Troubleshooting fiber optic cabling can be easy, provided you follow the steps in this blog
Fiber optic cabling has become so ubiquitous within the networking world thanks to its strong ability to transmit large amounts of data at the speed of light. Everything from your home routers, personal computers, and some audio-visual setups take advantage of the technology, and while many of these problems that come with traditional copper cables are circumvented with fiber, there are still problems that could develop. Thankfully, troubleshooting fiber optic cabling can be easy, provided you follow the steps in this blog. Read on to learn more!
Inspecting Your Cables
If you suspect a certain cable is at fault, perform a visual inspection. If you notice excessive bends in the cabling, do what you can to help straighten it out with a minimum of stress and ensure there aren’t any spots where plenty of pressure is applied to the cable. Fiber optic cabling should, for the best performance, have a small bit of slack, as tension could cause stress on fibers and reduce any efficiencies. If you notice rips, splits, or tears in your cables, they ought to be replaced entirely. One tip for checking if a cable is damaged physically is to shine light through one of the various connectors of your cable by using a qualified light source for a product. The light should shine through towards the other side.
Troubleshoot Your Connections
Find out where your fiber optic cable terminates on both ends, a fiber optic enclosures, workstation devices, or outlets, like a router or television, and make sure that the connection is secured firmly. A single fiber optic cable might have various points of termination (like fiber enclosure panels, fiber patch cords, work area outlets, etc.), so check each connection. It might be as simple as making sure the connector is set up properly or cleaning the connector tip (use of an appropriate manufacturer’s recommended cleaning products to help).
Universal Tips
If possible, avoid running cables through your high-traffic areas; footsteps and rolling chairs could both do damage to cables as time passes. Avoid bending, twisting, and placing undue stress on your fiber cables. Making sure that the cable management is clean and as neat as possible goes a very long way for preventing damage, too. It is generally a smart idea to practice to avoid touching the connectors for the cables with uncovered fingers, too.
En-Net Services Can Help Today
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