I'm doing a run to a new part of our wharehouse for our shipping computers. I'm looking at about 800 feet of cable. I know this is much too long for cat6, so i'm looking at te fiber option. What is the maximum rated length of indoor fiber? Also, I know fiber is fragile, but exactly how careful to I have to be with it? I'm buying just the standard 4-fiber cable with the kevlar tension string inside and the regular sheath. Can I pull the actual cable, or do I need to use pull-string? What's the maximum corner angle I can take with it and still be safe?
max rated length of fiber?
- Thread starter kcbass
- Start date
It depends on the application.
Is this gig ethernet? SX or LX? 100 Base-FL? 10 Gig? 10 base-F? Voice? Multimode fiber or single mode?
So the anwer is "it depends"
1000 Base SX is a common application using 62.5 or 50 micron multimode fiber. the max distance is 220 meters I believe.
As for installation you should pay somebody to run and terminate the fiber unless you have extensive experience with it.
I was planning on buying pre-terminated fiber since I have a tray exactly where I need to go and since I know the length. As for conditions, i'm not sure about all the terms, but we're trying to keep everything gigabit complient. We're running four fiber strands, but for now we'll only be using one of them. We're planning on having four workstations and 2 voice-over-IP phones out in the shipping department, which should run easily over a strand of fiber. This give you any better idea on what I'm gonna need?
well if it's pre terminated I can understand. There are maximum pull tensions and bend radius - the stuff really is pretty tough. If you're pulling through a conduit I don't see a problem.
Also you'll be using two strands or one pair - transmit and receive.
At 800 feet you should probably look at 1000 Base-LX for the transceivers on each end and its best if you can put these in a switch. 800 feet is really pushing it for 1000 Base-SX, and unless you have a OTDR to truly measure the length of the fiber then its better to be safe than sorry.
Also you'll be using two strands or one pair - transmit and receive.
At 800 feet you should probably look at 1000 Base-LX for the transceivers on each end and its best if you can put these in a switch. 800 feet is really pushing it for 1000 Base-SX, and unless you have a OTDR to truly measure the length of the fiber then its better to be safe than sorry.
Is it required that I use one strand for transmit and one for receive? I was planning on putting ST connectors on all the strands, using one ATFS201 fiber to copper converter on each end (since they're $230 each...) and using one strand to do both send and receive. Also, does that tell you whether it's LX or SX? How can I tell? I'm not farmilliar with OTDR. What is that?
OTDR measures the length of the fiber and tells you how much loss there is. If you're buying preterminated cable then obviously you can specify the length.
provide a link to that transceiver and I can help out some more.
provide a link to that transceiver and I can help out some more.
I didn't get a link, just a quote from a guy at our local greybar. I'll see if I can find you one, though...
When I google it, I get a whole bunch of price lists...Here's the best link I could find with the most info. Hope it tells you more than it told me:
http://prodspec.pricesaving.com/proddescrspec_id_101019_ALLIEDTELESYN_ATFS20110_ALLIEDTELESYNC.htm
http://prodspec.pricesaving.com/proddescrspec_id_101019_ALLIEDTELESYN_ATFS20110_ALLIEDTELESYNC.htm
If you can find the gear on each end, SC connectors are generally more compatible with modern gear. You won't find much out there that uses ST's any more.
Also, be aware that there are two different kinds of cable - Single mode and Multi mode. Single is used for very long runs and multimode is for shorter. For 800 feet, you're fine with Multi mode.
- G
Also, be aware that there are two different kinds of cable - Single mode and Multi mode. Single is used for very long runs and multimode is for shorter. For 800 feet, you're fine with Multi mode.
- G
That's very strange....The fiber guy at greybar told me ST's were more commonly used....does that converter support both SC and ST?
That is a 100 BaseFX transceiver with is 100 Meg ethernet on fiber.
For that application you will require 62.5 micron mulitmode fiber. The interfaces on the transceiver are ST female. Your cable needs male (heh, I've never seen fiber terminated female)
. The maximum distance for 100 BaseFX at full fuplex 2 km. You will require two trands as mentioned previously, that's how fiber works - one tx and one rx.
Its imporant to make sure the 100 BaseFX link is full-duplex because half duplex 100 BaseFX is severely distance limited, even on fiber.
For that application you will require 62.5 micron mulitmode fiber. The interfaces on the transceiver are ST female. Your cable needs male (heh, I've never seen fiber terminated female)
. The maximum distance for 100 BaseFX at full fuplex 2 km. You will require two trands as mentioned previously, that's how fiber works - one tx and one rx.Its imporant to make sure the 100 BaseFX link is full-duplex because half duplex 100 BaseFX is severely distance limited, even on fiber.
nope
google said it best:
"A multimode fiber gets its name from the fact that light travels as "packets" of energy, called photons, in the core region of a fiber following multiple path lengths called "modes". This can be compared to many small BBs (photons) traveling down a tube (fiber) in multiple scattered paths towards its end."
So....if I use two strands, do I need two converters at each end, or does the one box cover both?
one box has both tx and rx, you'll need one at each end. the transceiver will plug into the switch on each end.
I missed that you were doing 100Mb/s. In that case, it IS common to use ST's. Most of the world, however, is moving away from ST connectors - Most of what we have in our data centers is gigabit, and that is primarily terminated on SC's or MT-RJ's (but those don't really make sense for what you're doing)
For futureproofing, I'd look at SC connectors on your cable. There's a variety of ports and connectors that are built with SC, not ST connectors. You can also get an Allied Telesyn AT-FS212 that does the same as the one you're looking at, but with SC connectors.
- G
spidey...do I really need a switch on each end, or can I get away with just one on the end of the shipping dept and just plug the other side into our stuff in the closet? Also, the 800 ft run is really just an approximation. It's about 753 feet, but since a lot of the lengths were estimated from blueprints, I was rounding up to be safe.
wow, Garion. Thanks for that product number. I think i'll go that route. It's way cheaper and future compliant. The guys at graybar quoted me $230 each for those 201 boxes, but the 212 was $160 on pricewatch!!! They have a port for tranx and recx, right?
you'll need some form of 10/100 BaseT on that end unless you only have one station. one station could plug directly into the transceiver.
If more than one, then yes you need a switch.
ok. Thanks for all your time and info guys. I've learned so much in this short amount of time. I'm pretty sure I've decided on a run of 2-pair fiber cable with the SC connectors that were recommended to me with the SC to copper converters. Spidey, what kind of fiber to I need to tell the guys I want? You mentioned microns and such. I want multimode, right?
Just ask for 62.5 micro multimode fiber...its pretty standard stuff. Also tell them your intentended application (like if its going to be buried or in conduit, etc).
That way if it needs to be weather rated stuff you'll get it.
Also you may need plenum if it is conduit/air spaces.
-ps- you're welcome. I kinda enjoy helping others learn this stuff. That and I get to be a big blow hard.
I told them last time where I was gonna run it, and they told me that weather rating wasn't necessary. I'm pretty sure we didn't need plenum either. Actually, I'll be running it on an exterior wall of the warehouse that has a tray built into one of the I-beams. Since it's fiber, I don't have to worry about static between buildings, but it's all indoors. We've also got hooks on the ceiling for lots of cat5 wires that I've considered laying the fiber on top of. It's all pretty isolated (the ceilings are about 150 ft up), so once it's in, it won't be bumped or bothered by anything
Its actually pretty tough stuff. Much more so than people believe. Althoug keeping the bend radius great than 4" would be a good idea.
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