Seriously though, great tip Morten! I've been lucky with the 16 fibre junctions I manage, always dreaded having a dirty fibre somewhere and having to diagnose which one, this makes it easy!
we refuse to use fiber to connect our switches in non-clean environments (basically everywhere since we service DIY-stores), now I can point customers to this video why. In your previous video it wasn't as obvious for non-IT people how fast they can become dirty, but the laserpen-trick is obvious enough for customers that they won't be asking for it. Using CAT6 is a lot cheaper and fault-toleranter + the distance limitations for gigabit are not too restrictive. thanks and hope you can salvage enough for your playhouse :)
could you do a video on those? I haven't used them ever, but at first sight it seems like we're almost talking datacenter only stuff then. We haven't even considered them due to their factory termination and max 10m length. Our cableguys need to terminate them in the field at larger distances.
I think this is very important thing and sadly enough you see lots of videos on UA-cam where so called professionals have uncapped fiber connectors in patch panels, patch cords or SFPs. It is especially important in single mode installations to keep optical connectors clean. I would also suggest avoiding cheapest fiber optic patch cables as many times those have already dirty connectors when shipped from the factory.
Handy little scope! Does your ruby have a flash setting? The oils on your skin (forehead) can help dislodge some stubborn dirt, then scrub on a clean piece of linen or denim, then clean with your clicker or paper pads. No kidding, it works. Always inspect and clean every connection when installing and every time a circuit is opened for any reason. It only takes a moment and reduces rework and frustration.
Hey Morten, this was very educational and as an it tech I learned some new things about fiber optical. Do you have any shops in dk for the microscope and cleaning cloth ?
We have stopped using those tiny taps at my work, because they are too close to the fiber and you can inadvertently touch the cable with your fingers if you miss the end. Instead we have larger caps that connect with the pink part of the LC connector and not the fiber itself. Way easier to put on. Also: You said those are OM4 (Multi-Mode) fibers. Does the microscope autodetect cable type? It said "Single" in the top left. If that means it was expecting a Single-Mode cable, the test wouldn't work no matter how much you clean it.
I have been using cheap optical lens wipes from the local supermarket (for glasses). They seem to work, but I have never had the tool to see if they damage the ends. I wouldn't expect so, considering the hardness of the materials.
When you grab stuff from trash, you have to be sure you are not the one throwing out! Otherwise you start throwing away "bad" memory, cpus, drives, servers ;)
I can do fiber testing but i want to understnd more. At 3:18, as most fiber inspecting microscopes show you, is the overall image of the fiber surface. But I want to know what actually is the black smaller circle doing in relation to the outer white circle? I've had so many fibers pass with snow white outer rings but if any spec of dirt is within the inner black ring they fail. Generally if the outer white ring is not perfect but the inner black ring is, it will pas Which part does the light source travel through?
The dark(black) circle in the middle is where the light comes through, and the larger white ring is the protective plastic around the thin glass fiber. So the Black circle needs to be clean. And the tester will fail the cable if there is to much dirt on the white circle. And you want to clean that away, as if you breath the wrong way,,it will be in the black circle :-)
Why use fiber optics for 1-10GBit/s anyways? Wouldn't CAT-7 wire be sufficient for that as well? Where's the advantage of fiber optics, except for the *much* higher price?
@@denniswoycheshen OK. How long does CAT-7 enable 10GBit/s? 100m? How huge does the datacenter have to be? Especially, who builds such a huge datacenter without switches in regular intervals?
@@Seegalgalguntijak I have been in a few data centers and I don't think you understand what they do and why. There are certainly not switches everywhere, aside from what is in the customers cabinet. Basically all communication between a cabinet and a meet me room or an ISPs handoff is fibre. Occasionally you would have a cluster of say 12 cabinets (and this absolutely depends on the application and customer) then you may have electrical connections in between, but fibre is much easier, cleaner cheaper and faster then twisted pair.
@@denniswoycheshen Really fiber is cheaper than CAT-7 wire? Even though these fibers are so finnicky and real drama queens? And although you need an optic modem for them? I can hardly believe that. Why does CAT-7 have so many drawbacks over the shorter-ish distances, and what are these drawbacks?
8:11 "This camera cost 25,000 DKK - oops I've just nuked it with the laser 😂
Seriously though, great tip Morten! I've been lucky with the 16 fibre junctions I manage, always dreaded having a dirty fibre somewhere and having to diagnose which one, this makes it easy!
It handles that :-)
we refuse to use fiber to connect our switches in non-clean environments (basically everywhere since we service DIY-stores), now I can point customers to this video why. In your previous video it wasn't as obvious for non-IT people how fast they can become dirty, but the laserpen-trick is obvious enough for customers that they won't be asking for it. Using CAT6 is a lot cheaper and fault-toleranter + the distance limitations for gigabit are not too restrictive. thanks and hope you can salvage enough for your playhouse :)
I like using DAC cables myself,,, :-)
could you do a video on those?
I haven't used them ever, but at first sight it seems like we're almost talking datacenter only stuff then. We haven't even considered them due to their factory termination and max 10m length. Our cableguys need to terminate them in the field at larger distances.
Wow this is a good for someone who knows nothing about fiber ive recently got a letter saying I'm getting fiber to the home so lucking forward to that
You are not going to need this, if you are just getting fiber internet :-) They will handle all that for you.
Wow, never knew they were so sensetive! Can't image how my cables still are working (I pull them in and out all day when I test network equipment).
It was a real eye opener when we got this microscope,, especially,, all the dirty cables we was getting,,,NEW
I think this is very important thing and sadly enough you see lots of videos on UA-cam where so called professionals have uncapped fiber connectors in patch panels, patch cords or SFPs. It is especially important in single mode installations to keep optical connectors clean. I would also suggest avoiding cheapest fiber optic patch cables as many times those have already dirty connectors when shipped from the factory.
Hi Juho Hartikainen
Thank You very much! glad you liked the video :-)
Thank you for watching! :-)
this is why special alcohol wipes for fiber optical cable exists. Most of the time, only damage to the optic fibre ultimately kills the cable.
@@JSLEnterprises While that is true, the only way to check the connector is with fiber inspection scope.
Handy little scope! Does your ruby have a flash setting?
The oils on your skin (forehead) can help dislodge some stubborn dirt, then scrub on a clean piece of linen or denim, then clean with your clicker or paper pads. No kidding, it works. Always inspect and clean every connection when installing and every time a circuit is opened for any reason. It only takes a moment and reduces rework and frustration.
Hi Sven Johnson
Thank You very much! never heard about that. glad you liked the video :-)
Thank you for watching! :-)
That is amazing thanks for a great tip.
Glad it was helpful!
Hey Morten, this was very educational and as an it tech I learned some new things about fiber optical. Do you have any shops in dk for the microscope and cleaning cloth ?
Hi Lars
I have had some dealings with www.hf.dk/telecom/finerinspektion
and they have a lot of this sort of stuff.
- Morten
this is helpful thank you.
Glad it was helpful!
We have stopped using those tiny taps at my work, because they are too close to the fiber and you can inadvertently touch the cable with your fingers if you miss the end.
Instead we have larger caps that connect with the pink part of the LC connector and not the fiber itself. Way easier to put on.
Also: You said those are OM4 (Multi-Mode) fibers. Does the microscope autodetect cable type? It said "Single" in the top left. If that means it was expecting a Single-Mode cable, the test wouldn't work no matter how much you clean it.
I have not seen those bigger covers,,interesting.
I think it refers to a single fiber,, and not MPO...
I have been using cheap optical lens wipes from the local supermarket (for glasses). They seem to work, but I have never had the tool to see if they damage the ends. I wouldn't expect so, considering the hardness of the materials.
I tried baby wipes , that was a no go,, they had some oily thing on them :-)
nice vib I am just installing fiber in my house good to know
Hi Raymond Van Alphen
Thank You very much! glad you liked the video :-)
Thank you for watching! :-)
Perhaps 99.9% Isopropyl can fix the failed cables. You can get some from paint shops.
I do have some Isopropyl,, I believe the cable was damaged.
When you grab stuff from trash, you have to be sure you are not the one throwing out! Otherwise you start throwing away "bad" memory, cpus, drives, servers ;)
If I was throwing out these cables for myself,, I would have put the caps on,, to save me a lot of work :-)
I can do fiber testing but i want to understnd more. At 3:18, as most fiber inspecting microscopes show you, is the overall image of the fiber surface. But I want to know what actually is the black smaller circle doing in relation to the outer white circle?
I've had so many fibers pass with snow white outer rings but if any spec of dirt is within the inner black ring they fail. Generally if the outer white ring is not perfect but the inner black ring is, it will pas
Which part does the light source travel through?
The dark(black) circle in the middle is where the light comes through, and the larger white ring is the protective plastic around the thin glass fiber.
So the Black circle needs to be clean. And the tester will fail the cable if there is to much dirt on the white circle. And you want to clean that away, as if you breath the wrong way,,it will be in the black circle :-)
Why use fiber optics for 1-10GBit/s anyways? Wouldn't CAT-7 wire be sufficient for that as well? Where's the advantage of fiber optics, except for the *much* higher price?
I do agree,,, I like DAC cables,, but it is almost the same thing.
Distance.
@@denniswoycheshen OK. How long does CAT-7 enable 10GBit/s? 100m? How huge does the datacenter have to be? Especially, who builds such a huge datacenter without switches in regular intervals?
@@Seegalgalguntijak I have been in a few data centers and I don't think you understand what they do and why. There are certainly not switches everywhere, aside from what is in the customers cabinet. Basically all communication between a cabinet and a meet me room or an ISPs handoff is fibre. Occasionally you would have a cluster of say 12 cabinets (and this absolutely depends on the application and customer) then you may have electrical connections in between, but fibre is much easier, cleaner cheaper and faster then twisted pair.
@@denniswoycheshen Really fiber is cheaper than CAT-7 wire? Even though these fibers are so finnicky and real drama queens? And although you need an optic modem for them? I can hardly believe that. Why does CAT-7 have so many drawbacks over the shorter-ish distances, and what are these drawbacks?
First
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