Single-mode fiber (SMF) is a fiber-optic cable with a very narrow glass core that carries light at a single angle. It supports much longer distances than multimode fiber, making it useful for network infrastructure connections. section 3.4.1 section 3.5
Key points for comparing SMF with other cabling:
- Uses laser transmitters, which are typically more expensive than the LED transmitters used with multimode fiber. section 3.4.1
- Supports distances up to tens of kilometers, compared with several hundred meters for multimode fiber. section 3.4.1
- Often connects infrastructure devices across floors or buildings, while copper UTP commonly connects end hosts to switches. section 3.5
- Uses small form factor pluggable (SFP) transceivers, contributing to higher connection costs than copper UTP. section 3.5
Figure 3.10 Light travels down an MMF cable at multiple angles (modes), whereas light travels down SMF cables at a single angle.
Compare the single-angle light path in SMF with the multiple-angle paths in multimode fiber. section 3.4.1
