Category: Cabling

A sticky situation: Removing static improves fiber network performance

Static is an invisible hazard to fiber-optic networks. Electrostatic charges draw and hold unwanted dust particles onto fiber network connector endfaces just like a magnet. Although this dust contamination is merely microns in size and only visible when magnified with an inspection scope, it can still cause serious performance problems for a network. Dust in a signal’s path may change or obstruct the light’s index of refraction, or the route of the signal, through the fiber. This causes insertion loss that weakens the signal and slows down the network speed. And if the refraction angle is altered enough, the network signal may be lost altogether.

Applications for singlemode fiber-optic cabling

Singlemode fiber-optic cabling systems, once found almost exclusively in service providers’ long-haul networks or in expansive campuses, are now commonly being used in data center and enterprise networks. How deep has singlemode gotten into these networks, and how much deeper are they likely to go? That’s the topic of this month’s In-Depth discussion.In the data center and the enterprise, long-wavelength transmission supported by singlemode fiber-optic cabling systems serve today’s networking needs and hold promise for tomorrow.

Applications for singlemode fiber-optic cabling

Singlemode fiber-optic cabling systems, once found almost exclusively in service providers’ long-haul networks or in expansive campuses, are now commonly being used in data center and enterprise networks. How deep has singlemode gotten into these networks, and how much deeper are they likely to go? That’s the topic of this month’s In-Depth discussion.

Team Velcro Declared the Winner!

The Ethernet Alliance has posted results from its recent #cablingmanagement poll regarding the use of velcro vs. cable ties. The survey says…#TeamVelcro for the win! 75% of respondents said velcro is tops; 16.7% were #TeamWhateverWorks, and only 8.3% are behind #TeamZipTie. Congrats, Team Velcro! #Ethernet

Fluke Networks Announces the FiberInspector™ Ultra, the Most Complete, Most Efficient Endface Inspection Solution

The FI-3000 FiberInspector™ Ultra from Fluke Networks allows fiber optic technicians to find contamination – the most common cause of fiber failure – on nearly any fiber connection. Technicians using the FI-3000 can get a Live View of the fiber endface instantly on their phone or Versiv Cabling Certification System and then use a gesture-based interface to zoom in on individual fibers or perform a pass/fail test in seconds. FiberInspector Ultra tests single fiber and MPO with SmartPhones or Versiv.

Tellabs offers FlexSym ONT248 enterprise Ethernet switch/ONT

Tellabs 1RU Tellabs FlexSym ONT248 offers a 48-port Ethernet switch capability that can be connected to a passive optical LAN as well as reuse existing copper horizontals. Each port supports up to 60 W of Power over Ethernet, which is limited only by the capacity of the redundant modular hot-swappable power supplies installed. The platform is XGS-PON compatible, meaning it can support symmetrical 10-Gbps downstream and upstream connections.