Fiber, what do I get?

TuckNTruck

Pulling my weight
Aug 16, 2022
66
123
NC

I have two of these switches that I'd like to link together via fiber. What do I need to get? The run will be outdoors and the fiber will be attached to the bottom of a long wooden walkway/bridge, so it's exposed to the elements but is mostly covered. The switches are in waterproof boxes - one outside a shed, the other on a post in a field roughly 100' apart.

Links to the appropriately rated fiber and connectors appreciated!
 
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First, I just want to make sure you understand that the appropriate port on that particular network switch is only SFP and not SFP+. That means the speed of that port maxes out at 1gb, not 10gb. That probably doesn't matter for your use case, but I just wanted to point it out in case it does matter to you. If you want 10gb speeds, you need to make sure the port is an SFP+ port (which that switch doesn't have).

Second, I would suggest using "single mode" or "dual mode" fiber with LC connectors. I've used dual mode in my house, but single mode is probably better and the prices have dropped to nearly the same price as the dual mode. (Single mode use to be pretty expensive from what I understand). "LC" is the style of connector being used and I think it is the most common one used for patching devices on the local network together. Both of these "specs" will come into play when you purchase a SFP fiber transceiver - look for a single mode LC transceiver or dual mode LC transceiver.

Obviously whatever "specs" you choose when selecting the SFP transceiver, you need to make sure that the actual fiber cable matches. If you pick a transceiver with LC connectors, then you need to purchase fiber with LC connectors as well. If you picked a single mode transceiver, then you need to select single mode fiber, etc, etc, etc. I've never run fiber outside, so I don't know exactly what is needed, but I know that they make outdoor rated "armored" cables like these from FS.com. I suspect those would work fine.
 
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I have two of these switches that I'd like to link together via fiber. What do I need to get? The run will be outdoors and the fiber will be attached to the bottom of a long wooden walkway/bridge, so it's exposed to the elements but is mostly covered. The switches are in waterproof boxes - one outside a shed, the other on a post in a field roughly 100' apart.

Links to the appropriately rated fiber and connectors appreciated!
This is what I've used for years:
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07894C7K1
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07X4B9DW2

You can select whichever cable length will suit your needs. Also, with the linked transceiver pair, you will only use one of the two fibers in that cable, so carefully tape the other one up to protect it. In once instance, the alternate fiber came in handy when a cat damaged the fiber we were using, I just switched it to the other one and the cameras were back online.
 
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