Q: Replace ethernet cables with POF backbone on home Powerline?
 

Hi all.

I regularly transfer many large files to/from my media device (like a mini NAS) two rooms away. Though this box has both Ethernet and Wi-Fi connectivity, neither provide a satisfactory throughput. So I caved and installed a pair of Devolo Magic LAN 2 Powerline adapters. Sure there's a lot of bandwidth loss, but even that is faster than using a "networked" connection via my router.

The setup is very simple:

Mediabox - CAT-7 (S/FTP) Ethernet cable - Powerline

(two rooms further)

Powerline - CAT-7 (S/FTP) Ethernet cable - Laptop


For some time now, I've been thinking (dreaming) it would be great if I could replace my CAT-7 cables with glass fibre... and then came POF (Plastic Optical Fibre). Using POF, there would be 0% signal loss, plus it's not subject to induction which is an added bonus.

So how would I go about doing this, if it's at all feasible?
Besides the obvious POF cable (which I wouldn't mind running though the house as it's so small), what else would I need? A POF switch? Something else?

It's possible that the signal frequencies used by Powerline may not be compatible with POF (I hope not !). I have no idea. I'd appreciate the input of an electronics guru on this.

Thanks.
x13



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Q: Replace ethernet cables with POF backbone on home Powerline?
 

On 9/19/2020 5:13 AM, x13 wrote:
but even that is faster than using a "networked" connection via my router.

Wired router? Wireless router? What sort? I wired my old house with Cat 5e
when I moved in 20+ years ago and have no trouble moving data at least
70-80% of Gigabit speed between devices which are capable of handling the
sustained throughput. My file transfers never get anywhere close to my
router -- they go through a Gigabit switch (or two or three) along the way
depending on where they are headed. If my present setup was so slow that
powerline adapters showed an apparent speed increase I think I'd be looking
at what is wrong with the present setup rather than dreaming fiber dreams.

BTW if you had fiber you would still have the problem of getting the signal
into and out of the devices and, unless you had some sort of magical
never-heard-of laptop with a fiber socket, you would still be dealing with
fiber-to-ethernet adapter at each end which would be subject to normal
Ethernet speed standards.

BTW-BTW it is not all that difficult to install high-speed Ethernet wiring
without doing major damage and if you don't trust yourself there are people
who will do the job and probably more cheaply than buying fiber
infrastructure. Plenum-rated cable is not all that large and is pretty
slippery and easy to drag where you want.

There, I guess I've beaten that particular horse thoroughly enough...

--
Bodger's Dictum: Artifical intelligence
can never overcome natural stupidity.

Q: Replace ethernet cables with POF backbone on home Powerline?
 

x13 wrote:
Hi all.

I regularly transfer many large files to/from my media device (like a mini NAS)
two rooms away. Though this box has both Ethernet and Wi-Fi connectivity, neither
provide a satisfactory throughput. So I caved and installed a pair of Devolo Magic
LAN 2 Powerline adapters. Sure there's a lot of bandwidth loss, but even that is
faster than using a "networked" connection via my router.

The setup is very simple:

Mediabox - CAT-7 (S/FTP) Ethernet cable - Powerline

(two rooms further)

Powerline - CAT-7 (S/FTP) Ethernet cable - Laptop

For some time now, I've been thinking (dreaming) it would be great if I could replace
my CAT-7 cables with glass fibre... and then came POF (Plastic Optical Fibre). Using
POF, there would be 0% signal loss, plus it's not subject to induction which is an added bonus.

So how would I go about doing this, if it's at all feasible?
Besides the obvious POF cable (which I wouldn't mind running though the house as
it's so small), what else would I need? A POF switch? Something else?

It's possible that the signal frequencies used by Powerline may not be compatible
with POF (I hope not !). I have no idea. I'd appreciate the input of an electronics
guru on this.

Thanks.
x13

Could you make this more complicated ?

What if the laptop is such a loser, it doesn't
deserve all this frippery in the first place ?

As long as you have *some* connectivity, that's a real win.

*******

This article says plastic optical fiber has a loss
of 180dB/km. That's not exactly a wonder-pony. Could
you do a set of EO modules to work with that ? Of course.
Plastic fiber is used for TOSLink at 6Mbit/sec, using
EOs that "cost a dollar" on the ends. All components
are optimized for that single application. The EO
probably doesn't even have AGC to compensate for
various lengths of fiber.

https://www.fiberoptics4sale.com/blo...-optical-fiber

"SIPOF, today has a best bandwidth of 12.5 MHz-km
and an attenuation of 180 dB/km"

This article helps interpret bandwidth-distance product,
which is typically dispersion limited (for the lousy
number stated above).

https://www.rp-photonics.com/bandwid...e_product.html

At 100 meters then, it could pass 125MHz. At
20 meters, it could pass 625MHz. The encoding
method then converts that into some baud rate.
At 20 meters, the loss would be 4dB. I expect the
connector loss, or launch losses, will add to that.
Module design with AGC could give maybe a 15dB budget
with ease. But, you'll be paying money for this too.
The solution no longer "costs $1", because the
modulation method and transmitter type have to
change to hit really high rates. The EO guys at
work, it used to be a bad joke, that like fusion
power, they'd promise us "cheap modules" and
we'd say in return "yes, only 50 years to go...".
Certain components can be cheap, like lasers
stolen out of DVD players for $1, but the modules
just never seem to get cheaper.

Paul