Fiber optic technology is taking the Ethernet networking world by storm. It is faster, completely resistant to EMI/RFI, and offers incredible distances between nodes.
But fiber is not quite ready for all LAN applications. In many cases it makes sense to keep a copper network intact and lay a fiber network over it. So, here we find a need in our industry for a device that will convert seamlessly between the fiber optic network and the copper network without loss of speed.
We call these devices Ethernet media converters.
Industrial vs. Commercial
The first consideration in finding the proper converter for your application is whether your Ethernet media converter will be installed in a commercial or industrial environment. A commercial environment would include a typical office or clean room, and an industrial environment includes places with dust, moisture, temperature variations, vibrations, and other complications.
We've explained the differences between the two in regards to switches before, but the same rules apply for media converters. It is very important not to confuse industrial versus commercial converters. While an industrial Ethernet media converter can operate in a commercial environment, it costs more and generally supports features not commonly found in a commercial environment such as DC power. On the other hand, a commercial Ethernet media converter should not be used in an industrial environment as network downtime and system failure can occur.
