Fiber between floors to a 3Com switch, what are ST or SC connectors?

[mdcr]

We have cabling going into a new building, and the individual floors will have their own switches. The switches will be connected via fiber, and we told the cabler that we would be providing the switches. He is asking about what type of connectors we'll need; he is asking if we need SC or ST connectors, and male or female? I've left him a message about what types of switches he would recommend, but in the meantime, how does the fiber connect to switches? I don't mean to get answers without doing my own research - can someone give me a good online source to give me a quick guide to those connectors -- of course, I won't refuse quick answers either Thanks everyone!

 

[mikeydidit]

http://www.dataworlddirect.com/fiber.html

The above link will show you both of the connectors. You should have your fiber terminated and installed in a LIU. Then you can patch from the LIU with a fiber patch cable. I usually install ST-ST on the LIU's and then order ST-SC patch cables.

Mikey

 

[oldtimerbob]

It all depends upon which type the switch needs for it's Fiber 'link'. Whatever it takes, either ST or SC is what you should have at your fiber panel box so your jumpers will all be the same.

Caution: Some of the newer switches may take the new smaller type of connectors, which means either an ST or SC at the fiber break out box with the end needed for the switch interface.

Good Luck

 

[Auger282]

Your switches need to have some sort of fiber port module on them (to facilitate the fiber link) .. the type of fiber termination you need depends on what that module uses on both switches...

The fiber we use at our site is all SC-SC except for our MDF that uses SC-MTRJ and MTRJ-MTRJ

 

[stussy]

You *may* also find that your switches don't have fiber modules (as has happened before when not specced...), if so you can use media converters, which take the fibre in (again, ST or SC depending on type) and output from an RJ45 socket. What you need to do is ask your switch provider to confirm

a) your switches have a fibre module

b) what connector (ST or SC) that fibre module needs

then ask your cabling guy

c) what connectors (ST or SC) his breakout box will use

once you have b & c, you will know what cables you need. If both say ST, then get ST-ST leads, if one says ST and the other SC, then get ST-SC etc

I have NO idea what he means by male or female. I've only ever asked for ST-SC or similar, no mention of gender.

HTH

Mike

 

[Auger282]

cables are always male

 

[AdmanOK]

The way I remember which connector is which is to think of them as:

S-Twist (the type that turns and locks in place)
and
S-Click (the type that just pushes in an snaps into place)

I've always favored ST connectors on the termination points of my fiber runs. Most of my equipment has SC ports on them, but I just get a right jumper cable to match it. When you use an ST connect you know that it is securely connected and isn't coming out.

 

[franklin97355]

AdmanOK, Much better than the way I remember it
sC does not have round edges(like a C)
sT does not have square edges(like a T)

 

[mdcr]

Many thanks, I have found some 3Com 3250 48-port switches and the accompanying modules/transceivers. We'll be using SC-SC fiber and have the cabler supplying the 'SC female coupler' and a '3ft patch cable (SC to LC)', so I'm guessing the SC-SC fiber is male-male (& Auger's tip). We'll make sure the SC cables are secure, and they'll be in a secured cabinet, so that should help too....Thanks for the info (and that first link!).