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Media Converter Basics

September 15, 2015 (http://www.fiberopticshare.com/media-converter-basics.html) Admin
(http://www.fiberopticshare.com/author/admin)

While fiber optic technology has been developed and deployed in

telecommunications for many years, network complexity still exists within
the Local Area Network (LAN), accompanied by users’ increasing
demands for higher network speeds and greater bandwidth. Media
converters can just provide solutions for those problems by utilizing fiber
when it is needed and integrating new equipment into existing cabling
infrastructure. There are many aspects that can be discussed concerning
about media convert, like its working principles, types, and applications.
This paper will focus on these basic information.

Definition and Working Principles of Media Converts

Media converters are simple networking media conversion devices to
connect two dissimilar media types, including copper-to-fiber and fiber-to-
fiber (See the figure below). In copper-to-fiber conversion, media
converters are used to convert the electrical signal used in copper
Unshielded Twisted Pair (UTP) network cabling into light waves used in
fiber optic cabling. As for fiber-to-fiber conversion, media converters are
needed to convert a dual fiber link to a single fiber using Bi-directional
(BIDI) data flow. Fiber optic connectivity is of great importance when the
distance between two network devices exceeds the transmission distance
of copper cabling or fiber structured cabling. In such cases, media
converters really mean a lot.

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There are various copper-to-fiber and fiber-to-fiber media converters

available that support different data rates, and cabling.

Copper-to-Fiber Media Converters

Copper-to-fiber media converters are compact devices that provide
seamless integration of copper and fiber cabling. Ethernet media
converters belong to this kind. Supporting the IEEE 802.3 standard,
Ethernet copper-to-fiber media converters provide connectivity for
Ethernet, Fast Ethernet, Gigabit and 10 Gigabit Ethernet devices. They
can perform 10/100 rate switching, enabling the integration of equipment
of different data rates and interface types into one seamless network. The
following shows how Ethernet copper-to-fiber media converters work.

Fiber-to-Fiber Media Converters

Fiber-to-fiber media converters are also compact devices. But unlike
copper-to-fiber media converters, fiber-to-fiber media converters offer
seamless integration of different fiber types by converting multi-mode
fiber to single-mode fiber, and dual fiber to single-fiber. With a single-

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mode to multi-mode fiber converter or multi-mode to single-mode

converter, the conversion from one wavelength to another one is made
possible. The image below displays the outlook of a single-mode to multi-
mode fiber converter.

Applications of Media Converters

The applications of media converters are specific. For instance, when to
convert 1000BASE-T and 1000BASE-SX, an Ethernet media convert is
needed. What’s more, media converters can convert between
wavelengths for wavelength division multiplexing (WDM) applications,
such as WDM multiplexer and WDM transceivers. In addition, media
converters can support advanced bridge features, including VLAN,
Quality of Service (QoS) prioritization, Port Access Control and
Bandwidth Control that facilitate the deployment of new data, voice and
video to end users. Media converters can provide all these sophisticated
switch capabilities in a small and cost-effective device.

Media converters support a wide variety of protocols, data rates and

media types. They are flexible and cost-effective devices for
implementing and optimizing fiber links in all types of networks. Fiberstore
offers a large selection of fiber media converters with high quality for

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Ethernet, Fast Ethernet, Gigabit Ethernet, 10-Gigabit Ethernet, and Data

Communications. Please visit Fiberstore for more media converter
solutions.

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