Fiber for dummies

[FliP0x]

Hello,

 

I will soon move into a new home that should be "Fiber-capable" (according to coverage maps, there are fiber connections aprox. 300-400 meters from my new home, so I suppose my ISP could provide a connection for my new home).

 

I understand that fiber uses different wiring and ports that are designed for data transfer. Once fiber arrives at your home, it connects to a "receiver" device, which can either be a combo device with a wifi transmitter or a wifi device can be added separately.

 

Assuming I get all that done and get fiber to my home, where do I go from there? It's theoretically possible to connect Fiber directly to a PC with an PCI receiver card, but I assume after you get fiber in your home, you connect to a network switch, from which you can then distribute internet to other parts of your home through regular ethernet rj45 cables?

[LIGISTX]

8 minutes ago, FliP0x said:

Hello,

 

I will soon move into a new home that should be "Fiber-capable" (according to coverage maps, there are fiber connections aprox. 300-400 meters from my new home, so I suppose my ISP could provide a connection for my new home).

 

I understand that fiber uses different wiring and ports that are designed for data transfer. Once fiber arrives at your home, it connects to a "receiver" device, which can either be a combo device with a wifi transmitter or a wifi device can be added separately.

 

Assuming I get all that done and get fiber to my home, where do I go from there? It's theoretically possible to connect Fiber directly to a PC with an PCI receiver card, but I assume after you get fiber in your home, you connect to a network switch, from which you can then distribute internet to other parts of your home through regular ethernet rj45 cables?

You can run fiber to PC’s, but there is no need for this, and it’s very expensive. 
 

Fiber will come into a converter to go from fiber optic to wire (Ethernet, this is called a media converter), and from there, yes, things will be your standard Ethernet home network. The media converter could also be the modem, and they could then also be a router, just depends what your ISP provides/allows.

 

From the router, you can then have switches, or you can go direct to devices. 
 

ISP fiber line > media converter > modem > router > devices (switches can be thought of as devices in this hierarchy, and the media converter, depending on ISP, can also be the modem, and could also be both of those and also a router).

[mdk777]

There is some variation based on provider.

I have google fiber.

You have to have their router connected to their media converter. They only have one connection to and one connection out of this "wifi router"

 

Hence, since I want a direct ethernet connection to both my office computer and my home wifi router, I needed to install a simple switch(5 port dumb).

This was like 25$ in addition to their free install.

 

However that is a 1 gig switch....if I had opted for 2.5 gig , the switch is significantly more expensive...more like $150 -$250

 

 

[FliP0x]

Thanks for the replies. The part about wiring inside the home was confusing me, because I have never seen fiber cables run into any computers or smart devices.

 

So once fiber arrives into my home, it goes into it's receiver box/modem (I've read that as fiber cables are designed for data transfer, they do not require a modem) and from there it's just good old CAT5e or CAT6 wires to your devices.

 

Sounds simple enough.

[mdk777]

6 minutes ago, FliP0x said:

they do not require a modem)

Unless the ISP requires it. They still need a handshake, a method of giving you permission....it is not the fiber cable technology per se. 

[Alex Atkin UK]

1 hour ago, FliP0x said:

Thanks for the replies. The part about wiring inside the home was confusing me, because I have never seen fiber cables run into any computers or smart devices.

 

So once fiber arrives into my home, it goes into it's receiver box/modem (I've read that as fiber cables are designed for data transfer, they do not require a modem) and from there it's just good old CAT5e or CAT6 wires to your devices.

 

Sounds simple enough.

Its no different to any other Internet connection, it has to be converted into ethernet at some point.

 

A modern fibre connection is no more similar to ethernet than DSL or Cable was, you are getting confused with ethernet running over fibre which is not how they provide residential fibre connections in 99% of cases. (that is how leased lines worked and are expensive because its a single dedicated fibre link for you alone, but residential services are shared with other customers)

Like copper, fibre is just a medium, it can carry various different types of actual protocols.  In a local network that may be ethernet, but fibre broadband its usually a form of GPON or with Cable may as someone mentioned above be hybrid where it carries Radio Frequencies over Glass, which is basically identical to cable but over fibre (to eliminate losses and interference) and is converted back into COAX before it enters your home.

[FliP0x]

56 minutes ago, Alex Atkin UK said:

Its no different to any other Internet connection, it has to be converted into ethernet at some point.

 

A modern fibre connection is no more similar to ethernet than DSL or Cable was, you are getting confused with ethernet running over fibre which is not how they provide residential fibre connections in 99% of cases. (that is how leased lines worked and are expensive because its a single dedicated fibre link for you alone, but residential services are shared with other customers)

Like copper, fibre is just a medium, it can carry various different types of actual protocols.  In a local network that may be ethernet, but fibre broadband its usually a form of GPON or with Cable may as someone mentioned above be hybrid where it carries Radio Frequencies over Glass, which is basically identical to cable but over fibre (to eliminate losses and interference) and is converted back into COAX before it enters your home.

 

If you put it that way, it makes sense. In-house we always used Ethernet (except during dial-up times), even though internet got to our homes either through our phone lines or coaxial. I've just been overthinking it.

[Alex Atkin UK]

On 2/2/2023 at 8:47 PM, FliP0x said:

 

If you put it that way, it makes sense. In-house we always used Ethernet (except during dial-up times), even though internet got to our homes either through our phone lines or coaxial. I've just been overthinking it.

Easily done when its new and shiny, but of course the ISP has to focus on delivering it in a way familiar to end users so not something you generally have to worry about unless the rest of your network is not fast enough to keep up.

[Donut417]

On 2/2/2023 at 12:23 PM, FliP0x said:

Assuming I get all that done and get fiber to my home, where do I go from there? It's theoretically possible to connect Fiber directly to a PC with an PCI receiver card, but I assume after you get fiber in your home, you connect to a network switch, from which you can then distribute internet to other parts of your home through regular ethernet rj45 cables?

Ive seen two methods for Fiber. Either the ISP does it what I call the Verizon way (the right way) and will install a media converter at your home that coverts Fiber to Ethernet and you can just install what ever router you like. OR they do it the AT&T way and install a shitty combo device. If lucky that combo device will allow bridge mode or IP Pass Thru mode so you can use any router you would like. 

 

You just need to wait and see what the ISP does when it comes to installation.