Fibre to LAN media converter

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KellyP

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#295527 4-Apr-2022 13:24

Hi team,

I'm assisting a nfp with their UFB order with Enable. Been a long road with the first scope done in September 2020 and amended three times.

We've been advised that the only feasible option is to have the ONT in another building and to use existing fibre run as a LAN feed via a media converter. The existing fibre connection belongs to the landlord and the landlord is.... the Christchurch City Council. On the upside, no civil works are required.

We've been informed that we must supply the media converter but we haven't been given any required specs. We did offer to pay for this and they just provide it to avoid snags however it's a no. I'm also unsure if Enable techs will do this as according to them "Customer to activate the modem in the desired location by using CCC fibre and media convertor".

If this is the case, I will get a networking contractor in to do this as I don't have the means to test the performance of it once its in.

The network layout is the following: The ONT is going in a COPOS tray located in a server rack, this would be as much as 500m from our building in terms of fibre optic run. Between this and our building is another server rack with a patch panel in another building, the existing fibre goes through here. Finally, our building has it's own server rack.

Advice and suggestions welcomed. Definetely not a standard install.

cyril7

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#2896751 4-Apr-2022 13:33

Hi, not sure what you are asking, you say "We did offer to pay for this and ......however its a no", who said no and why?

Edit: just re read it, so they have asked you to provide it, which is fair enough, so you just need to establish what fibre it is as per below, and what speed, presumably as its just normal GPON only GigE is required

The only other thing you need to know is what fibre is it (OM1,2,3,4 or SM1,2) and what connectors does it terminate on.

Minimal information would be colour of connectors on patch panel, fawn is OM3/4, Blue is SM1/2.

Cyril

KellyP

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#2896800 4-Apr-2022 14:57

cyril7:

Hi, not sure what you are asking, you say "We did offer to pay for this and ......however its a no", who said no and why?

The only other thing you need to know is what fibre is it (OM1,2,3,4 or SM1,2) and what connectors does it terminate on.

Cyril

Sorry Cyril, I wasn't very clear.

We asked Enable if they could provide the converter and just charge us for this - their reply was that we had to source and supply our own. What is not clear to us at this stage, is if the technician will install and test this or whether this is down to us. Hence my question regarding specs.

cyril7

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#2896801 4-Apr-2022 15:02

Hi, ok got you, well I think you will find the eth interface of the ONT is the end of Enables responsibility, so they wont care what you do with it next. As its only GPON (I presume not XGPON) then its just GigE we are talking about.

As mentioned all you need to know now is what fibre it is, then organise a media converter to suit. Does the other end (not the ONT end) terminate on a switch with SFP ports? if so you only need a media converter at the ONT end and obviously SFP modules for othe switch and if its an SFP media converter an SFP to once again suit the fibre.

As per my first post they only thing you need to understand before proceeding is what type of fibre it is, a pic purhaps of the patch panel from either end.

Cyril

cyril7

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#2896875 4-Apr-2022 17:12

If you are looking for specs for fibre performance before commisioning, then again it will depend on what fibre is in use. To do the test you will either need an OTDR, or if you have a managed switch at each end you can do an imperical test to determine if there is an issue or not.

To do that test, get yourself a 20m fly lead of the same fibre type you are testing. Connect this between the two SFP ports of the test switches sitting side by side. Using the appropriate module commands find the Tx and Rx power of each end and note that down.

Now put the 500m of fibre in circuit in addtion to the 20m fly lead. As a rough rule if its MM fibre over approx 500m expect 3-4dB of additional loss each way, if its significantly more than that, then there may be an issue.

If its SM fibre expect a 1-1.5dB loss, again if its much more than that, there could be issues.

This all assumes 500m of cable, fusion spliced pigtails to connectors at each end and fly leads from the patch panel to switch/media converter. I am also assuming clean connectors and SFP interfaces, ie cleaned with correct cleaning tools and wipes.

Note, if your after 10G, and its 500m of MM, then its not going to happen, or in the least struggle.

Cyril

KellyP

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#2921440 1-Jun-2022 14:45

Update: Big thanks to @cyril7 who helped me out with this. All sorted.