Fiber-optic Communication | Progressive Office Cabling

Fiber Cabling Installation Washington DC

Why Cable Pros Select Fiber Optic Over Copper Cabling

29 Aug 2018

cable,cabling,installation ,Washington DC During your consideration of the kind of cable that should be selected for your IT network, several factors come into play. One of the decisions you will need to make is whether to use copper or fiber optic cabling.

Copper certainly has plusses. It is already installed in numerous sites and is less costly for connecting network components. Although fiber optic cabling has a higher price tag, it has key advantages that make it more attractive than copper for creating structured cabling infrastructure.

The following are five reasons why most cable professionals select fiber optic over copper cabling.

Durability

Fiber optic cables have longer service lives than copper, decreasing maintenance costs and downtimes from replacements. Although fiber optic wires are made of glass, copper wires are more susceptible to being damaged.

Fiber Optic is Faster

When evaluating the transmission of copper wire to that of fiber optic, the contest can be simplified to the comparison of the speed of electrons to the speed of photons. Although C transmissions do not move at the speed of light, they are still extremely fast by moving just 31% slower than the speed of light!

Low Attenuation

Over long distances, fiber optic cables will undergo much less signal loss than copper. This quality is termed “low attenuation.” Due to attenuation, copper cables are capable of transmitting information up to a maximum of 9,328 ft, when it then loses power. In contrast, fiber optic cables are capable of transmissions up to 24.8 miles.

Resistance to EMI (Electromagnetic Interference)

If improperly installed, copper cables will generate electromagnetic currents that result in EMI inside nearby wires, which can cause serious problems throughout a network. On the other hand, fiber optic cables are not conductors of electricity.

Safer

Fiber optic cabling is safer because it won’t be a fire hazard. The reason is no electrical current travels through fiber optic cables.

Progressive Office Cabling

Founded in 1986, Progressive Office’s success has been a direct result of years of commitment to seeking solutions on behalf of our clients in the Washington, D.C. and New York City areas. Efficiently working together, Progressive teams get cabling installed and operating as fast as possible while minimizing disruption and downtime. Call our toll free number (800) 614-4560 today.

Fiber Optic Cabling for Your Business – Part 1

8 Oct 2017

Stu Kushner

Technology,Network Cabling, cables The widespread use of fiber optic cabling stems from 1950s research. These studies eventually made transmitting visible images via glass filament possible. This new technology was eventually used for viewing instruments and remote illumination for surgery. Subsequently, George Hockham and Charles Kao successfully achieved data transmission through glass fiber in 1966.

Fiber optic cabling is composed of glass fiber filaments housed within insulated casing, and these cables were designed for long distance, large capacity, and high performance data networking and telecommunications. In comparison to wired cables, fiber optic has high-bandwidth capability and is capable of data transmission over longer distances. Due to these properties, fiber optic cabling is used for a great portion of telephone, internet, and cable television systems around the world.

Fiber Optic Advantages

Fiber cables provide a number of advantages that make them superior to copper cabling. Due to properties of high bandwidth and low-loss, fiber optic cabling can be utilized over much greater distances than copper cables. Fiber optic cables can run up to 2 kilometers for data networks without repeaters. This is because light can travel much further on fiber cable and still retain its strength.

Fiber optic cables have greater capacity. Through the use of multiplexers, a single fiber optic cable can have the same network bandwidth as several hundred copper cables. It is now standard for fiber cables to be rated at 10 Gbps, 40 Gbps, and 100 Gbps.

Although it has special shielding as protection against electromagnetic interference, copper network cable is still susceptible when numerous cables are close to each other. This is in contrast to the physical properties of the glass used in fiber optic cables.

Fiber optic is also safer to use than copper in volatile spaces, where sparks can lead to disaster. It also has the upper hand in terms of security because tapping fiber cable to steal data transmission is very difficult.

Part 2 will discuss how fiber optic functions, its two main types, and fiber networks.

Progressive Office Cabling

Designs of Optic Fiber Cables

12 Feb 2015

Stu Kushner

network cabling,Data CablingmOptical Fibre Cable Optical fiber cabling is made up of a fiber core and a protective layer. The shield is typically coated with a polymer. It protects the cable from damage and does not contribute to optical wave guide properties. The coated fiber is a durable synthetic resin serving as a support for the cable’s core. Protective jacket layers are added depending on the cabling application.

Fiber over Copper

Fiber has benefits over copper. Fiber optic transmission does not emit Radio Frequency Interference or RFI. This guarantees secured communications since light waves can't be easily intercepted. On the contrary, copper wires give off signals that interfere with other electronic equipment. That is why utility firms now run power lines with fibers

Network Cabling ,Data Cabling, Fiber-optic cable,New York City

Unique Properties of Fiber Optic Cabling

30 Dec 2014

Stu Kushner

Network Cabling ,Data Cabling, Fiber-optic cable Fiber optics is capable of resolving many issues in data communications. However, computer data is normally transmitted over ordinary copper cables because it's adequate at lower speeds and shorter distances. It is not advisable to utilize fiber cable in these ordinary instances because of the high costs.

Fiber is impervious to electromagnetic interference because the signals are transmitted as light impulses. That means that Electromagnetic Interference (EMI) is not possible. Light waves are not effected by magnetism. This type of impediment can happen in coaxial and Cat5/6 cables because electricity can interfere with data signals over copper wires. Magnetic fields produce electrical current and this electromagnetic Interference is noise that can scramble data.

Fiber optic cabling also is much better at providing security of data since electromagnetic fields are not emitted around optical fibers. The data is restricted within the structure of the cable making it impossible to tap signals being communicated without cutting across the fiber. Emissions can not be easily intercepted. Hence, the fiber is by far most secure channel for carrying sensitive data.

Fiber is also a “non-conductive cable” because there is no metal in its design. It's a highly purified glass fiber. While copper is a conductive cable that can attract power surges and unwanted current. With fiber, outdoor varieties are costly because these call for special strength. Therefore, fiber optic cable is usually more cost-effective for indoor use. With copper, it is also important to get rid of the current commonly known as ground loop. The metal cable can run into signal transmission distortions due to slight transmissions in electricity.

Fiber optics also does away with threats coming from sparks. The transmission of signals can be hazardous because of this phenomenon. Although the spark itself is not dangerous, it can lead to greater problems especially in industrial and chemical plants where the air is polluted by possibly dangerous vapors. Fiber cable does not generate sparks because it carries no electrical current.

Installation of fiber is less difficult because of its small size and flexibility. And fiber optic cables can pass along the same route as electric cable without producing any noise. The size, lightness and elasticity of fiber optic cables also makes them suitable for short-term or portable installations. And they transmit signals over longer distances too. Amplifying the transmission capability of copper wire cables makes them more unyielding. Thicker copper cables are also hard to mount in spaces where the cables have to pass through cable conduits and concrete walls.

Fiber optic means higher bandwidth too. It has the capability to transmit high-speed signals over lengthy distances without repeaters, unlike copper cables. The fiber optic’s range is not infinite but it is way more than copper cable.

If you need help in figuring out the ideal cabling topology, contact us or call 202-462-4290 for a free on-site survey and proposal.

Optical Fiber Cabling Usage and Methods

24 Apr 2009

Stu Kushner

Optical fiber is an effective medium for networking because it is flexible and can be bundled as cables. It is especially advantageous for long-distance network communications, because light propagates through the fiber with little attenuation compared to electrical cables. This allows long distances to be spanned with few or no repeaters. Additionally, the per-channel light signals propagating in the fiber can be easily modulated at 1 Gb/s.

Fiber cable saves space in cable ducts because a single fiber can carry much more data than a single standard data cable. Fiber is also immune to electrical interference; there is no cross-talk between signals in different cables and no pickup of environmental noise. Non-armored fiber cables do not conduct electricity, which makes fiber a good solution for protecting communications equipment located in high voltage environments such as power generation facilities, or metal communication structures prone to lightning strikes. They can also be used in environments where explosive fumes are present, without danger of ignition. Wiretapping is also more difficult compared to electrical connections, and there are concentric dual core fibers that are said to be tap-proof.

Both multi-mode and single-mode fibers are used in communications, with multi-mode fiber used mostly for sho Office Cabling ,Network Cabling,fiber-optic-cabling rt distances, up to 550 m (600 yards), and single-mode fiber used for longer distance links. Because of the tighter tolerances required to couple light into and between single-mode fibers (core diameter about 10 micrometers), single-mode transmitters, receivers, amplifiers and other components are generally more expensive than multi-mode components.

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