8 Steps to a Successful Network Cable Infrastructure

by www.fiber-mart.com

In our last blog post we covered the use of balanced STP (Shielded Twisted Pair) and UTP (Unshielded Twisted Pair) to minimize the effects of RFI (Radio Frequency Interference) and EMI (Electromagnetic Interference), along with crosstalk that can take place between wire pairs carrying dissimilar data.

 

Because STP is not as common in today’s networked environment,we’ll reference this discussion on UTP only. We’ll also look at some of the basic issues with respect to the proper installation of UTP, such as Category5e, 6, 6e, and 7. This blog article builds on the information contained in our recent blog articles so be sure to have them handy if you need to review.

 

When we speak of installation with regards to UTP, we’re concerned with the potential for physical changes. Preserving the integrity of our cable(s) will give our network the stability and ongoing support it needs to maintain data rates of 1 Gbps (Cat5e) to 10 Gbps (Cat6, 6e, and 7).

 

The first place to begin in our effort to avoid problems is in how we install them.

 

Remove the cable from the spool or pullbox carefully to avoid twisting and kinking. Either one can change the outer dimension of the cable as well as how the conductors twist around one another within it. Kinks can flatten the cable, thus altering its electrical properties. This can adversely affect performance.

 

 

Feed cable trays, sleeves, and conduits with care to avoid damaging the outer sheath. Lack of care can also scrape the insulation from one or more conductors within the jacket causing potential short circuits.

 

 

Be sure not to pull Cat5e, 6, 6e, or 7 with more than 25 lb. of  pulling force for every 4-pair. To exceed this pull force has the potential to change the inter capacitance and inductive properties of the cable twists which can change the way it transports data. It also can snap conductors within it, in which case wire pairs may have to be substituted or a new cable installed.

 

 

Do not exceed a bend radius of 4 x the cable OD (outer dimension). For a  4-pair UTP cable, 10 x the cable OD for a 25-pair backbone cable. Tighter bends can and often will cause changes in the outer dimension of the cable thus causing it to change how it transports data.

 

 

Maintain the tight twist of a UTP cable right up to the point of termination at the jack or plug assembly. This will assist in your effort to maintain the rated specification of the cable.

 

 

When horizontally hanging UTP cable,maintain a maximum of 4 ft. between hangers. Cable sag should be maintained from 4 to 12 inches. When cable sag exceeds 12 inches, there’s a strong chance that the distance between hangers is greater than 4 in. If cable sag is less than 4 inches, it could indicate that the cable may be pulled too tightly.

 

 

When working in return air returns(plenum spaces), use plenum-rated cable because the insulation will not support a flame nor will it emit toxic fumes in the presence of one. Regular non-plenum UTP cable, however, is flammable and it will spread the fire when exposed to it. In addition, it will emit toxic fumes when it burns, and that can cause injury and death.

 

 

When binding cable bundles with wireties, do not pull them too tight as it will pinch the outer cable sheath thus causing potential problems with effective bandwidth and data transmission rates. We will continue to drill down into the installation and care of network cable in my next blog post. Thank you for taking the time to visit our blog.

How to Connect CAT5e and CAT6 Cable

by www.fiber-mart.com

Thus far in past blog articles we’ve focused on the different types of networked infrastructures, the need for UTP (Unshielded Twisted Pair) cable, the various do’s and don’ts associated with the handling and installation; and how UTP, as a balanced line cable, is able to reject RFI  (Radio Frequency Interference) and EMI (Electromagnetic Interference). In this blog article we’ll discuss the termination of UTP at the head end as well as the plugs and jacks at the edge of a network.

 

If you recall, in a past blog post, we discussed where the standards that fuel and control the implementation of network Ethernet cabling and all connected devices come from. If you recall, it is the Electronics Association/Telecommunications Industries Association, also known by its acronym, EIA/TIA. The standard itself that largely controls how devices are wired is the “Commercial Building Telecommunications Standard.”

 

The two primary UTP cable types that commonly are used in computer networks are CAT5e (Category 5e) and CAT6, both of which are balanced lines. They support 10/100 Mbps–up to 1 Gbps and 10 Gbps respectively.

 

If you are looking for cable for security purposes, such as access control and video surveillance, CAT5e will usually do the job. However, if you intend to use it for 4K and 8K, then perhaps CAT6 is a better choice, especially if you want to future-proof your installation. In addition, an important thing to remember is to match the jacks, plugs, patch panels, and other connected devices with others that are rated the same as the cable in use.

 

Making the CAT5e or CAT6 Connection

 

Whether it’s CAT5e or CAT6, there are 4 pairs of conductors that you need to contend with (see illustration). They are:

 

Pair 1: White-Blue/Blue

 

Pair 2: White-Orange/Orange

 

Pair 3: White-Green/Green

 

Pair 4: White-Brown/Brown

 

These four cable pairs, be it CAT5e or CAT6, connect to plugs and jacks according to two connection standards known as T568A and T568B. The latter also is referred to as the AT&T standard.

 

The primary difference between the two is in how positions 1, 2, 3, and 6 are wired (see illustration) with regards to Pairs2 and 3. Using the T568A standard, Pair 2 connects to positions 3 and 6 while Pair  3 connects to positions 1 and 2.Using the AT&T configuration, Pair 2 connects to positions 1 and 2 while Pair 3 uses positions 3 and 6.

 

Does it matter which standard you use? Not really, but once you start using a specific connector configuration on a job,you must continue using it throughout the project. With that said, if you’re adding to an existing installation, you must check the existing connections to determine which configuration that the installer used. Most of the time you will use T568A because it’s used by more techs than the T568B, even AT&T techs.

 

When making a connection using either configuration, remember to do so without unduly untwisting each wire pair. If you do, it will adversely affect the performance of the wire in general. Keep the integrity of the twist as close to the plug, jack, patch panel, etc., as possible to maintain the CAT5e or CAT6 performance.

 

There are two methods of connecting Category 5e and Category 6 cable to plugs, jacks, patch bays, and other devices. The T568A is the most commonly used configuration today.

The Benefits of Using OM1 When Setting Up Your Network

by www.fiber-mart.com

OM1 Cable with Orange Jacket

 

When using fiber optic cable, the information you are sending from one computer to another can get there faster. This is because you are sending the information throw glass. Glass has no restrictions and can allow what is sent to travel long distances and at higher bandwidths than conventional wire.

 

 

Of course, there are different types of fiber with data rates that differ, as well, not to mention the distance is also different. Some cables only allow for certain distances, while others can go much further. The base way to consider what type of cable you need is to know what type of network you are setting up.

 

In order to help you with picking the right cable, I have written a series of four blogs that will cover each type of fiber optic cable we carry, and give you the benefits, as well limitations of each type, so you can judge which one is best for you. The type of cables we sell include OM1, OM2, OM3, and OM4.

 

In this blog, I will discuss OM1, as this in the first of its kind we sell. As with any type of medium you use, there are variables to consider. These include the fiber transceiver, wavelength, cable type, core size of fiber (micron), and distance.

 

In general multi-mode, fiber optic cable can deliver up to 1 GB/s. This type of cable is good for up to 2 km. You will find its operating wavelength to be about 850nm and 1300nm. If you are using the wiring at distances of 100m, the bandwidth is unlimited.

 

With OM1, the data rate is 1GB at 850nm. It’s core size is 62.5 microns. This is why OM1 fiber optic cable is used when building tight space networks, as it can travel up to 300m.

 

OM1 cable easily supports applications ranging from Ethernet at 10 Mbit/s to 1 Gbit/s. OM1 has been know to support 10 Gigabit Ethernet at a length of 33 meters. Its core size were great to use with LED transmitters.  OM1 is best used to build short-haul networks, local area networks (LANs) and private networks. 

 

OM1 cable can be recognized by  its yellow jacket.

 

If you are interested in purchasing this cable, go to fiber-mart.com and order yours today.

A few fiber optic cable networking terms

by www.fiber-mart.com

Mystified by fiber optic cable terminology?

fiber optic cable We try our best to avoid industry jargon. There are certain concepts, though, where jargon is the only concise way to say a thing. “Fiber blowing,” for example, beats “shoot air down a tube to reduce friction such that a fiber optic cable can be pushed as opposed to pulled through the conduit, lessening the risk of damage.”

 

We’ll continue to avoid jargon. That said, if your interest in the building out of a fiber network goes beyond “when will it be in my neighborhood?” there are a few terms and concepts it would be beneficial to understand.

 

Central office

The central office or CO is where the fiber switching smarts live and where all network traffic is sent to and received from the larger Internet and routed. If you’ve ever seen a server room, it looks a lot like that; thousands of wires and fiber strands coming into the structure and getting connected to high tech equipment, mounted in tall metal racks.

 

If you’ve never seen a server room, think about your home’s main electrical panel. A centralized unit routing power behind the walls, all over your house so that you can flip a switch and have light without even thinking about it.

 

fiber optic cable conduit

 

Conduit

Conduit is the rigid tubing that we place underground to house and protect the individual fiber strands that make up the network. Many smaller conduit tubes (called “micro ducts”) can live within a larger orange conduit. The configuration is determined by capacity needs.

 

Directional boring

Directional boring uses a steerable horizontal drill that creates a small, conveniently conduit-sized tunnel under obstacles like roads and utilities. Once the tunnel is in place, conduit can be pulled back through.

 

Tracer line

To ensure conduit can be located underground again, either by Ting, by the city or by a utility, a copper tracer line is placed along with the conduit. This line easily be found by any locate crew.

 

fiber optic cable

 

Locate / locates

There’s a lot of infrastructure underground. Water lines, sewer lines, gas lines, all kinds of stuff. We need to get an accurate map of what’s already there before we do any underground work at all. Finding and marking these utilities is called (appropriately enough) locating. We need to get these utility locates completed before we can do anything at all underground. Locates need to be done by the utilities themselves, by the city or by specialist companies. They can be a bottleneck in the process.

 

Stitch boring

Where directional boring uses a horizontal drill over long distances, stitch boring uses an autonomous pneumatic missle. Stitch boring is an effective across short distances, which is how we use it. Where the directional bore can go under a wide road, a stitch bore is more suitable for going under a driveway.

 

Handhole

A handhole is basically a small pit that’s dug to give access below ground. Directional boring and stitch boring both require a handhole be dug. Wherever possible, we dig handholes where a flower pot will be placed to minimize disruption.

 

Flowerpot

Flower pot is an industry term for a buried access hatch. Many utilities use flower pots. They’re so common you may have ceased to notice them. A flower pot gives us access to the conduit that’s underground. A flower pot is where our network team makes the splices the individual fiber that runs up to a home or business to bring crazy fast fiber Internet.

 

Fiber splice

Fiber is glass and so joining multiple strands together isn’t as simple as twisting them together like you would a copper wire. Instead, a specialized piece of equipment called a splicer is required. A splicer takes two pieces of fiber and fuses them together with a tiny and very nearly optically perfect laser weld.

 

fiber optic cable

 

Splice dome

The Splice Dome is where fiber technicians face off gladiator style to test their fiber splicing skills. Only one technician, the victor, emerges from the Splice Dome.

 

In network terms, a splice dome is where fiber branches out in multiple directions to allow for individual connections off the main trunk of fiber. Numerous splices are completed and the splice dome consolidates and protects these connections.

 

Fiber pulling

With conduit in the ground, the smaller fiber optic cables can be routed. Using a line fish and piece of highly specialized equipment called a “rope,” (in the industry parlance) these fiber cables are physically pulled into and through the existing underground conduit.

 

Fiber pulling is effective over short distances only. Attempting to pull fiber over long distances is difficult and can even put strain on the cables themselves.

 

Fiber blowing

Fiber blowing is a technique that allows fiber optic cable to be sent through the underground conduit while greatly reducing any risk of damage. Rather than being pulled, fiber is pushed. “Blowing” refers to air that is sent through the underground conduit to lessen friction. Wheels on the fiber blowing machine also help to push the fiber optic cable forward.

How Do Fiber Optic Cables Bend Light?

by www.fiber-mart.com

Fiber optic cables quickly send signals across long distances in the form of light. Each cable is made up of thin strands of glass called “fiber optics,” pieces of glass that send signals using light. Fiber optic cables are useful because they use light, rather than electricity, meaning that other electronic devices in the area will not cause them interference. Many large-scale scientific projects, like hardron particle colliders, use fiber optic cables to send signals quickly.

 

Light, as you probably know, travels in waves, spreading straight out in a cone from its point of origin. But how do you get light to bend around corners, running through the length of the fiber optic cable?

 

Bending Light with a Mirror

 

If you wanted to shine a light down a narrow hall, you could simply aim the light at the end of the hallway. The beam would spread out with distance, so you might need to adjust your focus, but you should have no problem hitting the end of the hallway.

 

But what if the hallway bends? How can you get the light around the corner? Simple: use a mirror to reflect the light.

 

Total Internal Reflection

 

Fiber optic cables uses a similar principle to send light signals. It’s called “total internal reflection.” This means that no matter where you send the light signal in the fiber optic cable, the light will be reflected internally and contained within the tube. This ensures that fiber optic cables will have no problems bending as they send light across long distances.

 

Signal Loss and Wavelength

 

Fiber optic glass cannot be perfectly pure, which means that the signal will necessarily degrade over time. The rate of signal decay depends on two factors: the wavelength of the light and the purity of the fiber optic glass.

 

Wavelength Explained

 

Let’s talk about what wavelength means. In physics, there are two different ways to talk about light: the light that we see and the light that we can measure mathematically. Light, as I mentioned, is waves, so physics measures light in terms of the length of these waves in nanometers. Our brain interprets these wavelengths as different colors.

 

Infrared

 

The wavelengths used for fiber optics are typically much longer than visible light. Typically the wavelengths range between 850 and 1550 nanometers. This invisible spectrum of “long” light is called infrared (the opposite end, the wavelengths too short for us to see, are called ultraviolet).

 

Attenuation and Scattering

 

When these infrared waves are transmitted across fiber optic cables, the glass (as I mentioned) slows down or weakens the transmission. This attenuation of the infrared light happens in two ways: absorption and scattering. Absorption occurs because of minute vapor particles trapped inside the fiber optic glass. Scattering, by contrast, happens when the infrared light bounces off atoms or molecules in the glass.

 

The length of infrared light reduces scattering and absorption, helping the signal stay clear.

 

Why Not Use Even Longer Light Waves?

 

You might be wondering: If the length of the waves reduces attenuation, why don’t we use even longer wavelengths for fiber optics? What sets the maximum threshold for wavelengths?

 

If we used lower frequencies, there would be heat interference. All things have a temperature, which means that everything will give off some degree of heat. Some of this energy given off as heat takes the form of infrared light. If we made the wavelengths any lower, the temperature of surrounding objects would cause interference, resulting in signal loss.

How to Store Fiber Optic Cable

by www.fiber-mart.com

Cutting and splicing fiber optic cable takes a lot of time, interrupts service to downstream customers and, therefore, needs to be avoided. One way to avoid splicing is to include extra fiber cable in places along the lines, in case the company needs to change out a pole or make a road crossing. 

 

ETC Communications (ETC) in Ellijay, GA is a family owned company that has been in business for over 100 years. ETC uses fiber optic cable to provide telephone, cable TV, and high-speed Internet to about 17,000 customers in northern Georgia and southeastern Tennessee. They typically include 25 to 50 feet of spare cable approximately every fifth span. The question is…

 

HOW TO STORE THE EXTRA CABLE?

 

Option 1: Coiling

 

Extra cable can be coiled and attached to the pole. However, coiling can cause light loss. In a fiber optic cable, information is transmitted by light that travels through the glass fibers in the cable. Some light is lost when the cable is bent, especially when it is cold. “It does get cold here about four or five times a year,” says  Van Powell, Construction Manager for ETC,  “and when I say cold, I mean below 10°F. When it got below 18°F, we used to have excessive light loss in our long cable runs with lots of coils.” In addition to possible attenuation, coils stored on utility poles take up space and can be damaged by linemen climbing the pole. 

 

Option 2: “Snowshoes”

 

ETC uses “snowshoe” storage systems to store extra fiber on the line. Snowshoes allow for the slack to be stored out in the span, reducing likelihood of damage while eliminating additional charges for using pole space. ETC’s storage systems have a turning diameter of about 20 inches. Two units are installed at an appropriate distance and the cable is stretched between them. This greatly reduces the number of turns--from hundreds to two and solves the problem of light loss.

 

The Opti-Loop® Storage System Advantage

 

ETC has been using products from a couple of different vendors, and last fall, they gave the Hubbell Power Systems, Inc. (HPS) Opti-Loop®  storage systems a try. Powell explains, “There are probably 15 or 20 different companies that make similar systems and we’ve used different kinds in the past. Last year, Phil Peppers, ProCom Sales, brought us five sets of the Opti-Loop storage systems to try them. We put them up, and we like them.” While fiber optic snowshoes, in general, solve the problem, the Opti-Loop storage systems have an advantage: they are very easy to install. “There is a twisted aluminum support wire on the poles. That is what holds up the fiber optic cable. We bring in a bucket truck and attach each snowshoe to that cable with a bolt and clamp. The fiber optic cable is attached to the snowshoes with zip ties and along the support wire with lashers (little coils). It only takes about 15 minutes to mount the pair of snowshoes. The prices for the Opti-Loop storage system is competitive and they are easy and fast to install,” concludes Powell.

 

Why choose Armored Fiber?

by www.fiber-mart.com

Last month we compared Fiber Optics to traditional Copper Cables and the differences between the two in regards to data transmission. Within the Fiber Optic product line, Armored Fiber Optics is an option for businesses that require installation within rigid environments.

 

Armored Fiber Optic Cable can be utilized for: telecommunication, high bandwidth data, video signaling, long-distance CCTV, communication between fire alarm panels, and much more.

 

What is Armored Fiber Optic Cable?

 

Compared to Unarmored (Figure A), Armored Fiber Optic Cable (Figure B) contains almost all of the same features. The differences between the lie within the construction, intended use and outside factors that could harm the transmission of signal for any business.

 

Armored Fiber consists of tiny hair-like fibers just like Unarmored Fiber but, the cable is surrounded by an interlocking aluminum armor which is rippled in design (see Figure B), and then covered by an outer jacket. This allows the cable to carry higher bandwidth frequencies and can be used for direct burial installations due to the interlocking aluminum armor surrounding the fiber. 

 

Armored Fiber Features:

 

Superior Bandwidth

Armored Fiber Plenum – allows for plenum pulls and outside direct burial without a transition

Pull Tensions

Fiber Optics up to 400lbs.

Less Signal Degradation

Long Distance Installation

Easy Installation – Lightweight and Easily Terminated

Greater Security (no EMI/RFI)

Energy Efficient (Light waves transmitted through glass or plastic threads (fibers) use much less energy than data signals sent through metal conductors.)

Easier to Make System Upgrades

Applications:

 

Armored Fiber Optic Cable is suitable for both indoor and outdoor applications. Armored Fiber Optic Cables can be installed in high traffic locations where sun and moisture could potentially harm data transmission. 

 

These cables are also plenum-rated and do not need to be transitioned when pulled indoor when being installed which offers a more cost-effective approach while meeting building and safety codes.