New Life Telecom is a trusted fiber optic technician for commercial companies located throughout the greater Sacramento, CA region.
If your business needs a fiber optic technician for fiber cabling installation, New Life Telecom is happy to provide an expert quote for you. Give us a call and we’ll get your quote started with a free walk through.
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Fiber Optic Cabling
Think you need a fiber optic technician for your business office wiring? Here’s what you need to know before you choose a fiber cabling company.
Fiber optic cabling is a great choice for certain installation situations. However, many businesses make critical mistakes in their decision making when it comes to choosing fiber. If you’re in the process of deciding if fiber optic cabling is the best choice for your wiring project, we hope you’ll find helpful information in this article.
First things first, do you really need fiber cabling in your office?
Fiber Optic vs Ethernet
What are the differences between fiber optic and ethernet cabling? You might be thinking that the main difference between ethernet cabling and fiber optic cabling is speed. True, some types of fiber optic cables can deliver faster data transfer speeds than certain types of ethernet cables. But there are many situations in which Cat5, Cat5e, Cat6, or Cat6a will out-perform fiber cabling.
Just like there are different speeds when it comes to ethernet cables, there are different speeds and types of fiber optic cabling. For example, Cat6a cabling can handle faster speeds than OM1 fiber cabling.
Ethernet cabling installations are considerably cheaper than fiber installations. Both cable costs and hardware costs are higher for fiber optic installations. This makes ethernet cabling a much better choice in many instances than using fiber.
So What Is Fiber Optic Cabling Mainly Used For?
Of course, many situations are perfect for fiber optic cabling. When cabling is required over 327 feet ( 100 meters) fiber optic cabling must be used. This situation often arises for large offices with only one server room, or a business that has a warehouse far from the main office. Some companies with larger footprints require a fast data connection between network equipment that’s more than 327 feet apart and therefore require fiber optic cabling. Fiber optic cabling is used for backbone installation to make data transfers within companies lightning fast.
Will fiber optic cabling make your internet speed faster?
Your internet speed is limited by your ISP which usually tops out at 2 GB – so while some fiber optic cabling can handle speeds up to 100 GB, it can’t make your internet go any faster than what your ISP provides.
Where you’ll see the big difference in speed made by running fiber optic cabling is in accessing network data transfers within your own company’s local network.
One note – in some cases your ISP may have fiber available to your business location. In this case, you may get faster internet speeds by continuing the fiber into your network, but your ISP will likely charge more. If this is important or interesting to you, check with the ISPs that provide service to your location to see what they can offer.
Single Mode vs. Multi Mode Fiber - Which Do You Need?
There are two main categories of fiber optic cabling: single mode and multi mode. The type you need is determined by a combination of distance, bandwidth, and speed requirements. In general, single mode fiber can offer greater bandwidth over longer distances, but end point components can be more costly than those for multi mode. However, there are many types of fiber cabling so getting a professional recommendation from a fiber technician is important.
How Many Strands Of Fiber Do You Need?
Another important consideration is how many strands of fiber your fiber cable needs to have. Your fiber optic technician will evaluate your job and make sure you’re installing fiber cabling with the correct number of strands.
Troubleshooting Issues With Fiber Optic Cabling
If you’re having an issue with your fiber optic cabling, getting a fiber optic technician out will help you diagnose the problem quickly. Because of the higher cost of fiber cabling and components, being able to identify the exact issue is imperative. Using a variety of testers and techniques, your fiber tech will determine which point in the system is failing and how best to correct the problem.
If it’s discovered that you have a break in the fiber cabling and the area can be easily accessed, your fiber technician may be able to cut out the damaged section of fiber. If there’s enough extra slack in the cable, your technician may splice the remaining cable together in a protective box, thus repairing the line.
If testing the fiber cabling from end to end reveals no problem with data transfer, your issue may be with end point connectors like an LIU box or other terminations. In this case your fiber optic technician will inspect each component and replace the damaged ones. If you think you have an issue with your fiber optic network cabling, give us a call and we can get it fixed for you quickly.
How To Choose A Great Fiber Optic Technician
Just because a low voltage company lists fiber optic cabling as a service they provide, doesn’t mean they have the experience they need for an expert install. Fiber cabling is much more fragile than ethernet cabling and much more expensive. Because of this, making sure you find a cabling company that really knows what they’re doing with fiber optic installations is a must.
Find a fiber optic cabler who has decades of experience and can talk to you about the variety of considerations you need to make for your network. They should ask you questions about single mode or multi mode cable, the number of strands you need, and be able to do cost comparisons and offer alternatives.
A knowledgeable fiber cabling technician will also consider the security and protection of your cabling over the future changes of your company. For example they will recommend armored cable or conduit where cable may be disturbed by additional runs from other trades. They’ll also consider how changes in the demand on your network will affect the types of cabling and components you purchase.
Some low voltage companies will provide fiber optic network installations through subcontracting with other companies. This allows them to provide fiber cabling as a service, but often means you won’t be talking to the person directly responsible for running the fiber.
If you want a great fiber optic technician please give New Life Telecom a call. You’ll know right away from talking with us that you’re dealing with experts. We can help you balance your network needs with your budget and create a solution for any unusual requirements of your network install.
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3 Important Considerations For Fiber Optic Network Cabling
Fiber Network Cabling Can Be Easily Damaged.
Employees, technicians, and rats all pose a risk of damaging fiber optic cabling.
Fiber optic cabling has a fiberglass core and is much more fragile than the copper in ethernet cabling. The fiberglass core is wrapped with protective strands of kevlar. If a tech or employee pulls on the core instead of the kevlar, the fiberglass can shatter or become warped and much or all of the cable installed can become useless. This is a very costly mistake! For this reason, a good fiber installer will take the protection of your fiber cabling seriously from end to end. If your cabling runs through a non-dedicated route, you should consider armored cabling or conduit to protect it.
For some reason, fiber coating is especially tempting to rats. If rats become present in an area where fiber is unprotected, they will often chew into it and break it. In this case, your expensive fiber cables must be replaced. Protecting your fiber cabling is crucial to your installation.
Fiber Optic Network Cabling Requires Special Connectors & Hardware
For starters, terminating fiber optic cables is quite different from terminating Cat5 or Cat6 cables. It requires special tools and a lot more time and attention. It also requires an LIU box. You’ll also lose your valuable high speeds if your network equipment can’t handle it, so make sure your network switch can process the fiber connection.
Match Your Fiber Speeds To Your Future Needs
If you’re already choosing a fiber installation over an ethernet one, you’ll especially want to consider your company’s future needs. Fiber installations are more expensive and labor intensive than an ethernet installation, so you really won’t want to switch it out too soon for a different type of fiber. Consider the number of strands, type, and rating of your cable to meet future demands and changes in technology. Do you anticipate hiring more people over the years, adding multiple locations and expanding your conference rooms? Anticipating your future network load can help you determine your cabling needs. Not sure what cabling is right for you? Give us a call and we’ll help you make the best choice for your company.
Give us a call, we're happy to help.
If you want a great fiber optic technician please give New Life Telecom a call. You’ll know right away from talking with us that you’re dealing with experts. We can help you balance your network needs with your budget and create a solution for any unusual requirements of your network install.
