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Corning Certified Installers
Ability to work with indoor, outdoor, underground & aerial cable types
Singlemode, Multimode 62.5 Micron (OM1) & 50 Micron (OM3)
Mechanical & Fusion Splicing
Fusion Spliced Pigtails, or Fusion Splice on Connectors
Tight Buffer or Loose Tube
Corning Unicam
Certified Test Results via Fluke DTX-1800
Troubleshooting, Repair & Re-Certification
Licensed, Bonded & Insured Limited Energy Contractor
Highest Quality Workmanship Available

All Work Unconditionally 100% Guaranteed

Choosing the Right Fiber Optic Cable:

There are multiple fiber optic types of cable to choose from. Determining

the best type of fiber optic cable for your needs can be a challenging task.

The following is a cheat sheet intended to streamline the selection process.

This is not intended to cover every variable and option available, but should

help in most instances.

Is Fiber Optic Cable Required / Recommended?

Fiber optic cable may not always be the best choice of cable for every situation. Standard copper twisted pair cables can offer substantial speed at cost effective prices, but sometimes fiber just works best.

Choose Fiber Optic Cable if:

Your needs include transmitting data over distances greater than 100 meters (about 328 feet) Fiber optic cables transmit data over a greater distance than coax or twisted pair cables.
Your environment includes motors, transformers, electrical / electronic equipment / known EMF problem. Fiber optic cables are immune to EMF sources that can commonly affect coax or twisted pair cables.
Your network or electronic device(s) require fiber optic connection to function properly. Fiber optic connectivity is now commonplace is most modern electronic equipment.

Fiber Core Selection:

The main categories of fiber optic cores to choose from are:

OM1 Optical Multimode 1; 62.5 micron core, will transmit up to 1 Gb/Sec at distances up to 300 Meters
OM2 Optical Multimode 2; 50 micron core, will transmit up to 1 Gb/Sec at distances up to 550 Meters
OM3 Optical Multimode 3; 50 micron core, will transmit up to 10 Gb/Sec at distances up to 300 Meters
OM4 Optical Multimode 4; 50 micron core, will transmit up to 10 Gb/Sec at distances up to 550 Meters
OS1 Optical Singlemode 1; 9 micron core, will transmit up to 100 Gb/Sec at distances up to 10,000 Meters
OS2 Optical Singlemode 2; 9 micron core, will transmit up to 100 Gb/Sec at distances up to 10,000 Meters

While we all want the fastest speeds possible, remember that typically the price increases along with the speeds. Singlemode fiber can actually be less expensive than multimode fiber, however the equipment used to transmit over singlemode fiber is typically more expensive than that of multimode.

Indoor / Outdoor Selection:

The two main categories of the jackets (exterior surface of the cable) include:

Indoor / Outdoor Plenum Rated (UL, CE, ETL, or other Nationally Recognized Testing Laboratories Listed)
Indoor / Outdoor Non Plenum Rated (UL, CE, ETL, or other Nationally Recognized Testing Laboratories Listed)

Outdoor cables can be ran a maximum of 50 feet within a building, unless ran inside conduit. Otherwise, use indoor cable for indoor purposes. Indoor / Outdoor hybrid cables are available, but can be more expensive than indoor only. Outdoor cables typically have a gel or water blocking tape that turns to gel when exposed to water.
Determining whether to use plenum or non-plenum depends on the HVAC system within the building. Use plenum cable (only) within buildings that have a plenum ceiling (used for air handling) If cable is exterior only / runs less than 50 feet within a building at both ends, then outdoor cable should be used. You could always use plenum rated cable, even if not required, but you may not like the price increase. There is no performance difference between plenum & no plenum rated cables.

Buffer Tubing Selection:

The two options of buffer tubing include:

Tight buffer is used in nearly all indoor installations & is preferred by many installers. Most of the time tight buffer tube fiber optics will be the best choice, but as with everything telecom, there are exceptions to every rule.
Loose tube cables are used with direct buried, aerial lashed or underground conduit installations. Loose tube fiber is best suited for significant temperature changes, where the fiber optic strands may expand and contract at a different rate than the coating, strength members & outer jacket. Loose tube can be more fragile and vulnerable to fracture and typically take extra care and preparation when technicians terminate or splice. Additional materials such as a furcation / break out kit may be required, depending on the type of termination.

Strand Count Selection:

     Common fiber optic strand counts include 2, 4, 6, 8, 12, 24, 48, 72, and 144. These are referred to as strands or strand count as opposed to pairs or pair count, which we use when referring to copper twisted pair cabling.
     Most fiber optic devices require two strands to operate the device, one for transmit & one for receive. Exceptions exist, and with new technology single strands can be used bidirectional, so knowing your equipment could be a factor in making this selection.
     Choose more strands than you think you will need. Especially if there is moderate or significant labor involved to install, the cost to increase the strand count is minimal compared to the cost of adding another cable in the future.

Armored vs Non-Armored Jacket:

     Fiber optic cable by its nature is fragile and vulnerable to damage from a variety of causes. When the fiber’s availability is important or mission critical, then protection of the fragile strands should be considered. Physical protection of the fiber can be provided by separate barrier such as innerduct, conduit or other types of raceway. Running additional cables through the same conduit as an existing fiber optic cable can cause damage, usually to the existing cable(s).
     Armored cable can be an optimal selection when pulled installed in conduit with future pulls through the same conduit are anticipated. Pulling a new cable through a conduit with fiber optic cable already installed can be problematic. The new cable(s) can “burn” the existing cable in the pulling process, especially pulling around bends.
     Non-Armored cable can be the least expensive selection and work indefinitely if physical hazard is at low risk and the need for continuous service is not required. If a dedicated conduit is available, with no intent of pulling any additional cables through, then no additional protection is needed.

Connector Selection:

Three connector types remain common in the fiber optic industry, including LC, SC and ST. There are advantages and disadvantages to each, but they are minor. Even if the connections on your cable don’t match the connections on your equipment, all is not lost. There are adaptive fiber optic jumpers to convert almost any connector to any other.

ST was the most common for a long time. These are “push & turn” to make a connection. They work fine, other than they can be a bit tricky to connect and disconnect at times, and they take up the most amount of room on the fiber optic patch panel. These are a viable option regardless of cable selection.
SC has the advantage over ST, with the simplistic “push / pull” operation to make or remove the connection. They can be found in single connectors or bonded in pairs. These are a viable option regardless of cable selection.
LC has the advantage of SC, with the same “push / pull” to make or remove the connection, with the added benefit of higher density. LC connectors are typically found in pairs on the patch panel and with patch cords. These are a viable option regardless of cable selection. LC connections are the most common fiber optic interface on network equipment.

Any of these will work for your cable, but check your equipment before buying patch cords. Be sure you have the right connector on both ends of the patch cord.

Contact Clearnet Communications today for a free onsite estimate.

WE MAKE TECHNOLOGY WORK FOR YOU

THE CHOICE IS CLEAR

Clearnet Communications has a dedicated team of experienced

professionals that always go above and beyond to ensure

our customers 100% satisfaction every time. With over

300 years of combined experience serving the Pacific Northwest

Clearnet Communications will deliver your completed, tested and

certified project on time and within budget. Clearnet offers

competitively priced singlemode and multimode fiber solutions for

large enterprise businesses as well as our partners in the small

business community.

With the growing demand for Hosted Server and VoIP Phone System solutions there is a growing demand for increased bandwidth. The clear choice is Clearnet for your upgrade to Fiber Optics.

The experts at Clearnet Communications are experienced in both multi mode and single mode installations. Clearnet utilizes pigtail Fusion splicing for terminations at each end which insures the lowest dB signal loss compared to the typically installed field terminated connectors. All finished installations and terminations are tested with a Fluke DTX-1800 light meter & power source and EXFO FT-1 OTDR (optical time domain reflectometer).

If you’re interested in discussing the benefits of Fiber Optic cabling in your business let our friendly and knowledgeable sales engineering staff discuss the available solutions best suited for your needs.