Buying fiber optic cables has become an event in our daily lives. Since the field of fiber optic networks is still unfamiliar to most people, let alone the detailed information of fiber optic cables. In this article, we will provide you with some tips for buying fiber optic cables. Before that, let us first understand the background information of the optical cable so that you can better understand the optical cable.
1. What is fiber optic cable
Optical cable refers to a communication cable that contains one or more optical fibers made of glass or plastic, usually slightly wider than a human hair. It can carry light to transmit data. Designed for long-distance transmission from hundreds of miles to thousands of miles, fiber optic cables are ideal for network, telecommunications, and storage applications in patch panels, gateways, central offices, and data centers.
2. Types of fiber optic cables
According to different standards or characteristics, there are different types of fiber optic cables. Basically, according to different transmission methods, optical cables can be divided into two types: single-mode fiber and multi-mode fiber.
1) Single mode fiber
This type of fiber optic cable is a single-strand glass fiber with a diameter of 8.3 to 10 microns, which is narrower than multimode fiber. Under such conditions, the light beam is transmitted at a higher transmission rate in a more compact space. Therefore, it makes long-distance communication, and sometimes even communication between mainlands, more convenient.
2) Multimode fiber
Compared with single-mode fiber, multi-mode fiber has a larger diameter (62.5 µm or 50 µm) and has more space to generate and collect light. Taking into account the transmission performance of multimode optical fiber, it is mostly used for short-distance communication less than 2000 meters in buildings or small campuses.
3. Tips for fiber optic cable purchasing
After an overview of fiber optic cables, we should learn how to buy fiber optic cables. Here are some major steps.
First, prepare. For anyone buying fiber optic cables, they need to be fully prepared. On the one hand, you need to know your network environment, such as the required transmission speed, distance, etc. On the other hand, a basic understanding of the characteristics of various optical cables is required. As we mentioned earlier, there are many types of fiber optic cables on the market, not only based on different transmission methods, for example, depending on the connector, there are LC fiber, SC fiber, etc. Therefore, you need to know which type is suitable for your network environment.
Next, you need to make a budget for buying fiber optic cables in your mind. There are many fiber optic cable suppliers in the online market, and almost every supplier will provide a different price of fiber optic cable. After that, you can start searching online. When you browse the products, you can compare the price per meter of fiber optic cable from different suppliers. In addition, you must check the supplier’s reputation to ensure that their services and products are reliable.
Last, but not least. Some buyers who buy fiber optic cables for their companies need to consider their complex requirements more carefully.
