Comparison Between EPON and GPON

PON is the abbreviation of passive optical network, which only uses fiber and passive components like splitters and combiners. EPON （Ethernet PON) and GPON (Gigabit PON) are the most important versions of passive optical networks, widely used for Internet access, voice over Internet protocol (VoIP), and digital TV delivery in metropolitan areas. Today we are going to talk about the differences between them.

Technology Comparison

EPON is based on the Ethernet standard 802.3 that can support the speed of 1.25 Gbit/s in both the downstream and upstream directions. It is well-known as the solution for the "first mile" optical access network. While GPON, based on Gigabit technology, is designated as ITU-T G.983 which can provide for 622 Mbit/s downstream and 155 Mbit/s upstream. GPON is an important approach to enable full service access network. Its requirements were set force by the Full Service Access Network (FASN) group, which was later adopted by ITU-T as the G.984.x standards–an addition to ITU-T recommendation, G.983, which details broadband PON (BPON).

As the parts of PON, they have something in common. For example, they both can be accepted as international standards, cover the same network topology methods and FTTx applications, and use WDM (wavelength-division multiplexing) with the same optical frequencies as each other with a third party wavelength; and provide triple-play, Internet Protocol TV (IPTV) and cable TV (CATV) video services.

Costs Comparison

No matter in a GPON or in an EPON, the optical line terminal (OLT), optical network unit (ONU) and optical distribution network (ODN) are the indispensable parts, which are the decisive factor of the costs of GPON and EPON deployments.

The cost of OLT and ONT is influenced by the ASIC (application specific integrated circuit) and optic module. Recently, the chipsets of GPON are mostly based on FPGA (field-programmable gate array), which is more expensive than the EPON MAC layer ASIC. On the other hand, the optic module’s price of GPON is also higher than EPON’s. When GPON reaches deployment stage, the estimated cost of a GPON OLT is 1.5 to 2 times higher than an EPON OLT, and the estimated cost of a GPON ONT will be 1.2 to 1.5 times higher than an EPON ONT.

We all know that the ODN is made up of fiber cable, cabinet, optical splitter, connector, and etc. In the case of transmitting signals to the same number of users, the cost of EPON and GPON would be the same.

Summary

Nowadays, since many experts have different opinions on GPON and EPON. Thus, there is no absolute answer to determine which is better. But one thing is clear: PON, which possesses the low cost of passive components, has made great strides driven by the growing demand for faster Internet service and more video. Also, fiber deployments will continue expanding at the expense of copper, as consumer demands for "triple-play" (video, voice and data) grow.

Originally published at http://www.chinacablesbuy.com/comparison-between-epon-and-gpon.html

https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/splice-connector-which-choose-ftth-drop-cable-installation-iris-xu?published=t

To choose a right drop cable interconnection solution for FTTH network is very importance. Connectors and splice, as the two common ways to interconnect drop cables, are widely used at FTTH deployment. We all know that the splice can offer a permanent joint, while the connector can be easily operated by hand. But there is a proverb that says you can’t have your cake and eat it too, the providers have to choose between the two. So which should we choose? This paper is going to discuss them in details via talking about their own advantages and disadvantages.

Pros and Cons of Splice

Let’s first go with the splice. Splice is capable of great reliability and can provide excellent optical performance, so that it has been praised highly for many years. What is more, when the connector is not mated, splicing can protect the connector end-face from contaminants that can cause high optical loss or even permanently damage the connector. It just reduces these damages to a minimum. Another advantage of the splice is that it enables a transition from 250 µm drop cable fiber to jacketed cable.

And then let’s talk about its disadvantages. The main drawback of it is the lack of operational flexibility. For example, if you want to reconfigure a drop cable at the distribution point, you should remove one splice, rearrange fibers and splice two new fibers. This requires the technician to carry special splicing equipment for simple subscriber changes. And also, when you are in the process of splicing at the distribution point, you should be careful with the fiber in case of bending or breaking it. If a splice is used at an ONT, there must be space for a tray to hold and protect the splice. This increases the ONT size and potentially the cost.

Pros and Cons of Connector

Unlike splice, connector can provide great operational flexibility in that they can be mated and unmated repeatedly, allowing them to be reused over and over again. When you need to connect a drop cable, you can used the connector to mate without any tools.

Also, connector has its own disadvantages, just as every coin has two sides. The biggest problem of it is the material cost. Therefore, providers must weigh the material cost of connectors along with the potential for contamination and damage against their greater flexibility and lower network management expense.

Conclusion

From the above analysis, now we can draw a conclusion. Splice is more suitable for no fiber rearrangement circumstances, such as greenfield or new construction application. While connector can offer flexibility both at the curb and at the home since it can be plugged and unplugged multiple times.

In a word, drop cable interconnect solution plays an so important part in FTTH network that you should be very careful when you choose the way to do the connection. The right choice will help you to save costs and operate more efficiently. But whether you need a splicer or connector, you can always find it in Fiberstore. For more information, visit FS.COM.

Originally published at http://www.chinacablesbuy.com/splice-or-connector-which-to-choose-for-ftth-drop-cable-installation.html

FTTH: Bringing You the Life-enhancing Benefits

FTTH, which is short for fiber to the home, is an ideal fiber optic architecture as the fiber optic service to home. It can transport large amount of data from caller to caller fast and reliable. In the light of present situation, there are more than 10 million homes all over the world adopted FTTH network in that it holds many advantages over current technologies. Here let us figure them out.

Benefits of FTTH

Some experts has pointed that fiber-to-the-home connections are the only technology with enough bandwidth to handle projected consumer demands during the next decade reliably and cost effectively. Of course, we all know that FTTH is a passive network that do not need active components. This feature makes it dramatically minimize the network maintenance cost and requirements. What is more, it features local battery backup and low-power consumption, which indeed bring much convenience to people’s lives. But, are that all its advantages? I am afraid that these simple advantages can’t convince people that FTTH can bring the life-enhancing benefits to their lives. And so do you. So, what are its remarkable benefits? Please take a look at the blow words.

The first thing you should know that it is less susceptible to corrosion or power surges from lightning and other sources, resulting in greater reliability. Because of its higher stability and less interruptions, it replaces copper infrastructure with new technology, allowing for future evolution of technology.

Second, it can provide virtually unlimited bandwidth capacity. As we mentioned above, it can support large amounts of data and keep up with consumer and technology demands, which makes it access to more advanced communication products like streaming video, internet TV, quality video conferencing, “smart home” technology, IP video home monitoring, gaming and so on.

Third, it brings profits to your home and the community. According to the Fiber-to-the-Home Council, we have got a amazing data that FTTH has increased the home value as much as $5,000. With the advanced technology, it made the “global village” come true. Even at ultra-rural areas, people still can compete on a global scale in their work or business.

Two Factors You should know before deploying FTTH

Now that we have learned the benefits of FTTH, I guess some people may intend to deploy FTTH network. Fiber deployment is a trade-off driven by the cost of the service relative to the potential revenue per subscriber. So before you deploy it, please read the below tips which can help you avoid loss.

Deploy the fibers in the high economic density of the service area. The number of houses and enterprises that a fiber passes by will be translated into the number of money. So , if you deploy your network in a high economic density place, you will get your investment back and make high profits soon.

Deploy your network in the place where has existed current fiber/copper wiring. It is easiest to serve a given area by following the current conduits and loops and staying with the rough topology of the old installation. This method will save you a lot of money compared with restarting wiring for your network. So if you can’t run the fiber directly to the home, just take it is to the node where the loops currently collect.

Conlusion

Recently, FTTH has been adopted by thousands of families, and the continuous prosperity will last for a long time. If you want to deploy a FTTH network, you can come to Fiberstore to get the needful tools. In Fibersotre, you can find the most cost-effective FTTH solutions including FTTH fiber cables, fiber optic splitters and some others. They are all tested in good condition with reasonable prices. So, if you choose Fiberstore, you just choose your better FTTH network with low cost.

Originally published at http://www.chinacablesbuy.com/ftth-bringing-you-the-life-enhancing-benefits.html

Three Ways to Optimize Your Home Wireless Network

Nowadays, the home wireless network has grown significantly, which has brought a lot of convenience to people because of its fast and reliable features. But the world is not always perfect. When the signal keeps dropping or the speed is so slow, people might get frustrated. As a result, there has been a trend that people are more and more focusing on the speed of the network. This paper will give you some advice to optimize your home wireless network.

Organize Your Connected Devices

The easiest and most important way to optimize the home wireless network is to organize your connected devices in a structured media enclosure serve as the central hub. This enclosure can be the best housing for all of your devices, including routers, switches and modems, which can save you valuable space so that eliminate clutter and have easy access to all of your connected devices, all while maintaining a clean aesthetic. What is more, when you put your enclosure in the center of your home, your network connection coverage can be up to maximum. Remember that keep your access points off the floor, out of closets and cabinets, and away from walls and large metal objects, like file cabinets.

Check Your Network Devices

Check your network devices to make sure if they can still support the speed. You know, the technology is always advancing, so maybe it’s time to replace your old devices. For example, you can check the network adapter in your wireless devices such as computers or phones, to see if they use the 802.11n (wireless-N) protocol. If “Yes”, you can get the fastest speeds. But if your devices use the 802.11g protocol, it can be limited to wireless-G speeds (maximum 54 Mbps).

Also, you should know that the fewer devices on a wireless network, the faster the network is likely to run. So you can connect some of your equipment by a hardwired connection such as CAT cabling.

Change Channel Width

In order to adapt to the further advanced wireless protocols, one of the ways to increase the speed is using wider wireless channels. In general, if you want to achieve maximum speed, the routers should use a 40Mhz channel width. But the fact is that most routers come with 20MHz as the default width, which is in an attempt to avoid interference. This situation may be a potential negative affect on some users. If you start to notice issues, switch back to a 20Mhz operation. Also note that this isn’t really for increasing how fast you browse the internet. This change is more likely to be evident when streaming/transferring files between devices on your network. For this case, you can just find the “Channel Width” setting in your router’s setting and change it to “Auto 20/40MHz”.

Conclusion

After reading the above steps, it would be of some help to build your home wireless network. If you do check your devices or want to do some hardwired connections, you could visit FS.COM for help. It can offer the CAT cables and other telecommunication equipment with good quality and reasonable price, and you can pick up what you want. For more information, visit FS.COM.

Originally published at http://www.chinacablesbuy.com/three-ways-to-optimize-your-home-wireless-network.html

How to Lower Cabling Temperature for PoE?

Popular speaking, PoE (Power over Ethernet) is a technology that lets network cables carry electrical power. Recently, PoE has made great strides because it has shown its great advantages such as saving time and cost, flexibility and reliability. As a result, cabling for PoE is at the explosive growth rates. But there is a problem in the cabling when power is added to balanced twisted-pair cabling. The copper conductors generate heat and temperatures could rise, which may lead to higher insertion loss and in turn shorter permissible cable lengths. So, how to lower cabling temperature for PoE? Here are some advice below.

Reduce the number of cables per bundle - If the cable bundle is too big or tight, the temperature will be higher. TIA (Telecommunications Industry Association), has done an experiment about whether the number of cables can influence the temperature. First, they tested the temperature of a bundle of 91 cables, and then they equally separated this cable bundle into three bundles and tested the temperature of each bundle. The results showed that the temperature of the 91 cable bundle is much higher than the smaller three cable bundles. In order to keep the result precise and reliable, they divided the three bundles into smaller bundles, and the result turned out to be the same. So a conclusion can be reached: Separating large cable bundles into smaller bundles or avoiding tight bundles will minimize higher temperatures.

Use higher category cabling - Higher category-rated cable typically means larger gauge sizes, and as power currents increase, these larger conductors will perform better than smaller cable. There is a picture below which shows the different temperature of different category cables with the cable bundle size increased. From this picture, we can see that higher category-rated cable is capable of more stable performance as it can allow for larger bundle sizes under the maximum 15-degree temperature increase. The allowable bundle size was 52 cables for Cat 5e, 64 for Cat 6, 74 for Cat 6A, and a similar increase for Cat 8.

Install Shielded Cabling - There is a comparison between Unshielded Twisted Pair (UTP) and Foiled Unshielded Twisted Pair (F/UTP). The samples of cable were tested carrying a PoE+ current of 600 mA per pair over all 4 pairs at an ambient temperature of 60 degrees Celsius. Each cable type was coiled into a separate 90 meters length and terminated with jacks at both ends. They then applied the current while monitoring the temperature rise of the bundle. After testing, they found that UTP cable performed worst, as it required more than 9 meters of length to be removed before it returned a passing insertion loss result. While the F/UTP performed significantly better, for it can pass at less than 90 meters. The difference between the performance lies in that UTP cable has no shield or isolation wrap barrier between the insulated conductors and the outer cable jacket material. In turn, there may be an interaction that changes the dielectric constant around the conductor and contributes to greater attenuation at higher temperature.

In a word, lower cabling temperature for PoE can be benefit to reach a high quality connectivity that is a crucial part in a flexibility and reliability network. The advice introduced above will help you lower cabling temperature for PoE. In addition, Fiberstore, one of the most famous telecommunication equipment manufacturers in the world, has devoted itself to deliver the products of highest performance for cabling systems and offer the best assemblies for fiber optic connectivity, which can help you to receive maximum return on infrastructure investment.

Originally published at http://www.chinacablesbuy.com/how-to-lower-cabling-temperature-for-poe.html

UTP Cables Selection Guide

Since the copper cable is capable of the advantages, such as less expensive electronics and flexibility, the fiber optic cable can’t just replace it. As a result, while the consumer electronics keep going increasingly wireless, many LANs still rely heavily on copper cables to handle all the heavy lifting when it comes to transmitting data. For example, if you want to plug your computer into a broadband Internet connection, you just need a cable to complete this connection. This paper will introduce some common categories of copper cable used in today’s networks.

Category 3

The CAT3 cable is an UTP (unshielded twisted pair) cable whose data transmission rate is at the speed of 10Mbps. It is one of the oldest copper cable, and was used on a large scale in the early 90’s when it was the industry standard for computer networks. Of course, it is still used today for wiring offices and homes. Although it is still used in two-line phone configurations, it is no longer the the darling of the times when deploy the networks due to the advent of the Category 5 cable.

Category 5

As the successor of the CAT3 cable, CAT5 cable is capable of superior performance. Compared with CAT3 cable, CAT5 cable is the same with it in the structure--UTP, but has higher transfer rate, up to 100Mbps. The fact is that the speed of 100Mbps is also called Fast Ethernet, so the CAT5 cable has become the first Fast Ethernet-capable cable. But Now, it has been replaced by the CAT5e cable.

Category 5e

The CAT5e standard is an enhanced version of CAT5 cable, which is optimized to reduce crosstalk, or the unwanted transmission of signals between data channels. Similar to CAT 5 in appearance, CAT5e introduces some new wrinkles in the equation. For one thing, CAT5e uses four pairs of copper wire rather than the two that CAT5 relies on. The excellent capacity, that the speed of it can be up to 1000Mbps and the bandwidth can be up to 100 MHz, makes it become the one of the most popularized cable in today’s market. That is also the reason why it can replace the CAT5 cable.

Category 6

Supporting frequencies of up to 250 MHz and the 10BASE-T, 100BASE-TX, 1000BASE-T, and 10GBASE-T standards, it can handle up to 10 Gbps in terms of throughput. Some CAT6 cables are available in STP (Shielded Twisted Pair) forms or UTP forms. Compared with CAT5e cable, it has better insulation and thinner wires which can provide a higher signal-to-noise ratio, and is better suited for environments in which there may be higher electromagnetic interference. However, when deploying a network, the cost of CAT5e cable is much cheaper than CAT6 cable.

Category 6a

CAT6a’s data transmission rate is up to 10,000 Mbps and the maximum bandwidth is 500 MHz. Since it is in the form of STP, a specialized connector is usually needed to ground the cable. When you’re wiring up your home or office for Ethernet for the long haul, CAT6a is the perfect choice in terms of future-proofing.

Category 7

CAT7 cable, also known as Class F, is a fully shielded cable that supports speeds of up to 10 Gbps (10,000 Mbps) and bandwidths of up to 600 Mhz. It consists of a SSTP (screened, shielded twisted pair) of wires, and the layers of insulation and shielding contained within them are even more extensive than that of CAT6 cables. Because of this shielding, It is thicker, more bulky, and more difficult to bend. Additionally, each of the shielding layers must be grounded, or else performance may be reduced to the point that there will be no improvement over CAT6, even worse than CAT5. For this reason, it’s very important to understand the type of connectors at the ends of a CAT7 cable.

Conclusion

When you need a cable to attach your computer to the modem in your home or your office, you can choose the right cable after reading this guide. There are three factors that you should take into consideration: price, the quality of the cables and the kinds of device you have to connect. Fiberstore can offer the most cost-effective solution for your copper cabling, such as CAT3 cable, CAT5e cable and so on. Besides, the price and the quality of these cables are extremely attractive. Wanna buy? Just visit FS.COM.

Originally published at http://www.chinacablesbuy.com/utp-cables-selection-guide.html

Differences Between FBT Splitter and PLC Splitter

Nowadays, with the further popularization of the optical fiber communication, fiber optic splitter plays an increasing significant role in many of today’s optical network topologies. Although there are variations of splitter types, the two most commonly deployed splitters are FBT (Fused Biconical Taper) splitter and PLC (Planar Lightwave Circuit) splitter. So, when you deploy your network, what kind of splitter you should choose may be a problem for you. And in order to solve this problem, this paper will give you a detailed introduction of differences between FBT splitter and PLC splitter.

Definition of FBT Splitter and PLC Splitter

Before you get to know the features of them, first you should know what them are. Next, each splitter will be introduced.

FBT Splitter - FBT is a traditional technology that two fibers are typically twisted and fused together while the assembly is being elongated and tapered. The fused fibers are protected by a glass substrate and then protected by a stainless steel tube, typically 3mm diameter by 54mm long. FBT splitters are widely accepted and used in passive optical networks, especially for instances where the split configuration is not more than 1x4. The slight drawback of this technology is when larger split configurations such as 1x16, 1x32 and 1x64 are needed.

PLC splitter - A PLC splitter is a micro-optical component based on planar lightwave circuit technology and provides a low cost light distribution solution with small form factor and high reliability. It is manufactured using silica glass waveguide circuits that are aligned with a V-groove fiber array chip that uses ribbon fiber. Once everything is aligned and bonded, it is then packaged inside a miniature housing. PLC Splitter has high quality performance, such as low insertion loss, low PDL (Polarization Dependent Loss), high return loss and excellent uniformity over a wide wavelength range from 1260 nm to 1620 nm and have an operating temperature -40°C to +85°C.

Feature Comparison of FBT Splitter and PLC Splitter

In the past few years, splitter technology has made a huge step forward, especially the PLC splitter technology. This situation resulted in that PLC splitter has become a higher reliable type of device compared to the traditional FBT splitter. Although being similar in size and appearance, the internally technologies behind these types vary, thus giving service providers a possibility to choose a more appropriate solution.

Operating Wavelength - As is mentioned above, PLC splitter can provide a range of operating wavelength from 1260 nm to 1620 nm. But FBT splitters only support three wavelengths (850/1310/1550 nm) which makes these devices unable to operate on other wavelengths.

Operating Temperature - Commonly, FTB splitter is to a high extent temperature sensitive, providing a stable working range of -5 °C to 75 °C. While PLC splitter operates at wider temperature range (-40 °C to 85 °C), allowing its deploying in the areas of extreme climate.

Split Ratio - The split ratio of FBT splitter is 1:8 and it can be higher with higher failure rate. The split ratio of PLC splitter can go up to 64, which is equal to all branches, thus providing a high reliability.

Cost - FBT splitter is made out of materials that are easily available, for example steel, fiber, hot dorm and others. All of these materials are low-price, which determines the low cost of the device itself. PLC splitter manufacturing technology is more complex. It uses semiconductor technology (lithography, etching, developer technology) production, hence it is more difficult to manufacture. Therefore, the price of this device is higher.

Conclusion

In a word, Compared with FBT splitter, the capacity of PLC splitter is better, but costlier than the FBT splitter in the smaller ratios. You can choose it according to your requirements. Fiberstore offers both FBT splitter and PLC splitter with good quality and low price. Whether in FTTx systems or in traditional optic network, Fiberstore splitter can help you to maximize the functionality of optical network circuits.

Originally published at http://www.chinacablesbuy.com/differences-between-fbt-splitter-and-plc-splitter.html