Solving the mystery of how to extend your network when fiber is too costly

It's easy to deduce the value of reliable Ethernet extenders.

By Donna Donnowitz
July 24, 2015
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As an IT manager, you're always being asked to play master detective more than once. Whether it's something as trivial as The Case of the Missing Password or daunting as The Great DDoS Debacle, you've sharpened your skills by getting to the bottom of the most challenging mysteries your network has had to offer. One solution that may still daunt you, however, is how to deal with The Adventure of Costly Fiber.

Extending your network with the latest cabling solution seems like an elementary conclusion, but the high cost of replacing an entire existing copper infrastructure with fiber-optic cables is still well out of reach for a large number of companies. That's why you're always hot on the trail of new solutions for extending your current copper wiring, and your biggest clue is sitting right under your nose. Why replace your copper when your installed wiring can be extended with the right equipment? Read on to learn why the right media converter could be the key to closing The Copper Extension Caper.

"The initial cost of replacing infrastructure is incredibly high."

High costs remain afoot with fiber
One of the reasons that so many companies are looking for alternatives to a full fiber recabling project is the same reason that commercial fiber expansions nationwide have stalled - the initial cost of replacing infrastructure is incredibly high.

According to an article from The Atlantic, one estimate suggests that a nationwide rollout of fiber would cost over $140 billion dollars - few companies seem eager to take on the brunt work of this task, but the cost of fiber will remain at a premium until the initial installations are made. By that same token, telecom provider Comcast will soon be charging residential customers $1000 just to get their fiber cables connected to their home, said Wired. If these figures are any indication, the cost of fiber won't be plummeting into affordable ranges anytime soon.

Crack the case by extending your current network
While the high cost of fiber recabling seems at the moment unsolvable, any good IT detective knows that there are plenty of ways to resolve a difficult riddle. In terms of how to extend your cabling when the company LAN is being expanded, one of the most straightforward solutions available is to add new cabling via an ethernet extender. High-performance models help maintain reliable network security and are equipped to perform error monitoring and recovery. More importantly, the solution allows you to circumvent the budget-breaking expense of a fiber replacement.

In cases where your project simply requires you to extend Ethernet services beyond the general limits of 328ft, a standalone Ethernet copper extender would be sufficient for the job. Alternatively, in instances where multiple points of copper to copper extension are necessary, a chassis configuration would prove to be a more fitting Ethernet extender.

Your search for an alternative to costly fiber has reached its end.Your search for an alternative to costly fiber has reached its end.

Copper connections are more robust than ever
Another important clue to consider when deciding to invest in new cabling is the latest advances in copper connections. Looking to keep cost-effective copper cabling up to speed with the needs of modern enterprise, several chip manufacturers have continuously developed technology to help push copper beyond its limits.

For instance, British firm BT recently demonstrated its G.fast technology in trials across the United Kingdom. According to Recombu, G.fast has shown to boost speeds to 700 Mbps along copper wires over 215 feet in length. As this technology becomes more widely accessible, the cost-effectiveness of copper to copper extenders will become even more relevant to IT detectives across the globe.

Perle's Ethernet Extenders are ideal for transparently extending 10/100/1000 Ethernet connections across copper wiring. Additionally, Perle's Extenders only use high-end components from leading chip manufacturers to ensure product reliability. Choosing a low end alternative could result in a weak end to end connection to your network and mistaken reporting that infrastructure is operation while the actual connection may be broken or disconnected.

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