Long range, short range, and twisted pair and that’s just the 1G media connection options. There is a dizzying amount of different media types for network connectivity.
It’s easy to get lost in all of the abbreviations and definitions so we developed a quick refresher on the different types of Ethernet media types.
What happens when you have a monitoring tool that isn’t the same media type as your live connection, or visa versa? You might have a single-mode, extended-range fiber network link that stretches about 10km. But your network analyzer is sitting two feet away. Your first option might be to purchase the transceivers to match the links; however, this is an expensive and inefficient approach.
|
Name |
Media |
Network Speed |
Mode | Wavelength |
Distance1 |
|
TX |
Copper – Twisted Pair |
Up to 1000M |
n/a |
100 m |
|
SX |
Fiber Optic – Short Range |
Up to 1G |
Multi|850 nm |
550 m |
|
LX |
Fiber Optic – Long Range |
Up to 1G |
Single | 1310 nm |
5 km |
|
ZX |
Fiber Optic – Long Range |
Up to 1G |
Single | 1550 nm |
70 km |
|
SR |
Fiber Optic – Short Range |
Up to 10G |
Multi | 850 nm |
137 m |
|
LR |
Fiber Optic – Long Range |
Up to 10G |
Single |1550 nm |
5,000 m |
|
ER |
Fiber Optic – Extended Range |
Up to 10G |
Single |1550 nm |
20,000 m |
|
1 Theoretical distance is defined as half a distance stated by the 802.3 standard. |
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Media matching from a network TAP is a more cost-effective alternative, rather than purchasing expensive fiber transceivers. The right network TAPs can be purchased with small form-factor pluggable (SFP and SFP+) cages to assist in media conversion.
The live network is connected to one side of the network TAP, but the other side uses the SFP cage to take a mismatched cable and convert the media to the appropriate type.
Whether you’re dealing with copper gigabit, short-range fiber, multi-mode fiber, 10G links or any other environment, network TAPs with media conversion keep everything interoperable.
Looking to add Network TAPs to your next deployment, but not sure where to start? Join us for a brief network Design-IT consultation or demo. No obligation - it’s what we love to do!