Fiber-Optic Ethernet: Anyone use it yet?

MadRat

Lifer
Oct 14, 1999
11,960
278
126
I'm disappointed this technology is so far behind schedule. Has anyone seen any worthwhile use for it on the local LAN level?
 

julianf

Senior member
Jun 6, 2001
239
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not like a normal network, but i transfer files between two HD-recorders through my Adat cards (optical) moves pretty fast.
 

kylef

Golden Member
Jan 25, 2000
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Here's the latest I've seen: 802.3ae

However, the thing to remember is that GigE (1000baseT) works over Cat-5 just fine... and it hasn't even caught on yet. I think it will take more time for the 10 gig ethernet standard to catch on (say, a few years after 1gig ethernet is actually commonplace). Besides, I shudder when I think about replacing all of that CAT-5 with fiber...

One of the biggest problems we'll hit pretty soon is preventing the PCI bus from saturating.

 

Soccerman

Elite Member
Oct 9, 1999
6,378
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you can use fiber optics for gigabit ethernet.

However, the thing to remember is that GigE (1000baseT) works over Cat-5 just fine...

yeah, but the range is much more limited.

as for the bus being saturated, yeah again..

pretty much a few things have to be in place when gigabit ethernet is to reach the desktop (not just the backbone of a network). faster bus, and more selection of fiber gigabit NICs. 10 gigabit would probably be the killer app for fiber, though again, it depends on where you want to use it.

if you want fiber to the desktop you can get it, but it's only useful for long distances, making sure you dont' have to re-route new cable for a long time, and for extremely fast speeds that would saturate a normal 32/33 PCI bus..
 

JJ8

Senior member
Apr 1, 2000
222
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I know!

I know!

Just buy a PentiumV to enhance your ethernet experience!

Who needs CAT5?

Who needs optical?

Just buy a PV!
 

Noriaki

Lifer
Jun 3, 2000
13,640
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Don't worry PCI-X should be here before we need Gigabit ethernet in our PCs.

At work we use Fiber for all our Gigabit ethernets....yes you can use CAT5e....but the range is less and it's more prone to interferance (when you have dozens of servers in one room interferance can matter).
 

Linux23

Lifer
Apr 9, 2000
11,339
714
126
i might convert my network to fiber next summer! Not sure how much the optical cables would cust per feet? Anyone???
 

Mday

Lifer
Oct 14, 1999
18,647
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yeah, if you use 1000baset, you're better off going 64bit 66MHz pci ;-)...

fiber is overkill for an normal applications YOU would run into. the limiting factor would be 33MHz 32bit pci which we all have...

local lan is redundant. fiber is overkill for a lan, and it's not worth the extra cost. UNLESS, of course your LAN spans a distance greater than 100 meters, then you can consider fiber to connect some clusters ;-)
 

Bozo Galora

Diamond Member
Oct 28, 1999
7,271
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Fiber Optic
Fiber Specification and Selection
General Cable provides a wide range of optical fiber options so that the customer has the flex-ibility
to construct a cable plant to best fit their needs. General Cable only uses optical fiber
that meets or exceeds industry standards so that you can be assured of a quality product with
best-in-class performance.
The fiber type and grade options available to users continue to expand as technology
demands ever better optical fiber to perform to demanding requirements. The information
below is intended to summarize the performance of General Cable fiber types. A detailed fiber
selection table is also included.
62.5/125 Multimode
62.5/125 multimode has been the TIA/EIA 568A standard in North America and in many parts
of the world for years. Proven reliability and strong optical performance has kept this as the
fiber of choice for data backbones and recently, Fiber-To-The-Desk (FTTD).
Super/FDDI - This fiber meets the bandwidth requirement and exceeds the attenuation
specification for TIA/EIA 568A. Super/FDDI fiber is the most commonly used fiber in
data networks today.
G300 - This fiber is General Cable?s entry offering of ?enhanced? multimode fibers. The
G300 fiber has an optimized core profile that allows it to efficiently transmit a Gigabit
Ethernet (per IEEE 802.3z) laser signal 300 meters at 850nm and 550 meters at 1300nm
and still be backward compatible with TIA/EIA 568A and ISO 11801. This fiber sets a
new benchmark for the base level of performance. It is perfect for any network back-bone
that reaches to 300 meters and for centralized cabling topographies (TSB-72).
G500 - The G500 is a premium 62.5/125 multimode fiber optimized for performance in
laser based systems such as Gigabit Ethernet. G500 can transmit a Gigabit Ethernet
(per IEEE 802.3z) laser signal a distance of 500 meters at 850nm and 1000 meters at
1300nm. This fiber provides a sound solution as backbone distances increase and the
bandwidth potential of 1Gbps systems are needed. This fiber meets the requirement of
TIA/EIA 568A and ISO 11801.
50/125 Multimode
50/125 multimode has been a standard in ISO 11801 and is used primarily in Europe and Asia.
The popularity of 50/125 around the world and its superior bandwidth performance in the 850nm
window are driving its inclusion into TIA/EIA 568B and acceptance in North America.
Super/50 - This 50/125 multimode fiber was designed to meet or exceed all
requirements of TIA/EIA 568-B.3 and ISO 11801. The fiber has a bandwidth of
500/500Mhz?km to satisfactorily handle a variety of applications. This truly universal
fiber has a place in nearly all data networks.
G600 - G600 provides all of the optical benefits of the Super/50 fiber along with the
ability to extend the signal transmission distance of a Gigabit Ethernet (per IEEE802.3z)
laser signal to 600 meters at both 850nm and 1300nm. This fiber is perfect for systems
where backbone distances are an issue and future bandwidth is required.
 

sitka

Senior member
Dec 29, 2000
895
0
0
don't most server rooms these days use fibre patch cables. I thought it was becuse when you updated a switch, router or firewall, you wanted to make sure that it had a fibre port so it wouldn't be outdated by the time you got it installed. I've seen lots of 8 foot runs of fibre. Or is it just that the fibre uplink port is easier to impliment than a gigabit over copper port.
 

ST4RCUTTER

Platinum Member
Feb 13, 2001
2,841
0
0
So am I correct in saying that the bus for PCI-X is 133MHz @32/64 bit? With burst at up to 1.0Ghz/s? That's damn fast. It seems like the HDD is the next major bottleneck and I don't see how any increase in RPM or "tweaking" of the read/write method could create a suitable solution.

Can anyone foresee flash or static memory replacing traditional platter based media? Is there anything even close to product using this technology?
 

Soccerman

Elite Member
Oct 9, 1999
6,378
0
0
btw, if anyone wants to be sure of some upgradeability later on, go single mode fiber optic. single mode uses lasers for creating the signal, whereas multimode uses LEDs. LEDs create a spread spectrum of light, therefor later on (probably MUCH later on), when you want to fit multiple signals on a single fiber (at different frequencies), you could fit more on with Laser.

Not only that, but Lasers are capable of switching on and off faster, meaning 10 gigabit ethernet is I think going to be single mode fiber optic.