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What is a Media Converter?

Posted by Troy Snobecy on May 15th 2024

What is a Media Converter?
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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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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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 OS1 to OS2, O …
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The Difference Between UTP, FTP, STP, and S/FTP Cabling

Posted by Troy Snobecy on Jun 26th 2023

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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Skip the Hassle Go Live Faster w/Integrated Fiber Panels

Posted by Troy Snobecy on Apr 12th 2023

Skip the Hassle Go Live Faster w/Integrated Fiber Panels
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 Innerduct for Your Fiber Project

Posted by Troy Snobecy on Mar 21st 2023

Choosing the Right Innerduct for Your Fiber 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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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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The Basics of Pulling Fiber

Posted by Troy Snobecy on Sep 16th 2022

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 network performance over time. …
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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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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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What is a Fiber Patch Panel?

Posted by Troy Snobecy on Dec 28th 2021

What is a Fiber Patch Panel?
                        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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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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