, they require careful handling and specific installation practices to maintain their durability. Selecting the correct type of fib …
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Fiber optic cable is the primary media for outside plants, campuses, and LAN backbone infrastructure because it can transmit more data farther. It also comprises the majority of data center switch-to-switch and switch-to-server links that transmit high volumes of data at faster speeds. It’s even increasingly making its way into horizontal infrastructure for connecting de …
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Even if your project specification or customer doesn’t require you to test a newly installed fiber cable plant, you could be putting yourself and your customer at risk if you don’t. Certification testing to industry standards ensures that a cable plant will support your customers’ applications and prevent costly callbacks. Test results for every fiber link ar …
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Premise innerduct is a flexible, non-metallic, corrugated raceway that has long been an essential conduit system for protecting fiber optic cables installed throughout telecommunications spaces and pathways. It can help isolate fiber to prevent damage from other cables or trades working in those spaces. Premise innerduct is available in a variety of sizes. Selecting a s …
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As technology continues to advance, fiber optic cabling is essential to ensuring ample bandwidth for emerging applications and the transmission of ever-increasing amounts of data. Today’s networks encompass more fiber links than ever before, from service provider networks and switch and server links in the data center to backbone infrastructure in local area networks (LA …
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Come See Our Team at the 2024 ISE Expo! Cables Plus USA is partnering with HellermannTyton to introduce RapidNet Ultra, the new new high density pre-terminated fiber solution designed for data centers. The ISE EXPO 2024, taking place in Dallas, Texas, from August 20-22, is a premier conference and tradeshow focused on the latest in telecom infrastructure and network solutions. …
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Things can go wrong even when a fiber optic network is installed properly without exceeding loss budgets, cabling bend radius, or pull tension. Problems that creep up in an existing fiber optic network can be related to the cabling and connectivity infrastructure, such as contaminated connector end faces or damaged cable. However, before going down the rabbit hole of hiri …
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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 optical signals transmitted over fiber. But did you know that media converters can be used for converting other signal types in different environments? Let’s take …
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Local area networks (LANs) and data centers have long been comprised of both copper and fiber cables to establish backbone links between active equipment and horizontal links to connect a wide range of end devices. Knowing the key differences between the two and understanding their capabilities are vital to choosing which is right for your specific application. Copper Cables …
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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. However, not every fiber deployment is suited for pre-terminated solutions. Longer lead times, the need to carefully predetermine lengths, and higher ma …
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Come See Our Team at Data Center World 2024. Cables Plus USA is partnering with HellermannTyton to introduce RapidNet Ultra, the new new high density pre-terminated fiber solution designed for data centers. Data Center World delivers expert strategy and insight on the technologies and concepts you need to know to plan, manage, and optimize your data center. Data …
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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 ba …
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  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 cable assemblie …
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  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. Therefore, …
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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 multiple optic …
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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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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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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 …
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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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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 5e. …
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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 OS1 to OS2, O …
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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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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—planar …
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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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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 fiber cables …
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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 a sp …
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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 and envi …
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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? 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 …
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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 components, …
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      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 network performance over …
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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, …
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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 your equipme …
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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 cable. Wh …
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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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                         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, sometime …
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                        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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                         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 …
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Slow speed is the number one complaint among LAN users. It negatively impacts productivity and online experiences and can be especially problematic for real-time applications like video conferencing, data analytics, and virtual reality. Understanding potential root causes and how to troubleshoot them is the first step in resolving slow network speeds, but once you've exha …
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                                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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  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 costs. At the same time, increasing regulations on energy use and the need for industries to reduce emissions are requiring data centers to become more ef …
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Today’s hospitals and healthcare facilities are becoming increasingly dependent on technology to streamline patient care, deliver quality healthcare services, and improve operational efficiencies. According to a recent report, the U.S. digital health market is expected to reach more than $86 billion in the next six years. Hospital networks need to handle more data-inte …
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                          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 cri …
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                        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 n …
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                              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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                            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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                          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 providers …
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                                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 m …
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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 reaches a …
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                          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 s …
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                          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. Bu …
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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 800 Gigab …
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                           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 …
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             We are excited to announce that the HD8² High-Density Fiber System from Tactical Deployment Systems has been spotlighted in Cabling Installation & Maintenance magazine! Known for its superior density and exceptional performance, the HD8² System has become an essential solution for data centers seeking efficient and rel …
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