Fibre Optic Transceivers?

[Anunnaki-11]

I do not know much about fibre from a practical perspective, and I’m still yet to join in on the fun as soon as Vumatel completes installation in my are. Therefore, pardon my being primitive.

My question is: where do transceivers fit in this whole mix? I know they don’t just fit in a normal ethernet port/router.
Like, is it something standard when you have fibre installed, or is it something common in enterprises and/special hardware rather? I mean, I read them up online but still don’t get it properly.
Can someone please enlighten this cave man. Lol!

 

[charlieharper]

I do not know much about fibre from a practical perspective, and I’m still yet to join in on the fun as soon as Vumatel completes installation in my are. Therefore, pardon my being primitive.

My question is: where do transceivers fit in this whole mix? I know they don’t just fit in a normal ethernet port/router.
Like, is it something standard when you have fibre installed, or is it something common in enterprises and/special hardware rather? I mean, I read them up online but still don’t get it properly.
Can someone please enlighten this cave man. Lol!

So basically Vuma (or whichever provider) will install an Optical Network Terminal (aka ONT) which is the “transceiver” you are talking about. The ONT will usually have a few ethernet ports, to which you will connect your actual router.

 

[Ferog]

So basically Vuma (or whichever provider) will install an Optical Network Terminal (aka ONT) which is the “transceiver” you are talking about. The ONT will usually have a few ethernet ports, to which you will connect your actual router.

I beleive the transceiver is built onto the PCB of the ONT - it is not a swappable SFP cage type like you see on enterprise switches and routers. If you would open the ONT, you should see a small fibre pigtail from the midcoupler of the WAN port to the onboard transceiver.

This is also why ONTs can get so hot, as they can receive a lot of optical power on this transceiver which is converts it to heat.

 

[Rickster]

I beleive the transceiver is built onto the PCB of the ONT - it is not a swappable SFP cage type like you see on enterprise switches and routers. If you would open the ONT, you should see a small fibre pigtail from the midcoupler of the WAN port to the onboard transceiver.

This is also why ONTs can get so hot, as they can receive a lot of optical power on this transceiver which is converts it to heat.

The Raycore ONT has a removable SFP.

 

[Rickster]

I do not know much about fibre from a practical perspective, and I’m still yet to join in on the fun as soon as Vumatel completes installation in my are. Therefore, pardon my being primitive.

My question is: where do transceivers fit in this whole mix? I know they don’t just fit in a normal ethernet port/router.
Like, is it something standard when you have fibre installed, or is it something common in enterprises and/special hardware rather? I mean, I read them up online but still don’t get it properly.
Can someone please enlighten this cave man. Lol!

In a nutshell, you need something to convert the fibre optic back to regular digital signals. So light from the fibre is converted in the SFP which is connected to the ONT.

You connect your router to the ONT and should have internet (depending on the fibre network operators hardware, could be DHCP or PPPoE).

 

[Anunnaki-11]

So basically Vuma (or whichever provider) will install an Optical Network Terminal (aka ONT) which is the “transceiver” you are talking about. The ONT will usually have a few ethernet ports, to which you will connect your actual router.

Alrighty. That’s simple enough to get. Thanks...
I have a Huawei one that’s tiny, and looks like a dongle- I guess that fits into one of the ports in the ONT (other than the ethernet ones)?!

 

[Anunnaki-11]

I beleive the transceiver is built onto the PCB of the ONT - it is not a swappable SFP cage type like you see on enterprise switches and routers. If you would open the ONT, you should see a small fibre pigtail from the midcoupler of the WAN port to the onboard transceiver.

This is also why ONTs can get so hot, as they can receive a lot of optical power on this transceiver which is converts it to heat.

Seems I have an SFP that’s supposed to stick in some port.

 

[Anunnaki-11]

In a nutshell, you need something to convert the fibre optic back to regular digital signals. So light from the fibre is converted in the SFP which is connected to the ONT.

You connect your router to the ONT and should have internet (depending on the fibre network operators hardware, could be DHCP or PPPoE).

Now I fully get it... Thanks Rickster.
I don’t know why I didn’t read all the responses first instead of answering one-by-one. Lol!

 

[Anunnaki-11]

Unfortunately, I reside in a cave village that has no fibre yet. Although, Vuma is still busy setting up the infrastructure, some of it resembles telephone lines/poles in all the hoods in the East-Rand. Hopefully this year we’ll have some fibre.

 

[Ferog]

Alrighty. That’s simple enough to get. Thanks...
I have a Huawei one that’s tiny, and looks like a dongle- I guess that fits into one of the ports in the ONT (other than the ethernet ones)?!

Just be careful, some hardware vendors lock their devices to their own brand of SFP. It also isn't guaranteed what ONT model or brand you get generally.

You can get replica branded SFPs which is what most of the industry use as there isn't a quality difference really, but honestly I wouldn't bother with FTTH unless you are some network junky that wants to use your own homelab or business/enterprise type of setup.

 

[Genisys]

Unfortunately, I reside in a cave village that has no fibre yet. Although, Vuma is still busy setting up the infrastructure, some of it resembles telephone lines/poles in all the hoods in the East-Rand. Hopefully this year we’ll have some fibre.

Bad news, its the last day of the year...

 

[Vorastra]

So basically Vuma (or whichever provider) will install an Optical Network Terminal (aka ONT) which is the “transceiver” you are talking about. The ONT will usually have a few ethernet ports, to which you will connect your actual router.

Which ONT do you guys get that has multiple LAN?

Meanwhile on MetroFibre, it's a Nokia 7368 ISAM ONT G-010G-Q.

 

[geezer]

Which ONT do you guys get that has multiple LAN?

Meanwhile on MetroFibre, it's a Nokia 7368 ISAM ONT G-010G-Q.


View attachment 1219950

 

[Vorastra]

View attachment 1219952

Wait a second. Is that going straight into the Termination Point, or is that going into the ONT?
That's a router?

To clarify, MetroFibre has a fibre termination point on the wall inside, which then has an SC/APC cable that goes from that TP to the ONT. The ONT is then connected to the router using an RJ-45.

EDIT: Basically this sort of configuration.

 

[geezer]

Wait a second. Is that going straight into the Termination Point, or is that going into the ONT?
That's a router?

To clarify, MetroFibre has a fibre termination point on the wall inside, which then has an SC/APC cable that goes from that TP to the ONT. The ONT is then connected to the router using an RJ-45.

EDIT: Basically this sort of configuration.

View attachment 1219956

Yes, ours is basically like that. From the ONT (modem) there is a Wi-Fi router (hAP ac2) that distributes the signal inside the house.

 

[Ferog]

View attachment 1219952

I believe this particular ONT is a residential gateway which means it's an ONT+Router combo. You can use a separate router but it's got built in routing and wireless - hence the white sticks poking out of it.

Though the point is the transceiver is built into the device - it's not hot swop-able.

 

[Anunnaki-11]

Bad news, its the last day of the year...

Okay, how is it bad news with regards to what I said? Pardon my tiny brain. Lol!

 

[Vorastra]

I believe this particular ONT is a residential gateway which means it's an ONT+Router combo. You can use a separate router but it's got built in routing and wireless - hence the white sticks poking out of it.

Though the point is the transceiver is built into the device - it's not hot swop-able.

I still don't understand that ONT. Where does the fibre lead go?
It just looks like a router. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

 

[websquadza]

I still don't understand that ONT. Where does the fibre lead go?
It just looks like a router. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

It’s an all in one ONT and router. There’s a SC fibre port on the back with a slack management route that exits at the rear there. Depending on the ONT model, some have dual band WiFi but the older ones are all single band. A few FNOs use these.

 

[Vorastra]

It’s an all in one ONT and router. There’s a SC fibre port on the back with a slack management route that exits at the rear there. Depending on the ONT model, some have dual band WiFi but the older ones are all single band. A few FNOs use these.

Oh so the port is off camera. Shot.