 What's the difference between cat 8 cable and fiber optic cable? What is fiber optic cable? Fiber cable is a type of cable that uses light for the transmission of data. This is in comparison to network cabling, or copper cabling which uses electrical pulses. Fiber optic cable is constructed of thin strands of glass or plastic as its central core. It has a separate outer core of similar construction. It is then wrapped in a strength member such as Kevlar, and then wrapped in a plastic cable sheath. The central core is a vessel to transmit data as pulses of light. Due to the ability for light to travel fast down these cores, it offers exceptional bandwidth. Therefore, it is widely used in telecommunications and networking for long distance and high speed to data transmission. Types of fiber optic cabling In a similar way to copper cabling, there are different categories of fiber optic cabling. Firstly, we have the mode type. Single mode. Multi mode. This refers to the type of light used to send signals along the fiber cable. Multi mode is multiple modes of light sent along the cable as transmission. By contrast, single mode is a single laser light sent directly along the cable. Single mode fiber categories. Single mode fiber comes in two different categories. OS 1. OS 2. OS 2 is the most advanced and offers increased transmission capabilities. This is the most commonly used single mode fiber in applications today. Multi mode fiber categories. Multi mode fiber comes in five different categories. OM 1. OM 2. OM 3. OM 4. OM 5. OM 3 and OM 4 are the most widely used fiber cables today. OM 1 and OM 2 are only found in legacy cabling and OM 5 isn't used as much but is making traction in data centers. OM 1 is the only fiber cable that has a different central core size from the other multi mode cables. Therefore, if one of these cables needs to be repaired or replaced it is sometimes a requirement to use it. What is CAT 8 cabling? CAT 8 cabling is the highest grade of network cabling or copper cabling. It is mainly used in data centers where the shorter cable link distances are most suited to its higher transmission capabilities. It can transmit 25 gigabit and 40 gigabit speeds up to 30 meters. It is now a viable option to replace fiber optic cabling in some instances within the data center. Is CAT 8 better than fiber optic? The question should always be, what are my requirements and what cable best suits that requirement? While CAT 8 cable is a high performance copper based network cable, fiber optic cable offers distinct advantages over it. Especially when it comes to longer distances. Fiber cables also have a high transmission capability. Fiber optic cables can transmit data over longer distances with less loss of signal quality. Furthermore, they are immune to electromagnetic interference. Thus, they provide higher bandwidth capabilities compared to CAT 8 cables. Which is faster, CAT 8 or fiber optic cable. The maximum transmission speed for CAT 8 cables is 30 meters. OM 3, OM 4, OM 5, and OS 2 are all capable of 100 gigabit. It is also an advantage to use fiber cabling for longer distances. For example, for 40 gigabit these are the maximum distances that cable can transmit at that speed. 40 gigabit transmission. CAT 8, 30 meters. OM 3, 100 meters. OM 4, 150 meters. OM 5, 150 meters. Is CAT 8 good for fiber internet? Both cable types, copper and fiber, are only suitable and possible with their own category. For example, you can't combine a copper cable and a fiber cable in the same link. To combine fiber cabling and copper cabling, active equipment is required. Media converters do the following. Change light transmission to electrical transmission. Change electrical transmission to light transmission. Where CAT 8 can be used as a replacement for backbone links between patch panels or cabinets instead of fiber cabling. Backbone links have traditionally been installed in fiber cabling. With the new higher speeds of CAT 6A, CAT 7 and CAT 8 cabling these links can potentially now be installed in copper. However, with copper links, you need one cable per link. By comparison, a fiber cable may have 24 individual links all within one cable so a much smaller cable size. Is fiber optic the fastest cable? Fiber optic cable is considered the fastest cable available for data transmission. This is because of its capabilities of 100 gigabit and also its distance capabilities. Due to its ability to transmit data using light, fiber optic technology can achieve incredibly high bandwidths. Furthermore, the increased transmission speeds that come with it. The speed and bandwidth capabilities fiber optic cabling exceed those of traditional copper based cables. This is all network cables, including CAT 8. Fiber optic cables have become the go to choose for applications that require ultra-fast and reliable data transmission. These include high speed internet connections, data centers, main carrier telecommunications networks, CAT 8 versus fiber optic cabling summary. In summary, fiber optic cable offers numerous advantages over CAT 8 cable. Faster data transmission speeds, longer transmission distance, higher bandwidth capabilities. Fiber optic technology is particularly well suited for demanding applications, especially where ultra-fast and reliable data transfer is essential. If you have access to fiber internet or require high performance networking solutions, fiber optic cables are the recommended choice. However, always remember that both high grade copper cabling solutions and fiber optic cabling need hardware, switches, and media to operate them. This hardware also needs to be part of your planning when it comes to space, installation, budget and future growth. For further assistance or a free survey, please email or call on the details below, and click like and subscribe if you have enjoyed this video.