NT1310 Unit 10 Lab 1 Building A New Structure- Problem Analysis
NT1310 Unit 10 Lab 1
05/28/13
Building A New Structure- Problem Analysis
Troubleshooting fiber
Fiber optic cable was once reserved for high-performance needs, but today it’s turning up in all kinds of networks. If you’re familiar with copper cable, you’ll quickly discover that fiber optic cable is a completely different animal. Not only is the installation process different for fiber, but also the troubleshooting process. Fiber optic cable is also far more fragile than copper cable, so there are more potential causes of trouble. I’ll discuss common fiber optic cable problems and how to diagnose and repair them. The most common causes of fiber optic malfunctionsAnyone who’s ever done network troubleshooting knows it’s a complicated process, so it’s helpful to know where to start looking for a problem. To help you make an educated guess about the cause of your network’s troubles, here are some of the most common fiber optic cable problems with their possible causes:
•Broken fibers because of physical stress or excessive bending
•Insufficient transmitting power
•Excessive signal loss due to a cable span that’s too long
•Excessive signal loss due to a contaminated connector
•Excessive signal loss due to faulty splices or connectors
•Excessive signal loss due to having too many splices or connectors
•Faulty connection of fiber to the patch panel or in the splice tray
Typically, if a connection is completely dead, it’s because of a break in the cable. However, if the connection is intermittent, there are several possible causes:
•The cable’s attenuation may be too high because of poor quality splices or too many splices.
•Things like dust, fingerprints, scratches, and humidity can contaminate connectors.
•There is low transmitter strength.
•There are bad connections in the wiring closet.
Gathering information
When I’m called in to fix a problem in an environment that I’m not thoroughly familiar with, the first thing I do is gather some basic
05/28/13
Building A New Structure- Problem Analysis
Troubleshooting fiber
Fiber optic cable was once reserved for high-performance needs, but today it’s turning up in all kinds of networks. If you’re familiar with copper cable, you’ll quickly discover that fiber optic cable is a completely different animal. Not only is the installation process different for fiber, but also the troubleshooting process. Fiber optic cable is also far more fragile than copper cable, so there are more potential causes of trouble. I’ll discuss common fiber optic cable problems and how to diagnose and repair them. The most common causes of fiber optic malfunctionsAnyone who’s ever done network troubleshooting knows it’s a complicated process, so it’s helpful to know where to start looking for a problem. To help you make an educated guess about the cause of your network’s troubles, here are some of the most common fiber optic cable problems with their possible causes:
•Broken fibers because of physical stress or excessive bending
•Insufficient transmitting power
•Excessive signal loss due to a cable span that’s too long
•Excessive signal loss due to a contaminated connector
•Excessive signal loss due to faulty splices or connectors
•Excessive signal loss due to having too many splices or connectors
•Faulty connection of fiber to the patch panel or in the splice tray
Typically, if a connection is completely dead, it’s because of a break in the cable. However, if the connection is intermittent, there are several possible causes:
•The cable’s attenuation may be too high because of poor quality splices or too many splices.
•Things like dust, fingerprints, scratches, and humidity can contaminate connectors.
•There is low transmitter strength.
•There are bad connections in the wiring closet.
Gathering information
When I’m called in to fix a problem in an environment that I’m not thoroughly familiar with, the first thing I do is gather some basic