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Most IT professionals will
tell you their computer network is a living and breathing system. Never
standing still, their networks are constantly changing and growing as their
company grows and as new technologies become available. Fiber optic cabling
is one technology that is recognized for its benefits over twisted pair
copper. Those benefits include the capacity for network traffic to travel
long distances and the protection that fiber provides from electrical
interference. When companies want to
take advantage of new technologies, they have to find ways of integrating the
new with the old. Rarely do they have the budget for a complete network
overhaul. When it come to deploying fiber cabling in a network, media
converters provide the perfect solution for adding fiber where it is needed,
when it is needed. The idea behind media conversion is to make one cable act
and look like another. The ability to cost effectively connect different
cable types with out replacing expensive hardware is what makes media
conversion such an attractive solution. As fiber makes its way into more and
more networks, the concept of fiber to the desktop is becoming a reality.
Transition Networks, Inc. ® offers three different solutions for sending
fiber to the desktop. 
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One of the greatest
benefits to a company using media converters is that it allows them to
integrate fiber into their copper network, on an "as needed" basis. As each
floor or department of a company is upgraded to fiber, the currently
installed copper-based hubs, switches, and NIC's can still be used. When the
Engineering department wants to send fiber to the desktop for their high-end
design workstations. They could use a media converter to connect their
departments copper switch to the fiber running to each workstation. The
copper NIC in the workstation would be replaced with a Fiber NIC. This
solution provides the most protection from electrical interference, which
sometimes can disrupt data communication if some electronic equipment is used
near copper twisted pair cable. Sales & Marketing
might be the next department to install fiber to the desktop. Their
configuration is very similar to the Engineering department except they don't
have the budget to buy Fiber NIC's. So they will use a PCI converter. This is
a traditional media converter except it is designed to mount in a PCI slot
and receive its power from the computer. A short twisted pair patch cable is
needed to connect the PCI converter to the existing copper based network
interface card. Since most computer manufactures are selling PC's with NIC's
already installed and some are even integrating the NIC in the motherboard,
the PCI converter is an excellent solution for fiber connectivity. Our third example involves
the Accounting department. When they want to send fiber to the desktop, they
might not have the time or the money to open each computer and install either
a Fiber NIC or a PCI converter, so they chose to use the stand-alone media
converter. Again the fiber is run to each workstation where the stand-alone
is installed along with a twisted pair patch cable to connect the converter
to the copper based NIC already installed in the computer. In each case, the company
was able create a fiber to the desktop environment in a cost-effective manor.
By integrating fiber in a copper network, the company was able to add fiber
where they needed it, when they needed it, all while protecting the
investment in much of the current networking equipment. Transition Networks is the
leader in media conversion technology; offering a wide array of products
including Ethernet, Fast Ethernet (FX and SX), Gigabit Ethernet, 10/100 rate
converters, T1/E1, DS3, OC3, OC12, RS485, V.35, Token Ring and more. Our
Point System chassis provides users with manageability, reliability, and
future proofing. The Point System offers fully SNMP compliant read/write
software including web-based management. The chassis also provides for
redundant management, redundant power (AC or DC), converters that can be
upgraded in the field, and more. Please contact Transition Networks for more
information and how we may be able to help you deliver data services to your
customers. Transition Networks Product Numbers:
Point System Chassis:
19-slot Point System Chassis:
CPSMC1900-100
18-slot Point System Chassis:
CPSMC1800-200
13-slot Point System Chassis:
CPSMC1300-100 Point System Slide-In-Module Media Converters:
Ethernet UTP to Multimode Fiber:
CETTF10xx-x0x
Fast Ethernet UTP to Multimode Fiber:
CFETF10xx-x0x Fast Ethernet Network
Interface Card
100BASE-FX MM ST 2km:
N-FX-ST-01 Ethernet PCI Media Converter
10BASE-T RJ-45 to 10BASE-FL MM ST 2km:
E-TBT-FRL-N-01 Fast Ethernet Stand-Alone Media Converter
100BASE-TX RJ-45 to 100BASE-FX MM ST 2km: E-100BTX-FX-05
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