Optical Fiber

Optical Fiber

How To Avoid The 7 Most Costly Mistakes Of Upgrading Your Network To Optical Fiber - Part 2

Mistake #2: Preventing Migration

Fast Ethernet offers two fiber options. 100BASE-FX is the most common. It supports distances of up to 2,000 meters over multimode fiber but offers no 10/100 negotiation. To address the need for 10/100 auto-negotiation and to lower the cost of fiber connectivity, the industry is developing the 100BASE-SX standard. 100BASE-SX is limited to deployments of 300 meters or less, but since it allows using both 10 and 100 Mbps, conversion technology can be used to run the link at whatever speed is required.

Using a 10/100 SX converter allows you to future-proof your install. Take, for example, a 10/100 NIC (network interface card) plugged into a 10BASE-T hub with SX converters at either end, and the link runs at 10 Mbps. Replacing the 10BASE-T should cause the whole link to come up at 100 Mbps if the 10/100 SX media converter is used. The alternative is to buy a 10 Mbps converter for the 10 Mbps link and replace it when the upgrade is made. Although a bit more expensive than a 10 Mbps converter, an SX converter costs less than a 100BASE-FX converter.

While Fast Ethernet is good for now, mixed network topology eventually will have to be scaled to Gigabit Ethernet. Using a 4 Gigabit Ethernet Media Converter enables converting one or more 1000BASE-SX ports on a Gigabit Ethernet switch or 1000BASELX or use in campus area networks or other applications requiring the distance advantages of single mode fiber. It is only necessary to convert those ports required for backbone connection.

Ironically, it is often less expensive to purchase a multimode switch and an external multimode to single mode media converter, than it is to buy a switch with single mode installed internally.

Additionally, some Gigabit Ethernet electronics are only compatible with multimode fiber. In such an instance, a single mode to multimode media converter makes the connection. With single mode fiber in the backbone, copper or another medium to the desktop and media conversion tools providing connectivity between disparate technologies, the network manager can confidently plan for a future network incorporating Gigabit Ethernet.

About the Author

Paul Smith is an expert in the networking field having worked for several major networking hardware vendors. He is currently business development manager for Gen-x IT, a leading distributor of Network Hardware based in Manchester, UK. They can be reached any time on +44 (0)161 274 1444 any time for all your networking hardware needs.

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