Fiber-optic Cable Installation

For many consumers and businesses the benefits of fiber optic cables outweigh their high costs. Because fiber-optic cables transfer data in the form of light instead of electricity, they are unaffected by radio frequency signals and electrical interference, unlike ethernet cables. Read on for information on how to install your fiber-optic cables.

Things You'll Need

• Media converter (optional)

Instructions

1. For home networks setups, lay out all the components of your network and place them in their rooms of use. Place hubs and switches near the primary computer on the network. Connect the fiber-optic cable to your computer on one end and the satellite or wall outlet -- for intergrated fiber in the loop, or IFITL connections.

2. Plug the fiber-optic cable into a media converter if your computer or hub does not have a fiber-optic outlet. The media converter switches the data from light back into electricity. Run a USB or ethernet cable from the media converter to the computer.

3. Run fiber-optic cables from the hub or wireless router and connect any additional workstation via the cable. Use the media converter for any workstation that does not have a fiber-optic input.

4. Leave a fair amount of slack in the cables when running them from device to device. Couple cables together with ties instead of tape. Power on the each component in the network and install any necessary software.

Tips & Warnings

• Cover any part of the cable that will be exposed in the living areas of the house. Test network components as you install them to eliminate blind troubleshooting down the line.

Resources

• About Optical Networks