Category: Cabling

Tips to Identify Copper Clad Aluminium (CCA) Cables

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If it sounds too good to be true, it might be. Don’t get too excited if you find Category 6 cable available online for practically half what you’ve been paying for that brand name. Even if it claims TIA-568-C compliance, includes the UL listing mark and even has a ETL verification legend printed right on the cable, make sure that cable isn’t made with copper clad aluminum (CCA). Cables made with CCA conductors are simply not worth the risk, even at the lower price. Not only are they non-standards compliant, but they often do not have a valid UL safety listing per the National Electric Not Worth the Savings or the RiskCode (NEC)..

Upgrading fiber. Which one to choose?

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Q. We are upgrading a network at a brownfield site where most fiber runs are close to 100 meters, and we’re considering an upgrade from OM2 to either OM4 or single-mode. Which one should we choose?A. Customers prefer to stay with multimode, as the transceivers are generally cheaper. If your runs are 100 meters or less, OM4 would allow you to migrate to 400 Gb/s in the future, based on the draft requirements of IEEE 802.3cm. If your runs are over 100 meters, there are proprietary transceivers that would allow you to go farther at 100 Gb/s on OM4, but at this stage you should be looking at single-mode.

7 Reasons Test Access Points Are Critical to Network Monitoring and Visibility

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 Whether you need to keep tabs on the endless wave of personal devices in the workplace, track the performance of third-party applications (or those in the data center), or ensure cyber criminals aren’t probing the network, the reality is that you can’t control what you can’t see. Having access to network traffic and properly distributing that data to the tools your business relies on is crucial for network visibility. That’s where the network Test Access Points (TAPs) come in.

Differences between OS2, OM1, OM2, OM3, OM4, and OM5

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When it comes to fiber optic networks, there are a lot of options in how a network is designed. Knowing which fiber cable to use for your project really comes down to distance and speed. We cut to the chase of what the main differences between fiber modes are so you can make the right decision. While the complete list of design differences could fill several books, you can understand the key variations in design in a few minutes. This quick guide will highlight the characteristics of OS2, OM1, OM2, OM3, OM4, and OM5 fiber cables.

Big Data and the IoT’s effect on Data Centers

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Technology usage patterns have evolved considerably over the decade. Today’s consumers are creating and churning data at an unprecedented rate. Mobile phones and tablets equipped with multiple sensors are constantly transmitting data. In the home, various automation devices like Nest thermostats and Dropcams are also contributing to the data glut. As our lives revolve around data, so the data center has become a virtual storage vault for this critical asset. 

Webinar: Scaling to 400G – The Need for Speed

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As transmission speeds increase in data center and enterprise networks, it becomes increasingly important to adopt a cabling-infrastructure strategy that considers multiple generations of network evolution. Deploying a cabling system that can support current and future needs requires thoughtful planning, and also requires an approach that is both robust and flexible. This webinar will describe in detail how to plan and implement a fiber-optic cabling infrastructure that supports port breakout for today’s applications.