Media Converters: LAN to MAN and Beyond

Media converters play an important role in today's multi-protocol, mixed media Local Area Networks. For example, LAN administrators can deploy media converters to integrate fiber optic cabling and active equipment into existing copper-based, structured cabling systems while achieving significant cost-savings. Media converters are also becoming a critical piece of the data networks outside the LAN, as electrical-to-optical conversion technology is enabling service providers to speed up the deployment and minimize the cost of provisioning Fiber-to-the-Subscriber, and offering MAN access and data transport services to enterprise customers. This paper discusses the benefits of Ethernet as an end-to-end transport protocol, and illustrates how media converters are lighting up the first mile, enabling tier 1 carriers, MSOs, CLECs and "EtherLECs" to offer their customers a transparent WAN interface.