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in putting together a new installation, one of the requirements is that we use fiber to the desktop. we are going to use multimode, but im not sure which connector.

is there a material (ie cost) difference between SC and LC? what about durability?

It would seem to me that the fragile part (the fiber) doesnt benefit much from either connector, so is either OK?

any other advice or things that seem obvious in hindsight would also be appreciated.

edited: also, if anyone has some insight as to which 1000baseSX nics one should avoid (if any) that would be most appreciated.

Devnull
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    Just curious why the decision for 1000base Fiber vs. CAT6 copper? Distance? – Brandon Jul 27 '09 at 15:30
  • I can't speak for the original poster, but there are applications for fiber to the desktop, usually in environments with lots of RF interference like an industrial facility. – duffbeer703 Jan 30 '10 at 00:45
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    Also, RF can go both ways. If you run out of tinfoil making your hat but still want to wrap your network, fiber makes for a good backup plan. – eater Mar 02 '11 at 02:02

3 Answers3

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LC, LC, LC, LC, LC, LC, LC, LC, LC, LC, LC, LC, LC, LC, LC, LC, LC, LC, LC, LC, LC, LC, LC, LC, LC, LC, LC, LC, LC, LC, LC, LC, LC, LC, LC, LC, LC, LC, LC, LC, LC, LC, LC, LC, LC, LC, LC, LC, LC, LC, LC, LC, LC, LC, LC, LC, LC, LC, LC, LC, LC, LC, LC, LC, LC, LC, LC, LC, LC, LC, LC, LC, LC, LC, LC, LC, LC, LC, LC, LC, LC, LC, LC, LC, LC, LC, LC, LC, LC, LC, LC, LC, LC, LC, LC, LC, LC, LC, LC, LC, LC, LC, LC, LC, LC, LC, LC, LC, LC, LC, LC, LC, LC, LC, LC, LC, LC, LC, LC, LC, LC, LC, LC, LC.

LC basically, anything else is folly.

Apart from not bothering given most machines struggle to saturate a 1GBps copper GigE link both ways, even then what is going to offer you fully non-blocked transit out of there other than multiple Cisco Cexus 7000/5000's?

But if you want to waste your cash then the answer is LC.

Chopper3
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  • The major (only substantive?) benefit of LC is increased port density. Hopefully the cubicles aren't packed that tightly. – eater Mar 02 '11 at 01:49
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The main benefit of LC over SC is the form factor. An LC connector is similar in size to an RJ45 jack whereas an SC connector is about twice the size.

I have not found any differences in the durability of the connectors.

Russell Heilling
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  • ultimately we will probably be going with SC because thats what the vendor is offering. thanks! – Devnull Jul 28 '09 at 20:44
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It is worthwhile to note that with LC connectors, it is difficult to change the fiber pairs from crossover to straight through. SC is easier, and ST is obviously trivial.

Devnull
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  • How is it hard to swap the fibre from crossover to straight through? Never had a problem here.. – petertonoli Jan 30 '10 at 00:49
  • disassembling the connector without breaking the clip appears to be a challenge with LC connectors (at least the ones that we got). SC, on the other hand, was not very difficult. SC is also much more forgiving if the clip breaks, as the TX/TX connectors will still lock in on their own. – Devnull Feb 02 '10 at 22:49
  • Definitely depends on the LC connector; some of them make it easy. I don't really know which brands, just that "some" of the ones i've used have been hard and some easier. Seems like a useful thing to consider when purchasing. – Dan Pritts Jan 02 '13 at 21:45