Best Optical config with router, switch and EtherRegen

[Foggie]

4 hours ago, BigAlMc said:

Finisars arrived yesterday and OM due today. Also bought the Buffalo but I eff'd that one up as bought model without SFP ports but in the process of swapping it for the right one.

What Buffalo model did you get and what made you decide on that instead of HP, Cisco or even the microtik hats been referenced here?

[Foggie]

22 minutes ago, BigAlMc said:

[Melco is Buffalo's audio brand]

Did not know that.

[Foggie]

17 hours ago, MarkusBarkus said:

There was some speculation about the laser over-saturating the device,

Can you shed some light on this?  Is it specific to SM or MM and using it in short distances? 

 

I've been running 100ft of fiber for quite awhile without issue.

[Foggie]

1 hour ago, MarkusBarkus said:

First of all @Foggie I cannot believe you didn't add a winky-winky emoji in your request for more light on the subject. Lost opportunity! 
 

I am not an engineer, so I cannot provide a deeply technical reply, but when guys/gals were bantering on Multi-Mode vs Single Mode scenarios and SQ, the topic of distance and laser types surfaced. In a couple of threads, IIRC.

 

Since SM is specc-ed for long distance runs, some speculated we should add attenuators and that the more powerful lasers expecting to travel great distances would burn-up or oversaturate the hardware on a short run.

 

There was half-joking pics of miles of cable, the sole purpose of which was to "attenuate" the signal by creating the expected distance via the coiled spools of cable.

 

Some folks noted having a substantial amount of cable coiled up near their gear. 
 

Again, my own summary of this was/is:

 

--I didn't hear a reliable difference in SQ MM vs. SM fiber. 
--I don't think adding an extra 50 or 100' of cable is going to attenuate much, since we're talking about the speed of light.

--The extra gear and "processing" of an attenuator seemed unlikely (to me) to be net-plus.

 

I think it would be easy to find members who would agree or disagree with specific points above, although I do not recall anyone reporting an SFP was destroyed by a laser due to distance issues, if we could even do that post-mortem.
 

I left the SM cable in place, since it was the last thing I "tested." I ran SM, MM and two types of ethernet since it's pretty cheap, and pulling something later is a hassle.

 

If in some imaginary future time I have to replace an SFP, they're pretty cheap. 
 

PS: there are some interesting pics of the cable diameter differences and even laser reflection characteristics off the internal cable walls, if you search around. I did a deep and interesting dive when these threads popped-up. The photonics stuff is very interesting. Fiat Lux!

Yes I guess I'm a bit slow on the up-take 😀  Thanks for all the info in your response - it makes sense and is what I was thinking with regards to SM short distance = over saturating.  

 

I was going to try SM several times but it just hasn't been on the higher priority list of audio things.  I've been using MM for quite a few yrs now and has been rock solid.