There are a few vendors like NVT, that have been around for a while with 100Mbs Ethernet extenders, but I have an application that requires 1Gbs over copper. Does anyone have good or bad experience with any of the new 1Gbs extenders?
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Looking For A Copper 1gbs Ethernet Extender
U
Undisclosed #1
May 17, 2016Rob, which new ones are you referring to? When I last looked, there weren't at that speed, but that may have changed...
Luis Carmona
May 17, 2016Would a POE powered repeater suffice...
IEEE 802.3at Power over Gigabit Ethernet Extender
We haven't used these yet, but in our solutions list if we ever need them.
U
Undisclosed #1
May 17, 2016UI
Undisclosed Integrator #2
May 17, 2016If you have a power source where you want to put the extender then you can use a simple 4 port 1Gb Switch
Rob Hammond
May 17, 2016I was hoping that I wouldn't have to get too far down in the weeds with this question, but here goes:
This application is for Josh, my telecom colleague, he has a project for a tech company here in Silicone Valley.
- The owner is requiring the elevators have WiFi connectivity for each cab at 1Gbs (Josh talked them down from 10Gbs).
- Josh made the determination that the only way to get reliable connectivity is to put a WAP in each cab. WAPs outside of the cabs could be problematic as the cab transits between floors.
- The elevator vendor can provide coax, STP or UTP, but not CAT 6 in the traveling cable.
- Josh found a company that private labels a product that would work: https://www.startech.com/Search?search_term=EOC1110K but we are a little concerned about a product that not much is known about. I was hoping that somebody might have some experience with 1Gbs extenders, and know what to look out for, and what to run from.
I am not sure what the heck goes on in these cabs that people need that kind of bandwidth, but you know the old saying about customers and being right. I just wish they were as generous with consulting fees as they are with bandwidth!
Thanks all
Rob
U
Undisclosed #1
May 17, 2016Josh found a company that private labels a product that would work: https://www.startech.com/Search?search_term=EOC1110K
Rob, this is the model that I alluded to in my first post. Its technically Gigabit ethernet, since it will auto-neg as such, but the actual thruput is barely better than fast ethernet.
How long is the distance? Many people run Gbe over Cat 5e without a problem, though I'm not claiming its recommended.
Brian Karas
May 17, 2016What is the total length of the traveling cable going to be?
FWIW, I have seen a similar application where a pair of wireless radios were used in the elevator shaft (one mounted on top of the cab, the other at the top of the shaft) for extending data connectivity into an elevator cab.
Depending on the number of cabs/shafts, height and obstructions you might be able to do this with a speciality wireless or laser bridge product.
UM
Undisclosed Manufacturer #3
May 17, 2016" but you know the old saying about customers and being right. "
Side rant: The customer is sometimes wrong. And your solution ends up being wrong because it's Garbage In/Garbage Out. You take you chances with a customer who is wrong, and would be really hard pressed to imagine a need for such a high bandwidth in an elevator cab.
Maybe a job for Siklu?
Rob Hammond
May 17, 2016UD3,
you are absolutely correct about customers, be assured that my tongue was firmly planted in my cheek. That said, we have to make a strong case before you go back to a room full of hitech geeks and tell them they can't have their toys!
Luis Carmona
May 17, 2016Startech is one of those very budget electronic suppliers that have a little of almost everything. From experience I'd say they were close to consumer grade and hit or miss.
Rob Hammond
May 17, 2016UD1 and Brian,
Thanks for the good info, my BS detector was lighting up on the StarTech product, but obviously I didn't dig deep enough to find the brown gem that I needed to disqualify it.
This is only a 3 story building so the traveling cables are not that long. Yes CAT 5e might work, but if it doesn't, well... you can guess who they will come after to pay for the change order.
We haven't gone down the RF link to a WAP road yet, it may be our only solution if we can't get Gbe to the cab over copper.
Brian Karas
May 17, 2016This is only a 3 story building so the traveling cables are not that long. Yes CAT 5e might work, but if it doesn't, well... you can guess who they will come after to pay for the change order.
3 stories, it would seem like the total cable length wouldn't be more than 100 feet, well short of anything where you'd need to worry about distance/speed.
IMO, you have a better shot at this with straight Ethernet than trying to bring any kind of extender/converter in to the mix.
I would suggest you install a Gig-E switch as physically close to the elevators as possible to keep the overall switch-to-cab distance short, but I'm guessing that was probably already part of the plan?
Rob Hammond
May 17, 2016Hi Brian,
Josh clarified that the elevator supplier won't provide any CAT cables in the traveling cable, only coax or twisted pair. I was hoping to use either of these types of cables with an extender to provide Gbe to the cab. But if we can't find a solution that will guarantee 1Gbs, then we have to go back to the owner and tell them to suck it up and use 100Mbs like the rest of us! (well Josh can tell em, I don't want to be there)
U
Undisclosed #1
May 17, 2016Did he actually say 1 Gbps or just Gigabit Ethernet?
If the latter, then the Startech will light his Gbe switch light just fine, even at 100Mbps.
Brian Karas
May 17, 2016That makes sense, I figured there was something missing.
In this case the customer really should lean on the elevator company (assuming they can), because the elevator company is making it near impossible for you to deliver what the customer desires.
I recognize that elevator travel cables can't be just any old cable, but things like IP security cameras have been a reality in elevators for long enough now that they should have some kind of Ethernet connectivity method worked out.
If you can't get the elevator company to provide a CatX cable, or fiber, I don't know that I'd trust any of the Gig-E extenders. It seems like everything out there is a bit flaky and unproven. I haven't met the guy, but anyone who feels strongly they need those kinds of speeds in an elevator ride that lasts 15 or 20 seconds could have some other rather high demands.
The Startech thing might provide a link, but if he decides to test it, you're going to be stuck.
U
Undisclosed #1
May 17, 2016I haven't met the guy, but anyone who feels strongly they need those kinds of speeds in an elevator ride that lasts 15 or 20 seconds could have some other rather high demands.
Maybe he plans to offer, free high speed, in-elevator, wifi... ;)
but if he decides to test it...
Agreed. Though you would think anyone smart enough to test it wouldn't be dumb enough to demand it.
Rob Hammond
May 17, 2016This customer started out asking for 10Gbs at each cab, so no... I don't think they would be impressed with 100Mbs. For all of the other WAPs, in this gigantic 3 story building, we are designing the infrastructure to give them 10Gbs.
As to why they need this kind of bandwidth? I am not sure, but this is a well known manufacturer of high tech components, so their ear is probably closer to future technologies than ours. I am going to assume they are expecting to need this bandwidth in the foreseeable future.
Leaning on the elevator company to give us something other than their off the shelf traveling cable makes sense. Our plan is to push back on the owner, to twist the elevator guy's arm to give us fiber to the cab. I don't know all of what goes into manufacturing an elevator cable, but I suspect that fiber would work better then trying to maintain the critical separation of the pairs of a CAT 6 or CAT 6A cable in a flat traveling cable.
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