"We Don't Just Sell Products - We Design Solutions"
As your Total Solution Provider, FiberOptic.com is dedicated to identifying your company's needs and designing a solution tailored to your specific projects. We don't just sell products, we design solutions, and we will be showcasing these solutions in our monthly newsletter. We are here to help you with every project you have - from the smallest detail to the big picture. All of us at FiberOptic.com look forward to working with you in new year! 

This Month's Solution from The President: Will my data get there?

So you have determined your cable plant loss budget and now your data speeds are low or data is not getting out at all.

Once fiber has been installed and terminated it must be tested. You need to test continuity, polarity and end to end insertion loss for all cables in your network. Depending on the length you will need and OTDR test along with a Power Meter and Light Source.

Chris LaBonge, President
The first prerequisite is training. If you are not a certified fiber technician, taking the Certified Fiber Optic Installer/Technician/OSP course is critical before starting any fiber job. These courses provide you with the foundation you will need to tackle most fiber optic problems in the network. Training ensures that you know how to properly use and interpret the results provided by the optical equipment you own. The courses offered at FiberOptic.com follow all industry standards.
Once you have completed the training there are some basic tools that every technician should have. The first of these is a Visual Inspection Probe (VIP). This microscope allows you to quickly and accurately look at every connector and inspect for dirt damage or cracks. The VIP allows you to record the picture of the connector to provide end results to your customer showing the connectors are clean and eliminates that as a potential issue. Dirty connectors are 90% of all loss budget issues.
Of course every connector needs to be thoroughly cleaned before connection or reconnection. Failure to do this can damage the connector and or cause large loss on the network. Contrary to some beliefs your shirt, handkerchief, paper towel or other such material is not effective in cleaning connectors. Lint free wipes and bulkhead cleaners are a requirement.
Every technician should also have a power meter and light source. These are basic tools used for measurements and the first line of an optical loss test. A power meter light source test (LSPM) is a requirement and will ensure that your cable plant is within the loss budget.
You should also carry with you at all times a complete set of reference cables. It is important that you have reference cables that match the fibers to be tested. You should also have an assortment of mating adapters.
You should also have a Visual Fault Locator (VFL). A VFL provides you with a quick easy test to allow you to ensure that fibers are not damaged before installation or where they may be damaged after installation has occurred. A VFL is also useful when connecting fiber at a patch panel to ensure end to end connectivity.
The last piece of equipment to talk about is an OTDR. When used properly an OTDR can locate faults, measure cable length and verify splice loss. Using an OTDR isn’t black magic, but it does require a technician have a good understanding of fiber optic principles. If the OTDR is not setup correctly the information retrieved will be useless. There are hundreds of OTDR’s to choose from and thousands of options. FiberOptic.com can help you determine which OTDR is right for you.
I would like to close with a word about documentation. I would estimate 9 out of 10 networks we come in contact with have either no or little documentation. Often, what documentation that does exist is dated and not current enough to be of help. We have an easy-to-use software called FiberBase that will allow you to completely document your network and most of all have this information available to everyone in your company at their desktop. FiberBase will store your OTDR traces, diagrams and just about any information you may have regarding your network. Call us today for a no hassle demo and trial. You will save yourself time and money by implementing a network management and documentation solution.

Increased Capacity
DWDM allows multiple signals to be sent along a single fiber by transmitting them simultaneously at different wavelengths - More date, less fiber. FiberOptic.com has partnered with RAD to give you the best DWDM equipment available. In addition to products, FiberOptic.com offers basic and advanced DWDM training and certification from The Fiber School.

>> PacketLight DWDM Equipment
>> DWDM Training from The Fiber School


TEST. SAVE. PRINT
The Net Chaser™ Ethernet Speed Certifier offers a complete solution to test and speed certify the data-carrying capabilities of Ethernet network cables up to 1 Gb/s by testing for noise in the network, detecting faults in the cable wiring, and ensuring that cables are able to support the speed capabilities of active equipment.

• Speed Certification to IEEE standards 802.3
• Cable testing to TIA568A/B

>> More Product Info


Everything You Need - Easy. Convenient. All-in-One!
The Emergency Response Kits from Precision Rated Optics (PRO) are a quick, on-the-go tool used for restoring fiber communications. Have everything you need for emergency restoration handy so all you have to do is grab and go! It's not a matter of if a network outage will occur - it's a matter of when. PRO's Emergency Restoration Kits contain everything needed for any fiber repair job, large or small, but the price-point is where the competition is left in the dust.


>> More Product Info


AFL Testing Solution - Complete with Cleaning Kit
For those working in data centers, this testing solution is the perfect fit. This kit comes equipped with DFS1 Digital FiberScope, launch box and a cleaning kit - everything to get you started on testing today!

>> NOYES M310 SM OTDR
>> DFS1 Digital FiberScope
>> PRO Launch Box
>> PRO Cleaning Kit


Continuing Education Credits




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