Fiber Using Existing Switches ?

[PeteCress]

Garden shed with a bunch of IP cams, a few TV tuners, and a TV antenna.

About 200' max cable run.

Want to isolate the garden shed equipment from the house against lightning strikes on the TV antenna.

Am thinking about a fiber run from the shed to the house - but do not want to buy new switches.

Existing switches on each end are gigabit.

From what I have read so far:

- I want pre-terminated MultiMode fiber of adequate length with SC connectors.

- There are converters available that will interface between the switches and the fiber. e.g. http://www.amazon.com/Linkskey-1000TX-Multi-Mode-Converter-LKS-FCM32C-05/dp/B00A6TQLDK/ref=sr_1_8?ie=UTF8&qid=1447781155&sr=8-8&keywords=fiberoptic+transceiver+multimode

- If I pull the fiber from my LAN closet to the shed, manage to not kink or otherwise damage it, and attach the converters between fiber and switches; I should be in business.

Or am I just wishing ?

 

[AgPaul]

I see no reason why that wouldn't work

you can also get lightning surge protectors for standard cat 6 cabling. Is this cabling going underground or on a guide wire to the shed?

 

[PeteCress]

I see no reason why that wouldn't work

you can also get lightning surge protectors for standard cat 6 cabling. Is this cabling going underground or on a guide wire to the shed?

I will pull it through existing 1.5" underground conduit - which has a couple of right-angle bends - hopefully not damaging the fiber...

That conduit currently has 2 Cat5e cables and 1 Cat6 cable in it...... I plan to remove them all and then re-pull, taping the fiber cable to the Cat6 cable and doing the pulling against the Cat6.

Have been avoiding surge protectors because of horror stories and because the subject seems rife for claims that do not hold up..... plus my general cluelessness..... "Air Gap", I understand.... "Electricity not travelling over fiber", I understand..... But "Surge Protection" is waaaaaay beyond my pay grade.

 

[bill001g]

Ethernet cable is already magnetically isolated from all the power and each port is isolated from every other port. Pretty much the only way lightning could get into the house it would have directly strike your switch or the ethernet cable going to the house. The antenna cable if properly installed should have a grounding block that will prevent lightling from following the cable inside.

If you are worrying about a direct strike on equipment that is inside a building I would be more worried lightning hitting you in your bed while you sleep.

 

[Alabalcho]

I doubt you will be able to pull pre-terminated fibre thru your conduit with right angles (unless it's 2in in diameter).
And if you have to pay for a professional to come and terminate the fibre for you, you might be better off with a wireless bridge.

 

[Kewlx25]

You should never connect network equipment via copper that have different grounds. Unless your shed is somehow sharing the same ground as your house, you shouldn't connect them with any copper.

 

[bill001g]

You should never connect network equipment via copper that have different grounds. Unless your shed is somehow sharing the same ground as your house, you shouldn't connect them with any copper.

This is one of the key reasons part of the ethernet specification required magnetic isolation. Many even have optical isolators between the device power and ground and the ethernet cable. Now if you are using shield cable then that is a whole different topic.

 

[NerdIT]

You should never connect network equipment via copper that have different grounds. Unless your shed is somehow sharing the same ground as your house, you shouldn't connect them with any copper.

This is one of the key reasons part of the ethernet specification required magnetic isolation. Many even have optical isolators between the device power and ground and the ethernet cable. Now if you are using shield cable then that is a whole different topic.

Agreed. It would be a hassle to run multi-mode around sharp bends. You can get shielded CAT 6A, which can handle 10Gbps up to 100m.

You would be able to bend it without hurting it.

A wireless bridge (essentially a nice fancy wi-fi access point(s) ) would accomplish this as well.

 

[bill001g]

You should never connect network equipment via copper that have different grounds. Unless your shed is somehow sharing the same ground as your house, you shouldn't connect them with any copper.

This is one of the key reasons part of the ethernet specification required magnetic isolation. Many even have optical isolators between the device power and ground and the ethernet cable. Now if you are using shield cable then that is a whole different topic.

Agreed. It would be a hassle to run multi-mode around sharp bends. You can get shielded CAT 6A, which can handle 10Gbps up to 100m.

You would be able to bend it without hurting it.

A wireless bridge (essentially a nice fancy wi-fi access point(s) ) would accomplish this as well.

But you do not want to use SHIELDED cable because you then get into the grounding issue that kewlx was talking about. When you use shielded cable you must ground the shield on both ends both for safety but more to make the shield functional. There are major issue using building grounds when they are not the same. Because of the complexity of proper installation you seldom see shielded cable used.

 

[NerdIT]

Going wireless or STP (Shielded Twisted Pair) CAT 6A are your best options.