Fiber Optic

Fiber optic cables use glass, rather than metal, as conductors. A typical fiber optic cable consists of a glass core that transmits light signals, surrounded by cladding that helps keep the light confined within the core. Unlike metal cables, fiber optic cables do not carry electrical impulses. Instead, electrical signals are converted into pulses of light, which represent binary data—indicating whether a bit is a 1 or a 0.

Signals on metal cables and light signals in fiber optic cables travel at similar speeds, but light encounters less resistance within the fiber. As a result, light signals experience less attenuation and can travel greater distances. In simple LANs, fiber optic links can run for more than 3.5 kilometers without requiring a repeater.

Fiber-based cabling systems are more reliable than metallic cabling systems because they are immune to electrical noise generated by support equipment within the building.

Fiber is recommended for network runs longer than 100 meters or as a solution to ground potential issues. There are many cost-effective media converters that support this standard, and many fiber connectors are designed for easy termination.

Note:

Fiber optic cables can be used for switch-to-switch connections and with fiber-to-Ethernet converters.