Nowadays there are two known for the majority of the Internet users possibilities to build their home network – one based on Ethernet solution using the UTP (Unshielded Twisted Pair) cable; and the second one based on the WI FI technology.
Both used techniques have their disadvantages:
For the UTP they are:
This technique is based on the use of POF.
POF stands for plastic optical fiber .
The 1mm fiber diameter is about 500 times thicker than a glass optical fiber. 96% of the cores cross section conducts modulated light for data transmission similar to glass optical fiber applications. The maximal transmission distance amounts to about 100m without active repeaters. Polymer fibers are used for high speed data network in homes, commerce and industry as well as in cars and airplanes. POF is often regarded as an optical home network because POF is easy to install. The fiber is thin, can be shortened to the desired length by a sharp knife and requires no connectors on its ends. Anyone can set up a robust, high performance and Ethernet compatible network without any special tools.
Due to its simplicity POF can carry Ethernet, USB, IEEE1394 and other protocols. The latest POF fibers operate at a wavelength of 650nm, are in mass production and offer state of the art network bandwidth. The fiber material is available in two main qualities; Low cost SI-POF with a core diameter of 1mm and a length of 50 to 100m. The 1mm core of GI-POF offers very high data rates combined with long range. The current GI bandwidth is in the range of > 3Gbps at 50m. The attenuation is < 200dB/km and the proposed bending radius is about 25mm. POF is very robust against vibration, EMI, zero radiation (EMC), humidity, provides high isolation, suited for explosive environments and has a wide temperature range. And it is easy to use. In other words the ideal networking media for you.
Both used techniques have their disadvantages:
For the UTP they are:
- The cable length is limited to 100m
- The cable is thick and can not be hidden easy – always a big cable mess exist
- The quality of the connection can depend on the temperature, humidity, the electromagnetic radiation, etc.
- There are only fixed lengths of cables available of the market – for the home user is difficult to cut the cable and to mount the jack (special crimping tools are needed)
- If connectivity fails – it is difficult to find where exactly the problem is – you have to have always additional replacement cables
- It creates electromagnetic radiation
- Sometimes, when the used devices are from different brands (the router and the WLAN card or USB adapter) is very difficult to build a stable connection
- Even coded and security protected, they are easy to hack – your neighbors can connect to the Internet through your WLAN modem and perform even criminal tasks, leaving you the responsibility.
This technique is based on the use of POF.
POF stands for plastic optical fiber .
The 1mm fiber diameter is about 500 times thicker than a glass optical fiber. 96% of the cores cross section conducts modulated light for data transmission similar to glass optical fiber applications. The maximal transmission distance amounts to about 100m without active repeaters. Polymer fibers are used for high speed data network in homes, commerce and industry as well as in cars and airplanes. POF is often regarded as an optical home network because POF is easy to install. The fiber is thin, can be shortened to the desired length by a sharp knife and requires no connectors on its ends. Anyone can set up a robust, high performance and Ethernet compatible network without any special tools.
Due to its simplicity POF can carry Ethernet, USB, IEEE1394 and other protocols. The latest POF fibers operate at a wavelength of 650nm, are in mass production and offer state of the art network bandwidth. The fiber material is available in two main qualities; Low cost SI-POF with a core diameter of 1mm and a length of 50 to 100m. The 1mm core of GI-POF offers very high data rates combined with long range. The current GI bandwidth is in the range of > 3Gbps at 50m. The attenuation is < 200dB/km and the proposed bending radius is about 25mm. POF is very robust against vibration, EMI, zero radiation (EMC), humidity, provides high isolation, suited for explosive environments and has a wide temperature range. And it is easy to use. In other words the ideal networking media for you.
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On the pictures is done comparison between Ethernet cable and POF. It is seen that the POF is thinner and it is easy trace, to hide, to mask, to bind .
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Good for between buildings in lightning prone areas, so long as speed isn't a real issue and at 40metre range it would have to be a very close building.
All ready upgrading for my fiber connection.
Somewhat off topic, I have been looking for a POF type cable available with end devices that provide a broad bandwidth analog input. I would like to use it at 144 Mhz and 440 Mhz ham radio frequencies, Maybe make an opamp like circuit where the two strands of optical fiber, the led and the detector transistor have the non linear characteistics of the led and sensor removed with a feed back loop. It would be like a piece of lossless error correcting coaxial cable.
We use a similar adapter to what you have shown. The only downside I see is that the standard still is Cat5/6. Cat6 still offers gigabit speed. Yes it is thicker and more expensive if you want it shielded, but the standard is the standard ya know. The bottleneck would be a traditional modem. The fiber optic cable transmit light rather than electronic signals. So therefore companies would have to invest in finding out how to turn light into data. Similar to how a modem turns signals to electricity.
It does not have the equivalent size and performance ration that Fiber Optic Cable has. but then it is plastic - not glass.
So...does anyone know where we can buy those beautiful lights?!?!
Nice 'ible - I like the fact you took the time to show taking raw strands and got them connected by a simple crimp tool. I would be very worried about stapling the strands onto the moulding or floor joists though - one bad swing with a hammer and you are rerunning cabling all over again.
You are referring to Glass Fiber rather than Plastic Fiber Optics. Glass Fiber can reach speeds of 40Gb/s (that's the highest I know of anyway). The biggest fiber connection my company sells is an OC-193, which means it is the equivalence to 193 T3 lines. A T3 is the equivalence of 28 T1 lines, and a T1 line is the equivalence of 24 DS0 lines.
As you probably already know a DS0 has a bandwidth of 64Kbit/s.
T1 1.544 Mbit/s
T3 around 45Mbit/s
OC-1 = T3 yet optical rather than copper
OC-3 = 3 T3 lines
...
OC-192 = 192 T3 lines
....
OC-788 768 T3 lines (40Gb/s)
While the physical lines have to be able to handle the desired speeds, you also have to have something on each end that is capable of sending/receiving data at those speeds.
How is POF better than copper if you can't run it further?
How is it better when I can run gigabit over cheap copper and only 100mbit on expensive POF. How is POF suitable for network backbones when it is only capable of 100mbit.
POF also seems much more expensive for no performance improvement over copper. You need a specialized switch and adapters for every computer on your network. Copper is the standard today and every computer has a built in RJ45 port.
Here is common scenario:
I have installed POF in my walls and finished all the drywalling/painting. The POF directly terminated it to the computer and directly terminated it to the switch. Something gets bumped and a cable is damaged. You now have to try to replace the structural cabling. There is no patch panel (that I see) between the cabling and switch that prevents damage to the POF runs.
I think fiber is excellent for long range high speed connections where reliability and speed are the most important. It is too delicate to run to the average consumer PC. Consumers need something that is durable and easy to use.
The optical connection would no doubt be lightning fast.
But wouldn't bringing the signal from the optical fiber through ethernet to the router/pc be limited to the maximum speed of the ethernet connection?
I don't have a problem cutting and strip UTP to length and crimping ends on (or testing it either), but this is an excellent alternative for those who want to do-it-yourself and get wired connectivity all over the house.
My one issue has to do with the cost. UTP is pretty cheap, and while you need a crimper (which usually has the stripper built in) which I've seen for $25, ends, and either a multimeter or a 10-base T tester (I've seen those for about 10 bucks). Some practice and a knowledge of how the wires should be laid out in the end, and you're all set.
And if I were wiring the house, I'd be using wall jacks.
I say all that to say that the correct classification of your two options are not TCP over UTP vs WiFi /WLAN, but rather simply UTP vs WiFi/WLAN. The only difference between them is the medium used to transmit the data.
But I do agree with your promotion of Fiber Optic, great stuff and overall great ible.