FIBER OPTIC CABLING TROUBLESHOOTING

FIBER OPTIC CABLING TROUBLESHOOTING

We have been busy doing some fiber optic cabling in the last few months, some single-mode fiber and some multi-mode fiber. Typically, during a fiber cabling job, we asked that our client have the equipment ready on both ends, this way when we finish the fiber installation, termination, and testing, we can go the extra distant of helping them make sure it’s 100% functioning before we leave. This does not happen all the time, so we sometimes get the call from clients sometimes days, weeks, or even months after the installation have been completed, to help them troubleshoot fiber. Normally after we finished a fiber installation, we terminate, and test the fiber, so we expect this to be simple plug and play, so we can troubleshoot most fiber issues after install with a phone call. It’s just like most networking troubleshooting, we always start at the physical layer. Are the equipment power up? Are the fiber connectors plug in snug? Did we clean the fiber tip with alcohol wipes? Did we roll or flop the fiber? Note: When you roll or flop the fiber, you should only do it on 1 end and not both end. Most fiber connections use 2 strands or 2 connectors on each ends. One is for transmit and the other one is for receive. You want to have transmit side connect to receive side on other end. Hope that make sense! Now, if you done all this and you still can’t get the fiber to work, it most likely will be something more complicated. These can be wrong cut fiber, broken fiber, bad connectors, bad fiber module, bad equipment, incompatible patch cord, etc……..If you need help with troubleshooting fiber, give us a call.