Can anybody share experiences laying fiber optic cable for data?

hawkeye08 · Jan 5, 2017

You may be able to trim some of the lower branches and run wifi 6' off the ground.. Still have shade and stabilization for the slope.

hawkeye08 · Jan 5, 2017

I bet you could find some free or cheap 10BaseT hubs that have coax fittings and run coax that far... put some open conduit in your trench for future use also, whether it be fiber or some other technology and comes along..

newbury · Jan 5, 2017

kcflhrc said:
I install pre connectorized Opti-Tap SM fiber drops all day long and they are mighty tough cables. We direct bury it always. However, if it were me, I would get some inner duct to run it in if it is rocky at all. It will not break easy even though it is glass, it is very forgiving. But an idiot on the end of a shovel can nick it and ruin your day.

Interesting. Do you have a link to the exact product?
I found Corning - 434401EB1H20400FP - 400' OptiTapｮ Single-Fiber SST-Drop Single-Tube for $135 and an OptiTap to SC APC connector for $52 (I would need 2).
How easy is it to pull? I was anticipating buying a roll of 1.25 black poly and cutting it into "manageable" lengths, adding a connector, pulling the fiber through the length, add another length, etc. I'd plan on running about 130' above ground through or on the outside of buildings.

So many options

Overtaxed · Jan 5, 2017

Also, that's single mode fiber. SM is "better" but the termination is much more expensive (lasers vs LEDs). I kind of remember there being a way using a special patch cable to go from SM to MM, but.. It's been years, I could be imagining that.

Amazon.com: StarTech.com 1 Mbps Gigabit Single-Mode Fiber Ethernet Media Converter SC 15km (MCMGBSC15): Electronics

Something like this will take you from SM back to cat 5, assuming you're switch doesn't have GBICs.

KubotainNH · Jan 5, 2017

I don't understand the concerns against fiber. Pre-term stuff is a no brainer you just need to buy what works with each other. I don't know of anyone that terminates the stuff themselves anymore. My company has 3 large data centers, almost everything is pre-terminated. It's done in a clean environment with proper tools. Can you break it and does it sometimes arrive bad, on occasion but that's why you test it before dropping it into the hole. With the converters you can tell if you have a good link across the fiber. I can't count how many old "Twisters" we have in use. 100mb used ones are what I bought for home use. Velocity is another common one we use. If something dies on one it's usually the power supply or the transmit LED. If using a replaceable SFP then the core unit should last indefinitely.

The antenna things look pretty cool if it fits your setup.

Overtaxed · Jan 5, 2017

KubotainNH said:
I don't understand the concerns against fiber. Pre-term stuff is a no brainer you just need to buy what works with each other. I don't know of anyone that terminates the stuff themselves anymore. My company has 3 large data centers, almost everything is pre-terminated. It's done in a clean environment with proper tools. Can you break it and does it sometimes arrive bad, on occasion but that's why you test it before dropping it into the hole. With the converters you can tell if you have a good link across the fiber. I can't count how many old "Twisters" we have in use. 100mb used ones are what I bought for home use. Velocity is another common one we use. If something dies on one it's usually the power supply or the transmit LED. If using a replaceable SFP then the core unit should last indefinitely.

The antenna things look pretty cool if it fits your setup.

It's probably because us old timers (at least in the IT world) remember filing down fiber cables for hours to make them work correctly.

And let me clarify my point, fiber is the best of the best, there's no question about it. But, in this case, I just don't see it as necessary and there are downsides (just like there are downsides to wireless setups). If I was in the OP's situation, I'd use wireless, but I'm comfortable with the technology and I'm not a fan of burying cable. Now, if I was more comfortable pulling cable, knew the land was nice and soft between me and the barn and had a good ripper with a cable layer or vibratory plow? Heck yeah, I'd be pulling the fiber. Just not my situation, pulling stuff through the land is hard for me, and, there's a lot of worked land between me and my pole barn giving me plenty of chances to try and cut the cable that I pull. Therefore, I use wireless.

KubotainNH · Jan 5, 2017

Understandable but I think the OP mentioned digging a trench for water pipe too. If the hole is already going to be there then why not go with the fiber.

Industrial Toys · Jan 5, 2017

My poor neighbor just about went insane with the technical issues we had with Engenius links. There are many days lost in his life and many days we didn't have high speed. Now, I have my coax and he is still serviced by that wireless link and has less than half the speed for reasons he can't establish.

Wireless, in this or my security bus. is always my very last choice.

dragoneggs · Jan 5, 2017

KubotainNH said:
Understandable but I think the OP mentioned digging a trench for water pipe too. If the hole is already going to be there then why not go with the fiber.

Cost? Time? Effort?

Industrial Toys · Jan 5, 2017

Loss of sanity, as you try and learn a whole (complex) industry for just one project.

Mind you, I live in this backwoods country (Canada) without the choices Americans enjoy, but I could not find an affordable pre-packaged, plug-n-play, say 500' fiber set up.