Spanning Tree Protocol (STP) Operation
When a switch receives a broadcast frame, the switch floods the frame out all switch ports other than the port on which the frame was received. More ...
Understanding Basic Terms in Indoor Fiber Optic Cable Installation
Fiber optic cables are exposed to electrical, mechanical, chemical and environmental elements, so proper installation is critical for the long-term stability and survival of fiber cables. Cable installation must also meet the NEC (National Electric Code) and local building codes. More ...
What Are Fiber Optic Isolators?
Light can be reflected back and forth. In fiber optic networks, the reflections are harmful to the system. That's where fiber optic isolator comes to play. Optical isolators stop
back-reflection. More ...
ISP Multihoming Explained
Multihoming is essentially a method whereby a company can connect to more than one ISP at the same time. The concept was born out of the need to protect Internet access in the event of either an ISP link failure or an ISP internal failure. More ...
Cable: Cat5, Cat5e, Cat6, Cat6A ; What's the Difference?
This article describes the different twisted pair cable types, Cat5, Cat5e, Cat6, Cat6A, their construction and application. More ...
Six Things You Must Know About Fiber Optic Cable Materials
Outdoor fiber cables must endure harsh environment factors so outdoor cables must be strong, weatherproof and UV resistant. Indoor fiber cables should possess NEC required fire and smoke ratings. More ...
Ethernet Network
In 1973 Xerox invented Ethernet to solve the problem of transferring data between computers. In the early 1980s Xerox turned over control of the Standard to the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE). The IEEE subcommittee 802.3 sets the standard for Ethernet. More ...
Static Versus Dynamic Routing
Routers direct traffic between networks or subnetworks. With static routing a network administrator manually creates the router's routing table. With dynamic routing the router learn about networks use routing protocols like RIP, RIP2, EIGRP, OSPF, or BGP. More ...
Understanding Optical Fiber Types
Two major types of optical fibers exist for communication systems: multimode and single mode. Multimode fiber can carry many modes of light rays, while single mode fiber can only carry one mode of light ray. More ...
How Do Fiber Optic Couplers Work and How are They Made?
Fiber optic couplers are needed for tapping (monitoring the signal quality) or more complex telecommunication systems which require more than simple point-to-point connections, such as ring architectures, bus architectures and star architectures. More ...
Token Ring Network
In 1984 IBM invented Token Ring. The token ring network may be setup with a physical ring topology, but is usually implemented in a physical star topology. The central device of the token ring is called a Multistation Access Unit. More ...
Distance Vector vs. Link State vs. Hybrid Routing
Routers direct traffic between networks or subnetworks to transport a packet to its destination. Distance Vector routing uses the hop count as its routing metric. Link State routing use statistics like distance, link speed, and traffic to calculate the cost of different routes through the Internet. More ...
MPO Connector, MTP Connector, What's the Difference?
MPO stands for Multi-fibre Push On and is a fiber optic connector type. MTP is a registered trademark of US Conec. The MTP design complies with the MPO standard. More ...
