How to Connect Fiber Media Converters in Networking?

Fiber media converter is one of the indispensable devices for long-distance transmission in wireless video surveillance. Typically, when Ethernet cables cannot meet coverage needs and it's necessary to extend the transmission distance through fiber optics, fiber media converters are widely used in practical network environments.

Positioned in the access layer applications of broadband metropolitan area networks, their application scope is gradually expanding, becoming an indispensable link in network transmission in wireless video surveillance. So, how are fiber media converters networked in the wiring of networks? Let's delve into it together!

Common Fiber Media Converter Networking Methods

In fiber optic network wiring, the application of fiber media converters has become increasingly common. With just one fiber optic cable, a ring network can be formed, greatly saving wiring costs, and even if one node fails, it will not affect the use of other nodes. If the monitoring network cable exceeds 100 meters, or even 300 meters, how can this be resolved? In such cases, fiber media converters are one of the best solutions for long-distance transmission, excelling in stability and cost-effectiveness across various application scenarios. Below, we'll briefly introduce several common fiber media converter networking methods.

Traditional Connection Method

Traditional one-to-one connection: This method involves one optical port connecting to one electrical port at the front end and the same at the back end. Alternatively, one optical port at the front end can connect to multiple electrical ports (2/4/8), while at the back end, one optical port connects to one electrical port. This connection method is very common in small to medium-sized long-distance networks.

Point-to-point connection method: All camera signals at the front end are aggregated to a central switch. The switch receives signals from the transmitter's RJ45 network interface and relays them via fiber optics to the back end. Care must be taken to match single-mode and multi-mode fiber interfaces. This connection method ensures stable signal transmission and flexible deployment, making it highly suitable for large-scale surveillance systems.

Application of Centralized Power Supply Rack for Fiber Media Converters

With the widespread application of fiber media converters in the fiber transmission layer of network monitoring, the use of centralized power supply racks at the room end is also becoming increasingly common. This not only eliminates the hassle of power wiring but also maintains the overall layout of the room beautifully.

Rack-mounted fiber media converters are a rack-structured form of fiber media converters, with power sources implementing dual automatic backup for uninterrupted operation. The rack can simultaneously accommodate multiple fiber optic transceiver modules, each of which may be of different types. Each module can be independently inserted and removed from the rack or can cooperate with others to provide self-diagnosis. Each slot in the rack supports hot-swapping functionality.

Application of Cascading Fiber Media Converters

Currently, several common types of cascading fiber media converter products are available on the market, such as 2 fiber 2 electrical, 2 fiber 3 electrical, 2 fiber 4 electrical, and 2 fiber 8 electrical, among others. In the actual engineering wiring process, some areas may have difficulties in laying fiber optics. In such cases, consider using multi-electrical fiber media converters to connect multiple fiber optic switches in series on a single fiber optic cable, with each fiber optic switch connecting to multiple network switches.

However, it is important to note that this cascading method also has obvious disadvantages. If a fault occurs in the middle link, it directly affects the normal use of the lower-level link transceivers. Therefore, in the design of actual fiber optic wiring schemes, consider using cascading link schemes in areas where fiber optic resources are scarce or fiber optic laying is difficult, such as highways and project renovations.

Application of Converged Fiber Media Converters

Converged fiber media converters are relatively common in small-scale network monitoring projects. Common products include 4 fiber 2 electrical, 8 fiber 1/2 electrical, 10 fiber 1 electrical, and 16 fiber 8 electrical, among others. Converged fiber media converters are actually a multi-to-one connection method, also known as fiber convergence switches.

By using room-end fiber switches such as 4 fiber 2 electrical, 8 fiber 1/2 electrical, 10 fiber 1 electrical, or 16 fiber 8 electrical, multiple 1 fiber 1 electrical fiber media converters can be directly replaced. By connecting to the NVR through the gigabit network port of the fiber switch, the number of network switches required at the room end is reduced.

With the widespread application of cascading and converging products in network monitoring projects, and the continuous emergence of multi-category fiber media converter products, their stability has also been greatly improved. In the future, cascading and converging products will become more common in fiber optic network wiring applications.

Application of Ring Network Fiber Media Converters

Ring network fiber media converters are a special application method. With just one fiber optic cable, a ring network can be formed, saving wiring costs. Even if one node fails, it will not affect the normal use of other nodes. Currently, ring network products are relatively less common in the market and are mainly used in government projects and special industries.

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Conclusion

In network monitoring projects, the use of cascading and converging products will become more common, and multi-category fiber media converters will continue to emerge. As a crucial link in network transmission, fiber media converters will play an even more important role in future wiring applications. Understanding the different types of fiber media converter networking methods can help us better choose solutions that meet our own needs and improve network transmission efficiency.