A network administrator is troubleshooting an unexpected link outage on a 2 km single-mode fiber optic backbone connecting two enterprise distribution switches. While both optical transceivers are functioning properly, no signal reaches the remote end. The administrator needs to pinpoint the exact location of a suspected physical break along the cable run within an underground conduit. Which diagnostic tool should the administrator use?
- Optical Time-Domain Reflectometer (OTDR)Answer
- BOptical Power Meter
- CCopper Time-Domain Reflectometer (TDR)
- DTone generator and probe
Answer
An Optical Time-Domain Reflectometer (OTDR) is the correct tool because it measures light reflections along a fiber optic strand to calculate the exact distance to a physical break or defect.
An Optical Time-Domain Reflectometer (OTDR) is designed specifically to trace fiber optic cable runs. By transmitting pulses of light into the fiber and analyzing the backscattered light, it calculates time-of-flight reflections to display a trace showing the exact distance to splices, excessive bends, or complete breaks along the cable.
Step-by-Step Solution
Key Concept
Optical Time-Domain Reflectometer (OTDR) fault localization