Of all the available cables you can use to wire your IT infrastructure, fiber optics is without a doubt the superior option. That’s not to say we don’t recommend cat 5 cables, but if you’re going for the most length, highest speed and a bounty of bandwidth, optical fiber is the route to take (and you can take your router along for the trip).
Jokes aside, our network infrastructure service that serves Mercer County, NJ has wired more and more small and mid-sized businesses with optical fiber today than ever before, and for good reasons. Read on to learn more about why fiber optics is advantageous.
Faster Than Cat 5-6 Ethernet
Where standard ethernet cables are impressive nowadays, reaching speeds up to 100 mbps, we all know that nothing can top the speed of light—which is exactly what fiber optics uses to transmit data. Thus, optical fiber can reach speeds of up to 100 gbps (faster cables exist but are not yet commercially available). If your business’ infrastructure depends on the fastest speeds, there’s no choice more superior than fiber optics.
Run Your Cables Longer
Not only is fiber optics much faster than cat 5 ethernet, but it can also withstand greater distances. That’s good news for companies whose operations require the use of multiple server rooms to accommodate ethernet cables’ shorter capacity for distance. Using optical fiber, that same company would most likely be able to run its IT program from a single server room, making things much more efficient than before.
OM1 OM2 OM3 OM4 O MY!
By today’s standards, OM1 and OM2 aren’t really worth discussing. As the best cabling contractors in Middlesex County, NJ, we deal primarily with OM3 and OM4 for our clients at this point. But you’re probably wondering, what does that mean?
OM stands for optical mode, and to put it simply, refers to a cable’s speed and bandwidth capacity. As you would probably guess, OM4 cables can handle the highest capacity, while OM1 cables can handle the lowest. OM4 cables are capable of carrying about 10GB of data, and can run over 500 meters (over 1500 feet) at that rate.
Touch base today to learn more, and find out if fiber optics is right for your company’s IT infrastructure!