The first thing we should know is that there are two different types of optical fibers, and that each one has its advantages and disadvantages. These two types of fiber are called single-mode fiber and multimode fiber.
Due to the demand for higher speed in data networks, it is necessary to have high-speed connections, and these connections have been significantly improved thanks to the use of fiber optics. Currently in switches, Copperled as a cabling manufacturer can use single-mode fiber optic (SMF) and multi-mode fiber optic (MMF) to connect them. Depending on our needs, mainly distance, we will have to choose a type of fiber or another type of fiber. Now we are going to focus on the basic construction, distance and cost of the fiber to make a deep comparison between singlemode and multimode fiber.
Single-mode optical fiber is designed to transport light only through the fiber, in transverse mode, only a beam of light is delivered in one way, modifying the wavelength in case of wanting to multiplex and make use of download and upload. In the case of switches, the most normal thing is to have one fiber for download and another fiber for upload, that is, there is no multiplexing.
The diameter of single-mode fiber optic cable is clearly thinner than that of multimode fiber optic. The most normal thing is to find that single-mode optical fiber has a diameter of 9 µm, while the diameter of multimode optical fiber is between 50 µm and 62.5 µm.
The size of the fiber core makes it possible to use low-priced light such as LEDs, or much more expensive such as lasers. Typically single mode fiber optics use a laser or laser diodes to “illuminate” the fiber, the wavelength is typically between 1310nm and 1550nm. Regarding multimode optical fibers, Copperled as one of fiber optic pigtail suppliers have lasers but also LEDs which are clearly cheaper, in addition, the wavelength of MMFs are 850 nm and 1310nm.
The main characteristic of fiber optics is that it allows us to cover long distances, unlike the popular BASE-T standards that allow up to 100 meters per segment only. With single-mode or multimode optical fibers, we can reach a distance of several kilometers, although the most normal thing is to have distances of around 550 meters, more than enough to link switches between them.
The first thing we must bear in mind is that to connect two or more switches with fiber optics, we will need two optical transceivers (one in a switch, and another transceiver in the toro switch) and the corresponding cabling with fiber optics. The most expensive thing we can buy are single-mode fiber transceivers, and they can be twice as expensive as multimode fiber transceivers
As you have seen, depending on the distance you are interested in covering and the budget, you can choose single-mode or multimode fiber optics as below Copperled Link for more details:
https://www.copperled.com/products/fiber-optic-system/
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