Fibre Distance Limits
The table below shows the distance limits for various network types over different fibres.
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| 62.5µm Multimode This is by far the most common type of multimode cable in use |
50µm Multimode | 9µm Single Mode | |||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10BASEFL | 2Km | 5Km | |||||||||||||||
| 100BASEFX | 412m (hdx)/2Km (fdx) hdx=Half Duplex fdx=Full Duplex |
15Km | |||||||||||||||
| Gigabit Ethernet with SX GBIC | 220m/275m Depends on bandwidth of fibre:-
|
500m/550m Depends on bandwidth of fibre:-
|
(n/a) | ||||||||||||||
| Gigabit Ethernet with LX GBIC | 550m Using LX GBICs with MM cable requires the use of a mode-conditioning patch lead |
550m Using LX GBICs with MM cable requires the use of a mode-conditioning patch lead |
5Km Cisco and other vendors can achieve 10Km using LX GBICs over SM cable, but this is a proprietary capability |
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| Gigabit Ethernet with ZX GBIC | (n/a) | 50-100Km The actual distance achieved depends on the optical loss through the fibre run (which depends on fibre quality, patches & splices etc. Up to 23dB of optical loss is permissable |
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| 10Gb Ethernet (802.3ae) LX4 | 300m On 500MHz×Km @1330nm fibre. A mode-conditioning patch cord is required. |
240m/300m Depends on bandwidth of fibre:-
|
(n/a) | ||||||||||||||
| 10Gb Ethernet (802.3aq-2006, Amendment 2) LRM | 220m On 500MHz×Km fibre @1330nm. A mode-conditioning patch cord is required. |
240m/300m Depends on bandwidth of fibre:-
|
(n/a) | ||||||||||||||
| 10Gb Ethernet (802.3ae) SR | 26m/33m Depends on bandwidth of fibre:-
|
66m/82m/300m Depends on bandwidth of fibre:-
|
(n/a) | ||||||||||||||
| 10Gb Ethernet (802.3ae) LR | (n/a) | 10Km | |||||||||||||||
| 10Gb Ethernet (802.3ae) ER | (n/a) | 40Km Requires 5 dB 1550 nm fixed loss attenuator for links < 20Km. Links longer than 30Km are considered engineering links |
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| ATM OC3c (155Mb/s) | 2Km | 15Km | |||||||||||||||
| ATM OC3c Extended Reach | (n/a) | 30Km | |||||||||||||||
| ATM OC3c Long Reach | (n/a) | 40Km | |||||||||||||||
| ATM OC12c (622Mb/s) | 500m | 15Km | |||||||||||||||
| ATM OC12c Long Reach | (n/a) | 40Km | |||||||||||||||
| ATM OC48c Intermediate Reach (2448Mb/s) | (n/a) | 15Km | |||||||||||||||
| ATM OC48c Long Reach | (n/a) | 80Km | |||||||||||||||
Corrections/updates or suggestions for other media gratefully accept