Fiber optic cable knowledge: the difference between fiber optic cables and network cables

1、 The transmission principle is completely different
Ethernet cable (copper cable, twisted pair)
Data is transmitted through copper wires using electrical signals, with voltage levels representing 0 and 1.
optical fiber
By reflecting and transmitting optical signals within the glass fiber core, 0 and 1 are represented by bright/dark light rays.
3、 Advantages and disadvantages of each
Advantages of Ethernet cables
Easy to make, replace, and repair, you can press the crystal head yourself;
Switches, computers, and routers come with built-in network ports that are plug and play;
Short distance (tens of meters) has a cheap unit price.
Disadvantages of Ethernet cables
The signal rapidly attenuates at a distance of one long, with a limit of 100 meters;
Severe electromagnetic interference can easily cause packet loss in computer rooms, factories, and elevator shafts;
It is difficult to achieve ultra high speeds above 10 Gigabit and has a low bandwidth ceiling;
Copper materials are prone to oxidation, rusting, and aging.
Advantages of optical fiber
The transmission distance is extremely long, making it the preferred choice for crossing buildings and parks;
Zero electromagnetic interference, the most stable factory, monitoring, and power environment;
Ultra large bandwidth, essential for high-speed interconnection between data centers and AI servers;
Insulated and non-conductive, with high safety factors for lightning protection and leakage prevention;
Lightweight, corrosion-resistant, and have a longer outdoor service life.
Disadvantages of optical fiber
Cannot be directly plugged into a regular network port, must be paired with an optical module/transceiver to convert optoelectronic signals;
The end face of the joint is afraid of dust and bumps, and if the end face is scratched, it can be directly scrapped;
On site splicing requires a fusion splicer, which increases the construction threshold;
In ultra short distance scenarios, a single jumper is more expensive than a network cable.
4、 How to choose applicable scenarios
Using Ethernet cable is more suitable
Indoor computers, routers NAS、 Monitoring close range wiring (within 100 meters)
Home decoration, office desktop point wiring
Need frequent plugging and temporary networking
Fiber optic is more suitable
Transmission over a distance of over 100 meters and networking between two buildings
High speed uplink of core switches in the computer room, 400G/800G high-speed networking
Wiring in strong electric factory buildings, substations, and electromagnetic complex environments
Outdoor overhead and buried long-distance main power lines
Operator to home broadband (PON fiber to home)