Can anybody share experiences laying fiber optic cable for data?

[TemporaryKubotaOwnerMark]

I would suggest putting the cable in something whether it be irrigation pipe or something else.

How about dropping in some 1 1/4" poly well pipe? A 600' roll of that shouldn't be too $$, and would provide a seamless, slick surface for pulling cable.

 

[KubotainNH]

How about dropping in some 1 1/4" poly well pipe? A 600' roll of that shouldn't be too $$, and would provide a seamless, slick surface for pulling cable.

Yep, leave a pull string in it for future usage. Fiber is glass so it doesn't take a lot to break it. It would probably be ok alone but if you have rocky soil and drive over the area it could get kinked. I work in IT and deal with most versions of fiber all the time but we don't bother with terminating it. Pre-terminated works best for us.

 

[newbury]

It all depends on what speeds you want to run. <snip>

For the next few years 20 Mbps would more than suffice

Basic 50micron:
1M LC-LC DUPLEX 1Gb Amphenol 5/125 Multimode fiber optic Aqua ONFP

Plenum grade:
PLENUM 1M LC-LC OM2 Duplex Multimode 5/125 Fiber Optic Cable | eBay

For 200M of Plenum grade about $180.

You can buy something like this for the media converter but this one needs the correct SFP module for whatever you get for fiber.
Gigabit Ethernet to SFP slot Fiber Optic media converter un-managed | eBay

Then there's this style which uses one strand of fiber because it's bi-directional. You would have a backup strand.
Gigabit Ethernet to single-mode BiDi fiber media converter un-managed 2Km A type | eBay

Looks like about $150 for both ends for either.

How about dropping in some 1 1/4" poly well pipe? A 600' roll of that shouldn't be too $$, and would provide a seamless, slick surface for pulling cable.

For example HD for 1-1/4 in. x 300 ft. IPS 100 PSI - $174
So looks like about $700 will cover it (with a built in cost over run factor) for the networking.

Now what else do I want to run in the trench??

Besides water pipe that is.

Air hose?
Would it be safe to put down a trace wire so I can find the pipe later on?
/edit - and an extra pull string of course.

 

[dstig1]

I did this last year. Or rather had it done. First off, keep in mind that whatever you use needs to be wet rated for use in conduit underground. Trust me. Second, it needs to be pulling grade. It sounds like a few people above have suggested what amounts to a long patch cable. I have 3' patch cables at each end of my run. I can assure you they are not strong enough to pull on, and are not wet rated either. One of mine arrived broken, which was hard to figure out. Here is my situation:

400' total pull from shop to house. All utilities terminate at the shop, so i needed a good run to the house. I talked with a neighbor that is an A/V guy who does installs. He said YOU (aka me) do not want to touch this. Here is who you call. Now he gave me the number to our local cable/internet provider. They run all fiber to the home throughout the area, so they do it all the time. They had their installers come out and bring the underground rated fiber cable that they use. That was what they pulled through my 2" Schd 40 conduit, along with 3x Cat6 wires, and an RG11 coax. This was a very hard pull for them. They brought a 5 gal bucket of pull lube, and used close to 4 gals of it. So they have spools set up on one end with a guy feeding, and 2 guys on the other end pulling. They took my pull string and pulled through a 1/2" nylon woven tape, which was what they pulled the cables through with. Those 2 guys were pulling with all their might. Now certainly part of the load was the total amount of cable being pulled (the RG11 is pretty big and stiff, in particular), but a lot of it was the distance. The fiber was a heavily jacketed cable that had like 3 layers to it. A heavy cover, some rope like material to give strength, another sheath, then yet another layer surrounding the 2 fibers, IIRC. He had to strip it back a few times to get to the actual fiber. The cable was about the size of the cat 6 I used, for 2 fibers that were hair thin.

Termination was another story. They had a subcontractor for that. He had this little magic cube that had microscope digital cameras in it. He would place both ends of the fiber into it (the long run, and a short termination piece) and then it would automagically align and fuse them together. He said it cost $35k or something like that. This is not something you can do on your own. Then from there you need a short patch cable to connect the fiber to your router/switch, which of course needs to be specially adapted and capable of handling a fiber connection.

Total cost was ~$700, IIRC and they supplied labor and the fiber and the RG11, and termination on both ends. I supplied the 3x Cat6. All rated for wet locations or direct burial.

The biggest issue i had is nobody knows fiber other than the few specialists that deal with it. It was hard to find info, and hard to find a suitable router. If you don't know the lingo, there is little compassion for you as the info you will find online is so littered with acronyms and zero explanation that it was very hard to know what to do. I think it is more a matter of it still being a less common specialty more so than any type of trying to keep people out of their sandbox. You know it, or you don't, and few who don't really care that they don't. I'm kind of that oddball that would have done it myself if it was feasible, but it became clear it was not.

My experience, take it FWIW.

-Dave

 

[wawoodwa]

The biggest issue i had is nobody knows fiber other than the few specialists that deal with it. It was hard to find info, and hard to find a suitable router. If you don't know the lingo, there is little compassion for you as the info you will find online is so littered with acronyms and zero explanation that it was very hard to know what to do. I think it is more a matter of it still being a less common specialty more so than any type of trying to keep people out of their sandbox. You know it, or you don't, and few who don't really care that they don't. I'm kind of that oddball that would have done it myself if it was feasible, but it became clear it was not.

My experience, take it FWIW.

-Dave

This is so true. There is a lot that goes on so pulling glass isn't as simple as other things we do. On the flip side, more people are aware of this technology and speak about it as a solution and not magic which is awesome (imagine 50 years ago). So here is a quick primer:

You can go to the next post, this may be lengthy.

Fiber types: Multimode (MM) and Singlemode (SM). These actually indicate what is the width of the glass in the fiber, and it's associated characteristics. Based on the characteristics, you get different distances and different throughputs.

Single mode is the thinner type, typically 9 microns in width. Multi mode is thicker, typically 50 or 62.5 microns wide. The thinner glass guides the light better. Remember, fiber optic transmits information by literally flashing lights. Just like a signal lamp or a flash light sending Morse code (different encoding, but you get the picture). The key is knowing when the light is on and when it is off.

With Singlemode, the glass is so much thinner, the light doesn't bounce off the inside of the glass as much, and therefore, more coherent (the drivers on each end also use lasers, which is a coherent light source). Therefore the switching of the off and on can be detected at much longer distance (more length) and a a faster rate (more throughput). Think the on and off as being very, very crisp. And yes, this is more expensive.

Multimode, the glass is wider. This makes Multimode cheaper to make (less exacting tolerances). Also, the components to drive the signal are typically LEDs. This makes the light less coherent. As the light travels down the glass, there is more space for the light to bounce, and therefore it can get blurry the longer the length of glass. Along with transmission rates (how fast the light is turned off and on), the receiving end cannot see where one "on" is ending and where an "off" is beginning, and vice versa.

Typically Multimode is used within computer rooms and typically within buildings, singlemode is for between buildings.

Plenum vs Non-plenum rated: So, fiber and other types of wires use plastic in its construction. When it burns, it gives off smoke, and typically lots of it. When you run cable in a building, if it is running where there is air circulating (air return in a drop ceiling, elevator shafts, etc,) fire code states it must be plenum rated. Plenum rated cable have smoke inhibitors and flame retardants to reduce smoke in the event of a fire. Therefore, plenum rated cable is more expensive than non-plenum rated. Also, you are less likely to see plenum rated Singlemode fiber opposed to Multimode fiber.

Standard, riser, direct bury, and arial: these are installation types. Standard are most of what you are seeing in the links. Patch cables and similar only have the plastic sheathing and nothing else. You can literally pull it apart by hand. Riser cable, plenum or non plenum cable, has a strong cord intwined with the cable to be able to support its own weight if hung down a shaft or "riser." Direct Bury cable is just that, designed for wet locations, may have a locator tracer wire, and no UV protection from the sun. While direct bury can withstand environmental conditions, it can be mangled by fiber-seeking backhoes and the occasional mole. Arial fiber is for connecting to telephone, power poles, etc. It has tons of UV inhibitor in it, has a metal wire to hold the weight of the cable on pole attachments, and typically a wrap identifying the fiber's owner.

Sorry for the long post. In your case, I would really look at Dave's suggestion about having the local telco/cable company look at it. My solution would be direct bury with a tracer wire, 6 strand Singlemode with 4 stands terminated. Upgrades would be terminating all strands and/or pvc conduit all the way.

Take care,
Wayne

 

[wawoodwa]

For the next few years 20 Mbps would more than suffice

For 200M of Plenum grade about $180.


Looks like about $150 for both ends for either.

The cable you are looking at here is Multimode (one plenum rated which isn't needed in the ground) and the bottom converter is single mode, so that won't work.
The top receiver might if you purchase 2 Multimode SFPs.

Is it really right at 300 feet? Would you consider an Ethernet extender? Startech has kits on amazon for around 200 bucks. But truthfully, if you went with Cat6 with lightning protection on each end and equipment right at the end, you should be within the 328 foot requirement. I would consider that and hard coding my switch ports on either side to 100Mbps full duplex.

Is point to point wireless an option?

 

[dragoneggs]

Curious... Why fiber optic cable? I get up to 100Mbps download speed on my wireless laptop via coax cable to the house. Do you have fiber optic service to you house? What speed are you attempting?

 

[TemporaryKubotaOwnerMark]

For the next few years 20 Mbps would more than suffice

Rethink that. Always always always go far bigger than you think you'll need. 20mbps will be outdated in no time.

Now what else do I want to run in the trench??

Besides water pipe that is.

Air hose?

Oh, yeah! Do yourself a favor and spend that money now. Run a conduit of some kind and air line inside it, so you can repair or replace in the event of leaks, and not have to dig things up.

Would it be safe to put down a trace wire so I can find the pipe later on?
/edit - and an extra pull string of course.

I would. And bury some caution tape about a foot above the actual utilities, Better yet, a foot above the utilities and a foot bellow the surface. Cheap insurance.

 

[newbury]

I looked into it to go around 500 feet for my tower fed wireless Internet. I found it just too complicated and expensive. No one could tell me what to buy. And, I would have liked to buy surplus equipment, but no help there.

I went with RG 6 coax and Media Converters which can exceed by a huge margin, any speed that I will be able to get here. Plus, I can troubleshoot and repair the Coax if necessary.

The only downside, is that I have the potential of lightning damage over fiber.

Might have to do that.

I did this last year. Or rather had it done. <snip>
Total cost was ~$700, IIRC and they supplied labor and the fiber and the RG11, and termination on both ends. I supplied the 3x Cat6. All rated for wet locations or direct burial.

The biggest issue i had is nobody knows fiber other than the few specialists that deal with it. It was hard to find info, and hard to find a suitable router. If you don't know the lingo, there is little compassion for you as the info you will find online is so littered with acronyms and zero explanation that it was very hard to know what to do. <snip>

My experience, take it FWIW.

-Dave

My experience with getting anything done has usually involved getting quotes that are sky-high. If I can get it done by someone else for $700 that would be worth it.

<snip>
Is it really right at 300 feet?

Actually it's probably 320 feet to the shop front (up and through the ceilings), then another 60 feet to the rear where I have an "apartment".

Would you consider an Ethernet extender? Startech has kits on amazon for around 200 bucks. But truthfully, if you went with Cat6 with lightning protection on each end and equipment right at the end, you should be within the 328 foot requirement. I would consider that and hard coding my switch ports on either side to 100Mbps full duplex.

Is point to point wireless an option?

I might consider an ethernet extender. PtoP wireless has to go through trees and I was looking at Ubiquiti locoM9 2-PACK NanoStation loco M900 900MHz Outdoor airMAX, but they are about $250 for 150 Mbps which to me seems competitive to $700 for a gigabit.

Curious... Why fiber optic cable? I get up to 100Mbps download speed on my wireless laptop via coax cable to the house. Do you have fiber optic service to you house? What speed are you attempting?

Why fiber? - Fiber doesn't act like a lightning attractor.
As I wrote I've used fiber before in the Army. We just had a big roll, at least 500 feet, and probably armored. We'd roll it out, hook it up, good to go. People would walk across it, no problem.
The sky high expense was connectors and transceivers, which have dropped in price greatly.

Speed today I'd like to get at least 20 Mbps, next year-? Who knows but 1 gig fiber would allow headroom.

It had seemed that I could get a reliable fiber hook up that would provide about 8 times the speed for 2 times the price.

When I started my at home personal computer odyssey with a Commodore 64 and a 300 baud modem over 30 years ago I hadn't envisioned WANTING 10Mbps download speed, much less 100Mbps. Who knows what I'll want in 10 years?

I'm putting in about 450 feet of water pipe which involves a 450 foot ditch. That's a given. Adding another 30 foot of ditch won't cost much more. I realize it's mission creep but laying down a decent fiber backbone may be cheaper in the long run.

A recurring theme in the responses is that fiber is too complex and difficult to find info on, therefore it's expensive. It shouldn't be.

 

[KubotainNH]

Really no need for SM (singlemode), that will go miles. I didn't even notice the bi-direction converter was SM, I just thought it was neat they are selling them that cheap. My FIOS line is bidirectional. That Lanshack site is pretty good, they have all the items you could ask for. They even have preterm outside rated cable on a spool.

Someone mentioned that a regular fiber jumper may break when being pulled into a long pipe, that has not been my experience assuming the pipe is empty. The better fiber has kevlar in it, it is thicker. I wouldn't put anything in the pipe but the fiber if going that route, the pull string would mainly be in case you need to replace the fiber at some point. Adding a cable to a pipe that already has fiber in it is not an easy task, unless it's super rigid it ends up getting wrapped around the cable being pulled in. It's different if you pull it all in at once. Like anything else, you can go extra robust for more money if you want, I'm frugal so get what I can make work.

I see a pre-term 2 strand 62.5 LC/LC outdoor rated cable for $200 at 300 feet with pulling eye, that will run gig speeds using a multi-mode (MM or sometimes called SX) converter. It's good for 275 meters at 1GB. Seems SM (singlemode) is similarly priced which surprises me. It used to be way more expensive. Use that pre-term SM one with a pair of those bi-directional converters and you'd have a spare strand. Just be careful with SM, the laser is bad for your eyes but for that price it's worth it and you could add more cable to the pipe. When inside the buildings you can use couplers and more flexible cables to get where you need to go. BTW, I picked LC ends because they are easier to pull into a pipe, SC (each is square) is also common on converters but they are bigger connectors.

Here's 2 websites with some info.
Fiber Type vs. Speed and Distance
The FOA Reference For Fiber Optics - Optical Fiber

Example of an LC coupler:
FIBER CABLE ADAPTER COUPLER LC-LC UPC SM DUPLEX SINGLE MODE(same day shipment) | eBay