Following its acquisition of IMC Networks in June 2012, B&B Electronics Manufacturing Company, Inc. (Ottawa, IL) has now released its wholly-owned version of IMC's iMcV-Giga FiberLinX-III gigabit intelligent Ethernet media converter. This highly anticipated third generation of the previously successful FiberLinX family is a 10/100/1000Mbps copper to 1000 Mbps fiber device, converting existing copper wiring-based networks to fiber-optics. The module securely transmits data from end to end over fiber (up to 100 Km), well beyond copper’s distance limitation (328 ft., 100 m), notes B&B.
“The iMcV-Giga FiberLinX-III is a cost-effective solution for ISPs and other large networks that require a high level of management and security for both the central office and at the customer premises,” comments Shane Duffy, fiber and telecoms product manager for B&B Electronics. “Large network administrators require equipment that will provide more monitoring, management and testing capabilities to reduce truck rolls, and it’s a plus if they can avoid significant investment in traditional fiber switches.”
A new single-wide module replaces the previous dual-wide module, now occupying only one slot to reduce the cost-per-slot in a multi-port chassis. New network management and troubleshooting capabilities also provide functionality similar to that of a Layer 2/3 switch, offering Internet Service Providers (ISPs) and large campuses a less expensive alternative to these traditional fiber switches. The iMcV-Giga FiberLinX-III is geared toward Gigabit networking applications where there is a need to securely move large amounts of data over long distances of fiber with remote management, to reduce onsite visits for troubleshooting equipment. Such geographically dispersed applications include ISPs, large campuses (universities), enterprises with global locations, security (IP cameras for surveillance), and transportation (digital signage and traffic signals).
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Beyond the previous generation’s role as an edge device only, the iMcV-Giga FiberLinX-III can now operate similar to a switch and serve as a central office infrastructure connection, including meeting the current 802.3ah IEEE standards for OAM (Operation, Administration and Management) expected by large Ethernet network administrators. The new model features Data Analysis, a software feature for performing Channel line rate tests and Round-trip delay tests. Support for 802.1Q Virtual Local Area Network (VLAN) Tagging and 802.1ad Q-in-Q Extra Tagging allows administrators to assign VLAN Tag Ethertypes, so they may route and segregate VLANs with more granularity, and control them to ensure customer traffic from different sources do not mix.
Multiple Gigabit fiber types are available, including Multi-Mode, Single-Mode and Single-Strand Fiber (SSF). SSF can effectively double the capacity of installed fiber and allow the network to utilize precious bundles of fiber and provide connectivity to multiple subscribers. Standard features such as bandwidth scalability and host/remote management over fiber are still available. The company has also redesigned the software to include three Modes of Operation, compared to seven in the previous generation, easing configuration. B&B Electronics’ free SNMP (Simple Network Management Protocol) iView2 software allows administrators to monitor remote network nodes from a central management host, reducing onsite visits to troubleshoot equipment. Now available as a robust Web-server version, iView2 is ideal for handling hundreds of modules and multi-users.
The iMcV-Giga FiberLinX-III may be installed as a pair (Host/Remote) or as a standalone unit, connected to another gigabit device. The Ethernet media converter carries a 6-year warranty, and is available from B&B Electronics and its distribution partners.
More product details are here. B&B Electronics is located at 707 Dayton Road, P.O. Box 1040, Ottawa, IL 61350, 800-346-3119 and at www.bb-elec.com on the Internet.
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