Establishing Ethernet using optical fiber

Establishing Ethernet using optical fiber

To connect an Ethernet switch using optical fiber, you need to use a switch with built-in ports that support specific Ethernet optical standards, or a switch that allows modular ports to change the Ethernet standards used on the ports.

For example, when establishing an Ethernet LAN in an office campus, multi-mode and/or single-mode optical fiber links may be required. In particular, if each building is at least several hundred meters away from another building, you can choose to use multimode optical fiber connection switches between buildings to create a LAN. During the construction process, many parks may have installed optical fiber cables for future use by building tenants.

Although distance may be the first decision criterion for considering the use of UTP or fiber optic cables, there are some other selection factors. Cost is one of the most prominent, and UTP (twisted pair) has an absolute advantage in cost. Due to the additional cost of SFP and SFP+modules, the cost will gradually increase from UTP to multimode and then to single mode.

Another factor for selecting optical fiber is anti-interference, which is one of the inherent defects of UTP. In some occasions with serious electrical noise (such as factories), UTP will be affected by electromagnetic interference (EMI), and its performance is poor. At the same time, UTP cables will leak weak signals when working. Therefore, optical fiber is preferred for highly secure networks, which avoids similar radiation and makes them more secure.