Introduction Based on growing bandwidth and service demands, the ideal network would be founded on an all fiber cable infrastructure. The expensive electronics located along this high-speed network would be equipped with fiber interfaces to take advantage of the medium’s bandwidth, resistance to EMI, better security, and freedom from confining distance limitations. That’s probably not your current network, however. The day may come when fiber is strung end-to-end and all your networking gear is equipped with fiber interfaces, but the copper-to-fiber transition is truly an evolutionary process that won’t come all at once. It’s simply too expensive to abruptly replace all the copper and all the old equipment—just because some parts of the network require fiber. Planned migration is a better and more practical idea, using your current copper infrastructure to maximize profits, while selectively deploying fiber and fiber gear as needs arise and funds are available. Media converters are a tactical element that facilitate the fiber network evolution. Deploying media converters makes it possible to connect networks that use dissimilar cabling. They are physical-layer devices that straddle two types of media. In their most common application, they receive electrical signals on one port and transmit optical signals out the other. Most often this involves unshielded twisted pair (UTP) and fiber, although there are media converters for almost every type of cabling: twisted pair, coaxial, multimode and singlemode fiber. Likewise, there are media converters for most types of networks: Ethernet, Fast Ethernet, Gigabit Ethernet, ATM, T1/E1, Fibre Channel, and SONET. There are many preconceived notions and beliefs about media converters and their usefulness. Myths about Media Converters will address the value they provide. Media Conversion Myths about Media Converters Myths about Media Converters Page 1 The Myths… Media converters don’t belong in my network… Media conversion is prolific in every fiber network. Once you add fiber to your network, media conversion is inevitable. The real question is where should the media conversion occur. The switches, router and multiplexers that populate the network produce electrical signals that need to be converted before they can be transmitted on fiber optic cabling. Media conversion can take place on the network element, optical line card or blade within the device or by an external media converter. So which method offers the best value? The answer depends on the current network infrastructure, capital budget, anticipated network growth, deployment scale and maintenance strategy. Often the most economical solution is the external media converters. Media converters add cost to my network… Media converters can save you money. It’s not uncommon for network equipment with fiber interfaces to cost more than three times as much as similar gear with copper interfaces. One network equipment manufacturer, for example, charges six times as much for a fiber gigabit network interface card (NIC) as for a copper one. Similar markups are common for fiber switches and routers, too. The optical component costs in reduced volumes drive a majority of the cost increases. With media converters, you can hang on to the copper equipment and still get the benefits of deploying fiber. Additionally, optical line cards also reduce the port density within a network element. Therefore the high-density solutions touted by equipment vendors are lost when optical interfaces are deployed. Often not all of the interfaces require optics for distance concerns. The required optical extensions may vary from 500 meter to 40 km. These requirements drive differing optical components. Optical line cards or blades nail up a set of circuits in a specific configuration, potentially stranding capacity. Media converters allow you to manage the diversity of the network and save capital costs. Media converters are non-standards compliant elements… Media converters comply with IEEE802.3 physical layer standards. This means that the media converter will work with compliant equipment, including hubs, switches, routers, and other media converters from any manufacturer. The benefit of external media converters is the flexibility to add functionality to the network as standards evolve, as well as flexibility in the speed and scope of implementation. Equipment manufacturers will migrate to these emerging standards at different rates. External media converters can provide a faster evolutionary migration path because of their focus. For instance, the IEEE 80.3ah™ Ethernet in the First Mile standard has just been released. Within the standard, a new Operation, Administration and Maintenance sublayer has be been defined to support loopback functionality and performance management data. All major media converter vendors have announced implementation plans or products, while network equipment vendors are delaying their decisions. This new functionality will enable network engineers to more proactively monitor their network performance and ultimately reduce operational expenses. External media converters are the only current pathway for this solution. Types of Media Converters Media converters can be categorized into the following groups, all of which provide standards- compliant media transitions and are likely to be equipped with LEDs that provide power and status information: • Workstation units • Unintelligent data center units • Intelligent data center units The distinction between workstation and data center models is the number of transitions supported. Workstation models, which are commonly used to affordably bring fiber to the desk top, provide transitions for a single pair of cables. Data center models provide conversion for multiple cable pairs. Robust management capability is the key difference between intelligent and unintelligent data center models. Intelligent models provide significant management features, such as those described earlier. An attribute more commonly found in intelligent models is modularity. These devices support line card diversity within the same modular chassis, which makes them highly scalable. They allow you to add conversion line cards of different types as required. Media converters add a point-of-failure in my network and are not reliable… Introducing any new device, active or passive, in the network creates a new potential point-of-failure. The critical question is how reliable is the new element and can it be managed or monitored. Media conversion is a mature, well-tested technology, having proven its reliability for over a decade in millions of installations. The introduction of managed multi-port systems provides intelligence to the media conversion solution. The platforms offer remote management and monitoring tools via SNMP, RMON, TL1, and Telnet. The network engineer is no longer blind to the operation of the media converter device and can integrate its management into the network-wide support system. Media converters clutter up the workstation… Traditional workstation media converter can create a cable mess at the desktop. Often, fiber interfaces at the wall plate require fiber optic cable to lie on the floor where it can be stepped on or rolled over by a chair. The converter may be inadvertently kicked or damaged. These devices are not ideal in any environment. The best solution is to have the media conversion take place behind the wall plate where the optical interfaces and cabling can be protected. Only the copper Ethernet, which connects to the PC, is exposed. This media conversion solution is available today and protects the optical infrastructure better then a stand-alone unit or fiber NIC. There are no applications for media converters in my network… Media converters can be deployed in multiple applications whenever the network employs mixed media. Let's look at the most common applications. Fiber to the Desktop (FTTD) Gigabit Ethernet to the desktop is a reality. Fiber to the desktop is no longer deployed simply to support the bandwidth-hungry applications of the future. It’s required now, to meet current challenges. For example, fiber can be required because the distance between the switch and the desktop is too great for copper cabling or because the cable has to be routed through areas with high EMI levels. There are two options in these cases; each requires you to lay new fiber, but that’s where the similarities end. You can start over by replacing the copper switch and NICs with pricey fiber optic gear. Or you can keep the existing infrastructure and augment it with a more cost-effective solution utilizing media converters to provide the transitions between UTP and fiber. This is particularly true if only some connections are too distant for copper or deployed in areas of high EMI. Myths about Media Converters Page 2 MAINFRAME COMPUTER CONTROLLER PBX FIBER Media Converters Media Converter COPPER FIBER MDF COPPER MDF SERVER FARM ENTRANCE CABINET WORKGROUP HUB FIBER CABLE CAT 5+ CABLE MULTIMEDIA OUTLET PA TCH CO RD Media Converter FTTD with media converters Myths about Media Converters Page 3 Intra-Office and Inter-Office Extensions Connecting legacy electronics positioned greater than 100 meters apart is a prime application for the use of cost-effective media converters to achieve the benefits of fiber and extend the life of existing capital investments. These optical extension can be within a single office, spanning multiple floors or from one office location to another. The ability to deploy multimode and singlemode fiber solutions with the same platform provides flexibility in extending signal a variety of distances. The alternative to this configuration is to replace the Ethernet switches with much more expensive optic models. Network Element A RJ45 Patch Panel Network Element B Ethernet Distribution Frame RJ45 Patch Panel Media Converter Fiber Panel Media Converter Router Ethernet Switch Intra-Office Optical Ethernet Extensions Media Converter Media Converter Media Converter Media Converter Media Converter MC PBX Switch OSP Access Product WATC WATC WATC WATC WATC WATC WATC WATC WATC Campus B Campus C MC – Main Cross-Connect IC – Intermediate Cross-Connect TC – Telecommunications Closet WA – Work Area Main Building Sports Complex Library Housing Complex Student Union Administration Building Lecture Hall WATC WATC WATC WATC WATC WATC Media Converter Media Converter Campus Area Network The distance spanned by a campus area network is likely to exceed the limitations of copper-based Ethernet. Serving multiple locations from a centrally managed site often requires multiple point-to-point Ethernet extensions. Fiber media converters at one or both ends are an ideal, cost-effective solution which preserves the investment in legacy infrastructure. Myths about Media Converters Page 6 High Rise Apartment Buildings In a high-rise apartment, Ethernet services are typically delivered to the basement of the building through an ADM, switch or router. Some of the customer hand-offs may be in the basement while other are required to be in the end user’s telecom closet. Media converters can extend the Ethernet signals up the riser to the customer’s demarcation point. New standards within the Ethernet domain now allow one to manage the customer demarcation. Singlemode Fiber Singlemode Fiber Ethernet Switch Media Converter Carrier Services End-User Media Converter End-User Media Converter End-User Media Converter High-Rise Apartment Application Myths about Media Converters Page 7 ADC Media Conversion Solutions Work Area Solution ADC’s solution for work area media conversion supports 10Base-T and 100Base-TX UTP and 10Base-FX, 100Base- SX, and 100Base-FX multimode fiber with auto negotiation. It is an uncluttered and cost-effective solution, consisting of two simple components: • An integrated media converter with conversion circuitry behind the faceplate. Tx and Rx fiber cables connect on the rear of the media converter – behind the faceplate and protected from the office environment. Each single port media converter fits into any ADC 6000 multimedia outlet with a 2-port opening. • Local power supply through a compact power adapter that mounts behind the PC or on the desk, obtaining power through a standard PS/2 mouse interface with a RJ45 patch cord. The media converter can also be powered through the USB port of the PC by means of a simple patch cord or through a conventional AC/DC wall outlet power adapter. OptEnet™ Optical Extension Platform The ADC OptEnet media converter platform is a carrier- class, intelligent, scalable platform capable of handling any network’s Ethernet or SONET media transitions. Integrated intelligence allows you to remotely monitor system performance and transmit alarm conditions to upstream operational support systems. A variety of solutions are supported ranging from 10Mb/s Ethernet, OC-12 and Gigabit Ethernet. Key OptEnet features include: • Modular design enables line card diversity within the same chassis • Auto-negotiation eliminates the need for optical line card upgrade in network elements • Redundant -48Vdc and AC power supplies • SNMP, TLI and Telnet support • Daisy-chain communication interfaces • 10Base-T, 100Base-TX and 1000Base-T UTP conversion to singlemode fiber • Multimode to singlemode fiber conversions • Medium Dependent Interface Cross-over (MDI-X), which eliminates network collisions • NEBS Level 3, UL and FCC standards compliant Summary Fiber cabling isn’t an all or nothing proposition. With media converters there is a cost-effective, standards- compliant, highly-reliable alternative that allows you to deploy fiber where it’s required while maximizing your investment in the existing copper infrastructure. OptEnet Optical Extension Platform Work Area Media Conversion ADC Telecommunications, Inc., P.O. Box 1101, Minneapolis, Minnesota USA 55440-1101 Specifications published here are current as of the date of publication of this document. Because we are continuously improving our products, ADC reserves the right to change specifications without prior notice. At any time, you may verify product specifications by contacting our headquarters office in Minneapolis. ADC Telecommunications, Inc. views its patent portfolio as an important corporate asset and vigorously enforces its patents. Products or features contained herein may be covered by one or more U.S. or foreign patents. An Equal Opportunity Employer 1296849 10/04 Revision © 2002, 2004 ADC Telecommunications, Inc. All Rights Reserved Web Site: www.adc.com From North America, Call Toll Free: 1-800-366-3891 • Outside of North America: +1-952-938-8080 Fax: +1-952-917-3237 • For a listing of ADC’s global sales office locations, please refer to our web site. WHITE PAPER . beliefs about media converters and their usefulness. Myths about Media Converters will address the value they provide. Media Conversion Myths about Media Converters Myths. Conversion Myths about Media Converters Myths about Media Converters Page 1 The Myths Media converters don’t belong in my network… Media conversion is prolific in every