Which Cabling Solution is Better for Your Data Center

Although cabling only represents less than 10 percent of the overall data center network investment, it outlives most network elements and treated as the most difficult and potentially costly component. With the datacenter cabling ranging from 1G to 10G, 10G to 40G and even to 100G, more complex cabling is required to ensure a good service or scalability for troubleshooting. In practice, there is no exact solution that will meet all of the cable management needs. However, two kinds of cabling systems can be applied—unstructured system and structured system. Just follow the guidelines and illustration highlighted in the article will go a long way to ensure you with the information required for the successful deployment of a cabling infrastructure in your data center.

Unstructured Cabling System

Unlike the structured cabling system with a managed patch panel, a unstructured cabling only occurs when optical links are deployed point to point or device to device without installing patch panels. In this situation, cabling pathways become congested with an entangled mess of two-fiber optical patch cords. Likewise, routing new patch cords in ceiling or floor trays all the way across a data center each time a new device is deployed is extremely inefficient.

And this entanglement will bring difficulties in routing new patch cords in ceiling or floor trays all the way across the data center whenever a new device is deployed. That greatly influences work efficiency. What’s more, this system causes the overheating of data centers especially around the racks where cable clutter occurs.

Structured Cabling System

Structure cabling emerged as a way to better manage larger data center solution is a big step for the development of optical technology. Structured cabling system is a flexible, reliable and highly efficient for moving, adding and changing the infrastructure as the network grows. This kind of system requires additional investment on pre-terminated MPO cabling such as patch panel to create the cabling infrastructure.

Compared with the unstructured cabling, structured cabling architecture is generally easier to manage and more scalable. And, due to the use of trunked or shared horizontal cabling, it often carries a smaller cable footprint than direct-attach cabling. However, the flexibility of structured cabling presents potential downsides, including cost and link-loss budget. Nevertheless, existing large data centers will likely retain their structured cabling infrastructures, particularly for long-reach, zone-to-zone applications, where it generally remains the more practical choice. The following part will introduce 40G structured cabling solutions.

40G Structured Cabling Solutions

As noted before, structured cabling solutions allow for high consolidation of cabling into a compact patch panel, cabling and connectivity. The traditional duplex multimode SC or LC connections do not support 40G data rate standards, today the MPO technology is commonly found in cassette-based data center installation allowing for easy management and maintenance. Below are cabling solutions of 40G for cable management configurations with the use of MPO patch panel.

One method (seen in the above picture) uses MTP-LC harnesses to transition the MTP connector to LC leads through the use of fiber enclosure loaded with 4 fiber adapter panels (12xMTP Key-up/Key-down). This 12-fiber MTP to LC harness assembly breaks out 4 x LC uniboot legs connecting the SFP+ ports. The lengths of LC harness legs can be customized to adapt to different situations. But this often results in messy cable management. The other method uses MPO/MTP trunk cable and fiber enclosure loaded with 4 MTP high density cassettes (2 x MTP-12 to Duplex LC/UPC 10G OM4) to realize the interconnection. This 96-fiber 1RU rackmount fiber enclosure connects fiber patch cables LC to LC and MTP trunk cable. This method is specially used when the 4xLC ports are not located in close proximity on a single device or are being split between multiple devices. Because it’s more manageable to land the MTP trunk cables into fiber enclosure with individual LC ports for 4xLC patch cables.

Conclusion

Choose the most suitable cabling to support present and future network technology is essential for the long-standing performance of the data center. Structured cabling using an MTP cabling infrastructure is suitable for current 10 Gigabit Ethernet environments while maintaining protection for 40 Gbps environments and beyond. Compared with unstructured cabling, it might be a better solution for you. Except for the right knowledge of a structure cabling, the right tools, patience and discipline are also the key factors that will attribute to the masterpiece of your cable management in data center.

Brief Introduction to Network Adapter

Generally for a home network, the most important consideration is the speed you have contracted for with your Internet service provider (ISP). And network adapters as an important element in wire management, are required to connect to the Internet with or without an Ethernet cable. There are many types of network adapters, an wireless one can help people connect to the home or office network as long as the computer is in the vicinity. This article will provide some information about network adapters that may be useful to potential buyers.

Main Features of Network Adapters

The wireless network adapter is quite similar to a memory stick in appearance. The device will usually insert into a USB port and has a LED light that indicates operability and power. The devices can be portable and quite effective. Some are slightly larger and may be the size of a credit card. Because of their size, the devices are convenient and easy to install. More designers are coming to appreciate the compactness of network adapters.

When the device is plugged in, it will scan for local networks to connect to and display them for the user. Users simply have to click the name of the network they wish to join. Any credentials that need to be provided should be provided, and this is all it requires to surf the network wirelessly. Most devices only require the credentials once, and it will boot each time it’s logged in.

The Important of Network Adapter

Network adapters are necessary for those who desire network connectivity. Network adapters bring so much more functionality and flexibility when it comes to connecting to the Internet. Wireless network adapters are even more desirable. Designers are recognizing that network adapters are instrumental to the success of the device. Local technology companies can provide network adapters at an affordable price to clients who need the functionality and the scalability. Network adapters are instrumental to connecting single or multiple devices to the Internet.

Software Drivers Are Necessary

Wireless network adapters need a piece of software called a device driver. These network drivers will allow applications to communicate with the network adapter hardware. When the network drivers are communicating with the hardware, the devices operate easier. Drivers can make current and past technology more compatible. If an upgrade is necessary from a PCI card or a PCMCIA, USB devices with update driver software is the preferable choice.

Backwards and Forwards Compatibility

Laptop computers will come equipped with a built-in WiFi card. When the wireless standards change and a new card is required, network adapters are usually backwards and forwards compatible. This is desirable if you want the newer and faster standard. For instance, most network adapters will support both the 802.11g standard and the 802.11n standard to ensure that they are both backwards and forwards compatible.

However to Ensure the Performance of Your Network Adapter

The network interface is where the data hits the computer. It’s the port or WiFi adapter that receives the data from the air or cable and translates it into something the computer can understand. No matter how fast the data arrives at the interface, it will only pass through as fast as the interface can process it. Many things can slow it down.

It’s important to remember that an interface that is capable of higher speeds than your network provides will not help things go faster. Spending money on a Gigabit network card won’t give you 1000 Mbps if your ISP is only supplying 25 Mbps.

Furthermore, a Ethernet cable in a cable management systems used to achieve the connectivity will also pose threat to the internet speed. Ethernet cables are presented in different categories. The most commonly used is Cat5, Cat5e and Cat6. CAT 5, rated at 100 Mbps; CAT 5e rated at 1000 Mbps; and CAT 6 rated at 10,000 Mpbs. CAT 5 is fine for most internet access through DSL or cable, while CAT 5e works well on connections over 100Mbps, as well as Gigabit business networks and home fiber optic connections. CAT 6 is probably overkill for most home networks, but is useful for business networks over 1 Gbps.

Other than cables used in home network, there are other factors that can throttle the performance of your network. Therefore, to use an external test server tests not only your home setup, including your adapter, but everything between you and the server doing the test.

Conclusion

To select the right adapter for your situation, you’ll want to have an adapter that exceeds the maximum speed of your network, while taking into consideration any likely future improvement. FS.COM offers a full range of fiber optic adapters including plug-in fiber adapter, bare fiber adapter, hybrid fiber adapter. All these products are terminated with LC, SC, ST, FC connectors. If you have any requirement of our products, please send your request to us.

Using HDMI Cables for High-Quality Transmission

As audio video systems and installations have become more complex over time, it is common for people to use HD TVs, HD media players, and other home theater systems. Additionally there seemed to be a big variance in quality between brands, especially when it came to extending HDMI signals. Therefore, the introduction of HDMI technology is a game changer and highly appreciated by overall users in this days. Just as fiber jumper connecting optical equipment, HDMI cables offer long-distance HD audio and video signals transmission playing an important role in achieving brilliant performance. Today’s article will have a brief introduction to this cable.

HDMI Cable

HDMI ((High-Definition Multimedia Interface) cable is composed of four shielded twisted pairs with several separate conductors for transferring data over video/audio devices. A HDMI cables are defined into two cable categories: one is the Category 1-certified cables, known as standard HDMI cables, the other is Category 2-certified cables, also called high speed HDMI cables. HDMI cables has not been specified the transmission length. A cable of about 5 meters (16 feet) can be manufactured to Category 1 specifications easily and inexpensively by using 28 AWG conductors. With better quality construction and materials, including 24 AWG conductors, an HDMI cable can reach lengths of up to 15 meters (49 feet). HDMI cables are expensive than the regular Cat6/Cat7 cables. Just as anything else, whether you want to use the expensive but high-performance HDMI cables or cheap but low-performance Category copper cables like Cat5e/Cat6, it depends on what inputs you tech has. The below part lists the current usage of HDMI cables, and you can look at the solutions that interest you. The following image shows the image of a HDMI cables connecting box and HDMI socket of TV.

Difference Between an HDMI Cable and a DVI Cable

HDMI cable and DVI cable as two two input-output media interfaces in home network are posing difficulty in distinguishing them. In fact, the biggest difference between these two transmission media lies in their layout. An HDMI cable is more compact and resembles a USB cable, while a DVI cable is usually bigger in size. Another major difference is in capability: the HDMI supports audio and video, whereas the DVI is strictly video-only.

Applications of HDMI Cables

• Boosted HDMI: HDMI cables, with a booster integrated into their structure use the 5v power rail of the HDMI signal to carry the data further without loss of fidelity. This cable, compared with the normal HDMI cable, is intended to make longer cable runs, but it can also be used to make a short cable thinner and much more flexible. HDMI cables with integrated booster chipsets are more expensive than their basic counterparts, and so far only cater to 1080p content due to the loss of bandwidth over the extended length, but they can reach 40 meters.
• HDMI over CAT: It is not a new concept to use Cat5 or Cat6 cables to extend an AV source. HDMI recently make use of this technology for stable extended runs—sometimes even using existing network cabling. Due to bandwidth limitations, most CAT extenders only support 1080p, but some can handle 3D, too. Configuration is more complex than regular cables, and interference can be a big problem in some environments, but with a good HDMI over Cat5/6 Extender, you can run 50 meters.

• HDMI over Fiber Optics: Fiber optics for HDMI, compared with HDMI over CAT, carries the highest price premium, but they have the much better capacity to outstrip copper based cables for distance by a large margin. The added benefit to this cable type is flexibility with a maximum distance of 45 meters. The optical core is much smaller than Boosted HDMI, but can go the same distances. Note that some companies have kits which run much longer, but it of course will cost far more!
• HDMI over Wireless: Wireless technologies vary between models, but one thing they have in common is they don't generally go as far as cables do. Line of sight is 10 to 15 meters, and through walls can be as low as 5 to 8 meters. Unless you can't run a cable at all, a lead will beat Wireless every time. Wireless is also limited by bandwidth to 1080p, and only the best units can handle 3D.

Some Terms Appeared in the Above Part

1080p refers to an HDTV format which has 1080 horizontal lines of resolution. The p stands for progressive scan. The traditional analog video uses an interlaced scan, which draws the odd lines, then even lines of each frame in sequence.

AWG is short for American Wire Gauge, which is a common unit of wire measurement. AWG expressed in a HDMI cable refers to the size of the conductors within the cable. With wire gauges, smaller numbers actually refer to larger wires. This means a 24 AWG cable has a thicker conductor than a 28 AWG cable. The benefit of a thicker conductor is the ability to effectively transmit an HD signal.

Plenum refers to the air-handling spaces in building construction above the ceiling and beneath the floors. Some building codes require Plenum-rated cable, which has a low-smoke jacket that burns slower in the event of a fire and emits less toxic smoke.

Summary

This article isn’t a definitive guide to HDMI cables, but for the sake of simplicity we just provide some basic information about industrial and commercial applications of HDMI cables. If you are on the fence to install a fiber optic network, always use the shortest length of cable you can live with, and ensure they're certified by the industry bodies. What’s more, it is advisable for you to save your money for other home network components and get your HDMI cables as cheaply as possible. FS.COM offers a full range of optical products including fiber optic cables (e.g. SC to LC patch cable), copper cables (like Cat5e, Cat6), optical transceivers and so on. If you want to know more information about our products, please send your request to us.

Basic Information About Fiber Optic Cables

Nearly 40 years ago, fiber optic cable was made and installed, and it is still used today. Newer cables now being made are of even better quality. Compared to traditional copper wiring (commonly found in homes), fiber optic cables offer much higher data rates and are capable of reaching longer distances. This flexible and durable fiber is most commonly used to transmit light for a wide range of applications like visible light displays, sensors, and high-speed communications networks, which will be discuss in this article.

Fiber Optic Cables for High-Speed Applications

Although fiber optic cable is made of hair-thin glass or plastic to a desired length and diameter, inch for inch it’s stronger and steal and more durable than copper. For more detailed information about fiber vs copper, you can see a blog entitled “Why is the fiber optic technology better than copper?”. What’s more, there is no theoretical lifetime for optical fiber. And other key features of optical fiber are its electrical insulative properties, cost effectiveness, and improved security of the information being transmitted.

In terms of fiber optic cable construction, optical fibers have a transparent core which is surrounded by a transparent cladding material with a lower index of refraction, which helps to keep light in the core see in the above picture. Due to some leakage of light over a distance, attenuation is a result of the decrease in intensity of the light beam as it travels through the optical fiber. Attenuation is the most important limiting factor in the transmission of light signals (especially over long distances), although dispersion of the light is another factor that affects performance.

Single Mode and Multimode Fiber Optic Cables

Over the years, significant research and development has been invested into improving the general performance of fiber. Most are continuously improved upon to further minimize attenuation/loss and dispersion over longer distances and there are many subsets that apply to very specific network and performance standards. However, the two primary categories are single mode and multimode optical fibers.

Single mode fiber patch cables have a smaller diameter core (9µm) that only allows for one mode of light to propagate. As a result, the amount of light leakage decreases and minimizes the attenuation, allowing the signal to travel longer distances. Typically, single mode fiber is used for distances beyond several hundred meters by telecom and CATV service providers, government agencies, and major enterprises and universities with large campuses and networks.

Multimode optical fibers have a larger diameter core (50µm or 62.5µm) than single mode fibers, which allows for the propagation of multiple modes of light. The amount of light that passes through the core is increased, thus enabling a higher amoutn of information to pass through at any one time. Because of the higher rates of dispersion and attenuation, the signal quality is significantly reduced over longer distances, so multimode fibers are typically deployed for short distance applications within data centers, Local Area Networks (LAN) and other similar networks. Similar to single mode and other communication fibers, subsets of mutimode fiber types exist on the basis of construction/makeup (step-index, graded-index, etc) and for varying bandwidth rates over specific distances (OM2, OM3, OM4).

FS.COM Fiber Optics

Besides the single mode and multimode fiber optic cables, there are many standard and specialty for fiber optic cables existed for use within communications networks. For high-speed networking services, fiber optic network offers much higher internet speed and supports longer transmission distance, which makes it the clear choice for what’s now and what’s next.

FS.COM has been providing custom lengths of optical fiber to all of our customers for network simulation, latency, and system demonstration applications. All of our high-quality fiber cable assemblies such as Patch Cords, Pigtails, MCPs, Breakout Cables are ordered at lower price. Additionally, fiber optic cables are also divided by different connectors like LC to LC patch cord, ST-LC patch cord, SC to LC patch cable and so on. If you have any interest of our products, you can contact our experienced team for a free consultation.

Choose Twisted Copper or Fiber Optic Cabling for the Data Center

When planning for a long-term cabling solution for your data center, it is important to consider future transmission speeds and the infrastructure to support them. Data center houses equipment like servers, storage units, backup power supplies and other equipment, which act as the heart of a building or campus. And all these equipment require high-bandwidth cables to connect them. The cabling in data center mainly comes in two forms—fiber or copper. To link the devices in data center, unshielded twisted pair (Cat5e/Cat6) and fiber optic fibers (MM fiber patch cords and single-mode fiber)  are commonly used. This article will focus on cabling solution for data center, and provide the cost-effective solution to you.

Twisted Copper Solutions For The Data Center

2006 witnessed the publication of the the IEEE 802.3an standard, meaning that users can use the twisted copper cabling or 10GBASE-T to support 10 Gigabit Ethernet. Compared with the former IEEE 802.3ak or 10GBASE-CX4 standard, 10GBASE-T standard has the advantage of supporting 10 Gigabit Ethernet up to 100 meters. What’s more, the 10GBASE-T using structured wiring systems based on the RJ45 connector is less costly than the 10G optical transceivers for supporting the same Gigabit Ethernet. All this attributes to the development of the copper twisted-pair cabling for horizontal, or non-backbone, distribution between LAN switches and servers.

UTP (unshielded twisted pair) cabling is a widely adopted copper cabling solution due to its support for both voice and data applications. A UTP cable consists of insulated, copper wires twisted around each other to reduce crosstalk and electromagnetic induction between pairs. Typically a twisted pair will be enclosed in a shield (STP) that works as a ground; in other cases (UTP), the pair remains unshielded. UTP cables are often referred to as a Category cable, such as Cat5e, Cat6, or Cat7, etc.

Cat5e cables had been the standard solution and often used for legacy equipment or lower bandwidth needs. But Cat6 is the most common copper type in new installations today, especially for 10G Ethernet application. Cat5e will soon be going away, with available options being Cat6, Cat6a and Cat7. These options offer increased levels of performance and improved installations. All of these cable types can adequately provide you a connection. The differences between them lie in their transmission speed capabilities and costs.

Fiber Optic Solutions For The Data Center

In a data center, bandwidth distributed to servers and other devices may range from 1 Gbqs to 10 Gbqs or more depending on application and data center models. Fiber optic cabling are usually worshiped by overall users owing to numerous advantages. For instance, compared with copper cabling, fiber systems can provide up to 60 percent space savings over copper cabling, and it also have a greater bandwidth and error-free transmission over longer distances allowing network designers to take advantage of new data center architectures.

In practical terms, fiber cables are comprised of light, which reduces signal interruption, allowing for signals to be carried longer distances seamlessly. Though fiber cables are highly sought after, the cost to purchase and install has decreased throughout the years, making them a reasonable choice for companies seeking a reliable, scalable solution. The fiber optic cables can be mainly divided into two parts, that’s multimode and single-mode fibers.

The multimode fiber type can be separated into categories: OM1, OM2, OM3, OM4. Applied for short distances, multimode fibers have a high light-gathering capacity, meaning the use of lower cost, lower wavelength technologies like LED and vertical-cavity surface-emitting lasers (VCSELs) can be employed. For longer distances, single-mode OS1 and OS2 are used; single-mode fiber uses lasers to achieve higher speeds and further distances. Additionally, fiber optic cable terminated with different optical connectors (like SC fiber cable) are also widely utilized in data centers. Fiber optic cables are critical to network performance as they do more than join servers and connect switches. They are the foundation of your technology environment. Thus it is important to have the best options for your optical network.

Field-terminated vs. Pre-terminated Fiber Solutions

In commercial building installations, an optical fiber cabling link is typically assembled in the field at the job site. The cable is pulled in from a reel of bulk cable, cut to length, attached to the patch panel housing and terminated with field installable connectors on each end. The terminated ends are then loaded into adapters in rack or wall mountable housings. Finally, the complete link is tested for continuity and attenuation.

The most efficient optical infrastructure is one in which all components are pr-eterminated in the factory see in the above picture. Connectors are installed, tested and packaged in the factory. The installer unpacks the components, pulls the preconnectorized cable assembly into place, snaps in the connectors and installs the patch cords connecting to the end equipment. This is the fastest installation method and provides the best solution for turning up servers quickly and lessening the risk of not meeting the customer’s availability expectations. The design and product selection process remains the same with selection and specification of fiber type, fiber count, cable type, connector type and hardware type appropriate for the environment.

Conclusion

There is no absolute solution to utilizing fiber or copper cabling for data centers. Twisted pair cabling wins the broad acceptance among users owing to the horizontal medium, low initial cost, and the ability to deliver higher data rate LAN services and the flexibility to use one medium for all services. Therefore, in the majority of situations, copper cabling remains the preferred choice for the final link to the desktop, and other short links such as those found in data centers. However, with the speeds increasing and more copper cables installed, copper-based LANs will require more complex and expensive electronics. It might be inappropriate or impractical to implement in many current building environments.

While fiber optic cabling’s significant bandwidth distance gives it advantages over twisted pair in centralized architectures. Thanks to its high performance and high density, fiber optic cabling becomes an important factor where equipment density and heat dissipation are a concern. To sum up, whether to use copper or fiber for network cable type, the data center must have the best and fastest cabling. FS.COM offers a variety of integrated, holistic physical infrastructure solutions for data center intra-rack and inter rack applications. All the products including high speed interconnect optics, cable assemblies, cable management hardware etc. guarantee a reliable and stable performance for your network. If you have any requirement, please send your request to us.

Stay For 40Gbps Network or Scale Up to 100G?

The evolution of bandwidth for data transmission is unstoppable. From the 10Mbps, 100Mbps Ethernet to the 10G or 40/100G Ethernet, telecom manufacturers keep promoting higher internet speed to facilitate people’s daily life. Now, bandwidth speeds of 1Gbps to 10Gbps Ethernet capacity are commonly utilized around the world. However, with the increase in data center and cloud computing technologies, the demand for bandwidth speeds of 40G to 100G Ethernet is growing steadily for carriers and other data consumers.

Just like the dilemma of whether to use the fiber optic cable for high performance or adopt copper cable for the low cost, these high-end data consumers also have the doubt about 40G and 100G. Should we upgrade our capacity to 40Gbps or skip 40Gbpsand migrate directly to 100Gbps Ethernet? This article will help to draw an answer to this dilemma from the aspects of market trend for required bandwidth, cost and performance.

Upgrade Straight to 100G

According to today’s market trend, the tendency is to skip 40Gbps. With demanding users peeling off multiple 10Gbps channels, the 40Gbps pipe becomes quickly utilized. Carriers scaling up to 100Gbps, allows greater flexibility for one’s network infrastructure utilizing multiplexing solutions to carve multiple bandwidth channels from a single pipe. On another scale, the same is true for the consumer market where capacity is increasing from 1Gbps to 10Gbps, skipping 2.5Gbps levels, due to the flexibility and scalability 10Gbps provides at a very similar cost. In many cases, carriers and consumers have decided to skip 40Gbps and acquire 100Gbps for the following reasons and benefits:

• Cost Efficiency—From a network equipment standpoint, often it may be more cost-efficient to upgrade a 10Gbps link to 100Gbps, versus 40Gbps. Essentially, if you should require 60Gbps or say even 80Gbps, additional cards would be needed to support the link in the chassis, whereas a customer may utilize only one card to achieve more than twice the bandwidth at 100Gbps. 100Gbps allows the network to operate within a smaller footprint of a data center, which in turn, reduces power consumption dissipating less heat and thus lower operational costs.
• Lower Latency—100Gbps provides lower latency capabilities than 40Gbps; many carrier grade vendors are lowering latency on 100Gbps matching latency of traditional 10Gbps traffic.
• Flexibility—Creates options to provide multiple variations of delivery with handoffs ranging from 10Gbps, 40Gbps or the full 100Gbps pipes.
• Scalability—Although a customer may not utilize 100Gbps on day one, the ability is there to scale the network with no forklift upgrade at any point, future-proofing the solution well beyond capacity needs.

As consumer’s demands for higher bandwidth continues to rise, many equipment suppliers, who developed some of the first 100 Gigabit Ethernet Router Interfaces, are now working on developing 200Gbps, 400Gbps up to 1 Terabyte interfaces.

This article is not implying that there is no use for 40Gbqs bandwidth level technology. Instead, I suggest that many end consumers are looking to keep up with the acceleration of high bandwidth demands while maintaining the efficiency and technologies needed to support their network infrastructure requirements while reducing operating costs.

100G Optic Solutions

FS.COM 100G transceiver solution offers customers 100 Gigabit Ethernet connectivity options for data center networking, enterprise core aggregation, and service provider transport applications. Various of 100G transceivers including CXP, CFP, CFP2, CFP4 and QSFP28 are available for different applications. The following part will lists two cost-effective 100G solutions.

• QSFP28 to QSFP28 Interconnection

The QSFP28 is the exact same footprint as the 40G QSFP+, but is implemented with four 25Gbps lanes. To interconnect a multimode QSFP28 link, a 12-fiber MPO/MTP patch cable is required, while for single-mode link (100GBASE-LR4 QSFP28), a duplex LC single-mode patch cable is required. The interconnection of QSFP28 multimode link is similar with the case of QSFP28-100G-SR4 see in the following figure.

• CXP/CFP to CXP/CFP Interconnection

FS.COM’s 24-fiber MPO/MTP assemblies are ideal for 100GBASE-SR10 CXP/CFP to CXP/CFP interconnection in data center, since it is implemented 10 lanes of 10 Gbps. Among the 24 fibers, only 20 fibers in the middle of the connector are used to transmit and receive at 10 Gbps and the 2 top and bottom fibers on the left and right are unused. The following picture shows the interconnection between two 100GBASE-SR10 CXP ports.

FS.COM provides a full selection of 100G optics including CFP, CFP2, CFP4, QSFP28 (QSFP28-100G-SR4) and QSFP28 DAC cables just as listed above. All of our products are fully compatible with the original brand. In addition, our 100G transceivers offer significant advantages over existing solutions in terms of reduced power dissipation and increased density with the added benefit of pluggability for reduced first installed cost. If you have any requirement, you can send your request to us.

How to Choose Fiber Enclosure for Your Data Center

The data center is the heart of a fiber optic network. To ensure its long-term reliable network performance, all the optical equipment within data center should be well organized. However, the current multi-fiber counts and high-density optical cabling put strain in the cable management. Fiber patch enclosure provides solid fiber-optic-link protection and space-saving cable management, which is becoming a must-have component in data center. There are several fiber optic enclosures available on the market that are widely utilized in data center or server room. This article will briefly introduce the commonly used fiber enclosure designs to better meet your data center requirement. LC to LC fiber cable and patch panels are mounted in a fiber enclosure in the following picture.

Fiber Enclosure Designs

Rack mount fiber enclosure is the commonly used type in data center as it provide a convenient and rugged termination point for fiber jumper cables. This rack mount enclosures offer a flexible connectivity system using a variety of adapter plates and MPO cassettes. The enclosures work equally as well with armored cable as they do with multiple trunk cables and are available in 1U-4U versions.

1U enclosures fit standard 19-inch racks and have rear cable management rings. 2U, 3U and 4U enclosures are designed for side or rear trunk cable entry, have removable front and rear covers, edge guards on the front for cable assembly protection and front and rear cable management rings. 2U, 3U and 4U enclosures also fit standard 19 and 23-inch racks and have a clear plastic, removable front door that can be outfitted with a label for easy identification of connections.

Except for different size, there are two types of rack mount enclosures: fiber enclosure with a removable lid and slide-out fiber enclosure (see in the following figure). The slide-out version is typically more expensive than the other version. But slide-out fiber enclosure can allow customers to remove the whole enclosure from the rack, thus, it can provide easier internal fiber connection access.

As for the design of the fiber enclosure front panel, two commonly used types are fixed front panels and removable front panel. The fixed front panel can be loaded with appropriate fiber optic adapters, while the removable front pane can accommodate several fiber optic adapter panels or cassettes just as seen in the following image.

How to Select the Fiber Enclosure

If this is your first time to install a fiber optic network, you should follow the instructions below. Only in this way can you satisfy your installation requirement, and matched your budget as well.

• Physical requirement

First, list all the requirement that will be mounted in the enclosure and their complete measurements:height, depth, width, weight. All of these figures will ultimately determine what type of fiber enclosure you will need. Note that always select a bigger fiber enclosure for all your existing equipment as well as for future proof.

• Critical accessories

A fiber enclosure should provide plenty of grommeted access points through the rear and top of the cabinet, as well as through the bottom for raised floor installations. Not only are the fiber optic cables mounted in the fiber enclosure, but devices like hubs, routers, patch panels, and monitors are needed to be mounted in the enclosure-network.

All servers should be protected by an uninterruptible power supply(UPS) system, available in a variety of rack-mount configurations. Thus power protection is needed. Remember that any accessories that are not rack-mountable will require additional trays, shelves and mounting accessories.

• Budget

Money is always a main considerations. Thus choose the fiber enclosure that can meet your premium features at a very competitive price is the number one task. People are usually in a dilemma about whether to choose a equipment that are suitable for now or the expensive one for future proof. It is hard to say, but a premium enclosure is a durable item that will provide services for years to come.

Summary

High density fiber enclosures can maximize the amount of active equipment in a data center by minimizing the footprint of the networking infrastructure, but there’s a problem—all that fiber in a small amount of space creates problems when changes need to be made. Therefore for easiest access, quick-release side panels should be a top priority when selecting an enclosure.

With several years of experience in fiber optic cabling solutions, FS.COM offers the world-class optical products and services to maximize the performance and scalability of your data center applications. Our fiber enclosures provide the highest fiber densities and port counts in the industry contributing to maximizing rack space utilization and minimizing floor space. For more detailed information, you can directly contact us.

NETGEAR AGM732F for Gigabit Ethernet Applications

Fiber optic transceivers are one of the most useful devices in fiber optic network. These little devices allow your networking equipment to accept a wide variety of connections, without having to invest in new hardware. However, these devices (e.g. SFP/SFP+ transceivers) are also one of the most priced devices as the name-brand transceivers are usually marked up by hundreds of percent. Thus many network installers have to buy the compatible ones from OEM vendors. FS.COM's AGM731F compatible NETGEAR transceiver costs only $6, which is much lower than the price of name-brand units. It also brings better benefits along with. This article will make a brief introduction to compatible AGM731F transceiver.

NETGEAR AGM731F

AGM731F is a NETGEAR 1000BASE-SX SFP (small-form-factor) transceiver operating at a nominal wavelength of 850nm over multimode fiber. It is hot pluggable SFP transceiver module designed expressly for high-speed communication applications that require rates of up to 1.25Gbit/s. This transceiver (NETGEAR AGM731F) is compliant with the Gigabit Ethernet standard, as well as the SFP Multi-source Agreement (MSA). It provides with the LC receptacle that is compatible with the industry standard LC connector.

Reasons Why You Should Buy Things From FS.COM

Gigabit Ethernet is widely used in homes and businesses for wired computer networking. SFP optics with its smaller size and advanced transmission rate, is treated as the most cost-effective solution in 1Gigabit Ethernet application. FS.COM offers a full range of compatible SFP optics, each of the SFP optics can be fully compatible with the major brands, such as Cisco, HP, Juniper, Brocade, and so on. Besides that, here are some reasons why you should purchase compatible fiber optics from FS.COM.

• Guaranteed Compatibility

If you have any doubts about whether a third-party transceiver can be as good as the original, let them be soothed. FS.COM's SFP transceivers are made in the same factory conditions, with the same or better quality components, that the name brand NETGEAR units use. Aside from the name on the casing, there really is no difference with ours.

Every FS.COM transceiver is fully compliant with the MSA (Multi-Source Agreement) standards which govern the creation of most network cabling and connectors. They also come with a built-in EPROM chip with all the compatible vendor information necessary, so that your NETGEAR equipment will work. And when we say guaranteed compatibility, we mean it. FS.COM's AGM731F transceivers are backed with a lifetime warranty, with product replacement if needed.

• Fast Shipment

We keep a full range of our transceivers in-stock, ready to ship at a moment's notice. There's no need for lengthy delays waiting for shipments to be sourced and shipped. In case of emergency, same-day shipments are often possible. All you have to do is give us a call!

• Huge Savings

The list price for NETGEAR's official AGM731F 1000BASE-SX transceiver is over four hundred dollars. With that much money, you could even buy entire new pieces of network hardware! However, FS.COM's transceiver, on the other hand, currently sells for less than a tenth of the name-brand list price. Like I point out in the above part, the compatible AGM731F is only $6 at FS.COM.

It sounds too good to be true for a value proposition in networking, but here you have it: FS.COM's own compatible NETGEAR SFP transceivers cost a fraction of what official models retail for, are guaranteed to be 100% fully compatible with NETGEAR hardware, and you get a better warrant than NETGEAR offers.

Conclusion

If you're still worrying about the compatibility of the third-party optics, or you think there might be trouble convincing higher-ups to accept third-party hardware. Our test program can provide evaluation units to ensure that they're fully compatible with your hardware. AGM731F or 1000BASE-SX SFP transceiver is designed to use with Gigabit networks. FS.COM provides a whole series of 1000BASE SFP transceivers with high quality to meet your requirement. In addition to 1000BASE SFP transceivers, FS.COM also offers a full range of compatible optical devices and OEM service. For more detailed information, please send your request to us.

Whether to Go for Aerial or Underground Deployment

In the fiber optic network, a carefully constructed network requires calculated planning and a high level of installation. It is not as easy a cavemen can do it, as many factors should be taken into account when installing a fiber optic network, such as construction costs, time constraints, existing infrastructure, and so on. There are two main types of land based network fiber optic installation—aerial and underground. This article will talk about these two cable installations in detail.

Aerial Fiber Construction

The fiber optic installation that occurs when fiber jumper is installed along a line of utility poles, is known as aerial fiber construction. When installing a placing aerial cable, besides the cables, a support strand is needed as well. A support strands can be deployed along the route first, with fiber pulled and lashed to the support strand later. Or the aerial fibers can be pre-lashed, making the installation less complex. Lashing refers to the process of securing the fiber cable to the support strand via lashing wire. When placing cable on a pole, the required spacing distance varies depending on the type of cable or equipment. These requirements are often set by local, state and national standards.

Underground Fiber Construction

Underground fiber construction refers to the fiber installation that occurs when fiber optic cable is installed under the ground in pipes, or conduits. The depth of the underground cables varies by many factors; however, it is typically between 12-36 inches below surface level. In underground fiber construction, the fiber optic cables are buried in a trench, but In colder areas, fiber cables are buried below the frost line to protect the cables from being damaged.

There are three main subcategories of underground fiber installation including direct buried, air-blown or micro trenching. In a direct buried cable construction, the fiber optic cable is installed directly into the ground rather than in protective conduits. When fiber optic cable is installed through a conduit via air, the process is known as air-blown or cable-jetting construction. And in air-blown installation, a device injects a high volume of air into the duct at high pressures to blow the cable through. Micro trenching construction occurs when the fiber optic cable is installed underground by way of a small groove, instead of a larger trench. Each of the above underground installations have a variety of benefits and are used in varying, and case specific scenarios.

Pros and Cons of Aerial and Underground Deployment

Aerial cables are one of the most preferred and cost-effective solutions for the end user, because installers can reuse existing pole infrastructure without digging up another roads to bury cables or ducts, what’s more, aerial cable construction is easily modified to add additional capacity.

However, aerial deployment is more susceptible to damage. The falling tree branches, high winds or ice storms, vehicle accidents, animals that chew on the fiber all can make the aerial cable strain or break. Therefore, calculations on the strength of both the cable and poles need to be taken into account when determining span lengths.

But it will typically takes some time and money to make ready requirements if poles and cable need to be made stronger. It is a good solution to the areas with existing pole networks or rural environments without urban restrictions.

While many customers do prefer their services, including fiber cables, to be installed underground. Unlike the aerial deployment, buried fiber deployments are less susceptible to wind and ice damage as they are buried below the layer, which makes it often at least ten times more reliable than aerial routes, especially where poor weather is common.

However this might be a costly solution because the cable needs to be buried deep in the ground to protect it from accidental damage. The deeper an operator has to dig, the more costly it is. Never to mention that if a buried direct cable is broken, it is expensive to repair. These buried direct cables cannot be removed and replaced because it tends to be firmly anchored into the ground.

Conclusion

As this blog shows, choose which method to install a fiber optic network will depend on a variety of factors including the landscape, cost of the labor and equipment, and so on. Both of the two deployment methods presents advantages and disadvantages that must be carefully evaluated by case basis. FS.COM offers a variety of fiber optic cables that can be used in different applications. The optical cables terminated with optical connectors like LC to FC patch cord have been widely utilized in fiber optic network. For more on the fiber optics provided by FS.COM, please contact us directly.