X FIBER TO THE CERTIFICATION
AND
BEST PRACTICE MANUAL (BPM)
423-317-0009 – Office
423-317-0099 – Fax
www.ontracinc.net
VERSION 1
DECEMBER 18, 2008
04.06 – OTI Best Practices Manual 2 of 105 11/3/11 TABLE OF CONTENTS
INTRODUCTION ....................................................................................................................... 6 APPLICATION OF STANDARDS ...................................................................................................................... 6 TYPICAL EQUIPMENT TYPES ......................................................................................................................... 7 Active Optical Network Terminals (ONTs) ................................................................................................ 7 Ciena® (World Wide Packets®) ......................................................................................................................................................7 Enablence® (WAVE 7) ..................................................................................................................................................................7 Passive Optical Network Terminals (ONTs) ............................................................................................... 8 Alcatel®...........................................................................................................................................................................................8 Hitachi® ..........................................................................................................................................................................................8 Calix® .............................................................................................................................................................................................8 Powering Devices ........................................................................................................................................... 9 I. PREMISE CERTIFICATION ........................................................................................... 10 PROCESS POINTS ........................................................................................................................................... 10 Section 1: Data Lines (plus testing) ............................................................................................................ 11 Installation Standards ...................................................................................................................................................................11 Building a Cat5 Cable ..................................................................................................................................................................12 Building a Cat5 Cable (cont’d).....................................................................................................................................................13 Cat5 Connector Pin Configuration ...............................................................................................................................................14 Terminating Cat5e Cable with a Modular Terminal ....................................................................................................................14 Testing Cat5 Cables ......................................................................................................................................................................15 Installing Wall Plates ....................................................................................................................................................................16 Clean Up .......................................................................................................................................................................................16 Data Troubleshooting ...................................................................................................................................................................17 Section 2: Voice Lines (plus testing) .......................................................................................................... 18 Installation Standards ...................................................................................................................................................................18 Preparing Phone Cable and Making Connections ........................................................................................................................20 Testing Voice Lines ......................................................................................................................................................................21 Voice Troubleshooting .................................................................................................................................................................22 Section 3: Video Lines (RF levels plus testing) ......................................................................................... 23 Installation Standards ...................................................................................................................................................................23 Installing Coaxial Connectors ......................................................................................................................................................24 Coax Signal Quality Issues ...........................................................................................................................................................27 Coax Splitters ...............................................................................................................................................................................30 Verifying Signal Strength .............................................................................................................................................................31 Video Troubleshooting .................................................................................................................................................................32 Section 4: Routing Post Wires (Coax / CAT5) .......................................................................................... 33 Standard Premise Installation Wire and Cable Routing ...............................................................................................................33 Bend Radius..................................................................................................................................................................................35 Cleanliness ....................................................................................................................................................................................36 Wrap Up .......................................................................................................................................................................................36 Section 5: Grounding per NEC (National Electrical Code) / Powering ................................................. 37 Powering .......................................................................................................................................................................................38 Section 6: Wall Fish Technique .................................................................................................................. 41 04.06 – OTI Best Practices Manual 3 of 105 11/3/11 II. Fusion Splicing Certification ........................................................................................... 44 PROCESS POINTS ........................................................................................................................................... 44 Section 1:Typical Passive Optical Network (PON) Architecture ............................................................ 45 Section 2: Drop Routing and Aerial Clearance ........................................................................................ 47 Standard Overhead Fiber Drop Routing and Attachment Technique ..........................................................................................47 Routing at the NAP ......................................................................................................................................................................48 Routing at Pole .............................................................................................................................................................................49 Section 3: Drop Attachment to Premise .................................................................................................... 51 Section 4: Road Crossing and Safety ......................................................................................................... 53 Sample Traffic Control Diagram – No Flaggers ..........................................................................................................................55 Sample Traffic Control Diagram – With Flaggers .......................................................................................................................56 Section 5: Splicing Technique, Splice Trays, and Enclosures ................................................................. 57 Standard NAP Closure and ONT Fiber Splicing ..........................................................................................................................57 Fiber Management NAP / ONT Splice Tray ................................................................................................................................58 Fiber Optic Connector / Bulkhead Cleaning ................................................................................................................................60 Verification of Light Level ...........................................................................................................................................................62 Splice Storage ...............................................................................................................................................................................63 Section 6: System Map Interpretation ....................................................................................................... 64 Aerial Fiber Plant Maps................................................................................................................................................................65 Underground Fiber Plant Maps ....................................................................................................................................................66 Section 7: Fiber Splitter Location (LCC, HUB, AGG Point, etc.) .......................................................... 67 Organization .................................................................................................................................................................................68 Patch Cable Locations ..................................................................................................................................................................69 Documentation .............................................................................................................................................................................71 Typical Fiber Management Information Sheet.............................................................................................................................72 III. Underground Drop Certification .................................................................................... 73 PROCESS POINTS ........................................................................................................................................... 73 Section 1: Underground Locate Tickets .................................................................................................... 74 Section 2: Standard Underground Fiber Drop Routing and Placement ................................................ 75 Examples of Underground NAPs .................................................................................................................................................75 Section 3-A: Machine Bury......................................................................................................................... 76 Section 3-B: Hand Bury .............................................................................................................................. 78 Section 4: Overhead (OH) to Underground (UG) Drops ......................................................................... 79 Section 5: Locate Wire ................................................................................................................................ 81 Section 6: Conduit Pull Technique ............................................................................................................ 82 Section 7: Fiber and Cable Protection ....................................................................................................... 84 IV – ARRIVAL / CUSTOMER INTERACTION .................................................................. 85 PROCESS POINTS ........................................................................................................................................... 85 Section 1: Introduction................................................................................................................................ 86 Section 2: Initial Contact ............................................................................................................................ 86 CERTIFICATES OF ACHIEVEMENT ................................................................................. 90 Premise Certification ....................................................................................................................................................................91 Fusion Splicing Certification ........................................................................................................................................................92 Underground Drop Certification ..................................................................................................................................................93 Customer Interaction Certification ...............................................................................................................................................94 04.06 – OTI Best Practices Manual 4 of 105 11/3/11 APPENDIX I: Tables ................................................................................................................ 95 APPENDIX II: For Further Reading ...................................................................................... 96 GLOSSARY: Common Telecom / Fiber Optic Terms ........................................................... 97 04.06 – OTI Best Practices Manual 5 of 105 11/3/11 INTRODUCTION
APPLICATION OF STANDARDS
Installation procedures vary from system to system depending on the individual
customer’s standards.
The standards shown in this manual are to be observed unless they contradict or
are superseded by the requirements of the customer.
Examples
1. Some customers have established specific standards for grounding equipment while
other customers require that no equipment be grounded.
2. Some customers allow weatherhead clamps for aerial drop attachment while other
customers distinctly forbid attachment via weatherhead clamps.
3. The particular equipment that each system chooses will impact application of these
standards (ie in one system the red,blue, green, and slate wires are used for
connecting the ONT to the UPS – in another system only the red and green wires are
used.)
04.06 – OTI Best Practices Manual 6 of 105 11/3/11 TYPICAL EQUIPMENT TYPES
Active Optical Network Terminals (ONTs)
Ciena® (World Wide Packets®)
Enablence® (WAVE 7)
GPON – TRIDENT7™ – ONT-­‐G221 04.06 – OTI Best Practices Manual GPON – TRIDENT7™ -­‐ ONT-­‐G888 7 of 105 11/3/11 Passive Optical Network Terminals (ONTs)
Alcatel®
GPON – Generation 2 GPON – Generation 3 Hitachi®
FSAN Standard GPON
Calix®
GPON – 700G - SFU
04.06 – OTI Best Practices Manual GPON 760G MDU
8 of 105 11/3/11 Powering Devices
Alpha® Battery Backup With Power Collar
Power Collar in Application
Alpha® Battery Backup
Cyber Power® Battery Backup
04.06 – OTI Best Practices Manual 9 of 105 11/3/11 I.
PREMISE CERTIFICATION
PROCESS POINTS
Process
Page
1. Data Lines (plus testing)
11
2. Voice Lines (plus testing)
18
3. Video Lines (plus testing)
23
4. Routing Post Wires (coaxial / category 5)
33
5. Grounding per NEC / Powering
37
6. Wallfish Technique
41
04.06 – OTI Best Practices Manual 10 of 105 11/3/11 PREMISE CERTIFICATION Section 1: Data Lines (plus testing)
Installation Standards
Cat5 or Cat5E (enhanced) is the cable that be will used to install data lines. Cat5 cable (as
well as fiber optic cable) can be damaged. Kinks, twists, and sharp bends can greatly
reduce the performance of the cable. The rule in copper cable bending radius design is to
bend the wire to a curve no less than four times the diameter of the cable (see pg 34.)
There are two standards for terminating Cat5, T568A and T568B.
T568B is the standard used by On Trac premise technicians for all data installation
connectors.
04.06 – OTI Best Practices Manual 11 of 105 11/3/11 Building a Cat5 Cable
1. Strip off the cable jacket approximately 1” or slightly
more to expose the rip cord. The rip cord should be used
to expose an additional 1” to 1 ½“ of conductors.
2. Untwist each pair and straighten each wire between
fingers
3. Place the wires in the 568B order (as shown above and
on the previous page) Bring all the wires together until
they touch.
4. Verify wiring sequence with the above diagrams to
verify 568B alignment.
5. OPTIONAL: Make a mark on the wires at ½” from the
end of the cable jacket.
6. Hold the grouped and sorted wires together tightly
between the thumb and forefinger.
7. Cut all the wires at an exact 90 degree angle from the
cable at ½“ from the end of the cable jacket. This is a
critical step. If the ends are not cut at the 90 degree
angle they may not make proper contact inside the
connector. We suggest using a pair of scissors for this
application.
8. Verify the following conditions of the conductors before
inserting them into the connector
at a straight 90 degree angle
½“ long
04.06 – OTI Best Practices Manual 12 of 105 11/3/11 Building a Cat5 Cable (cont’d)
9. Insert the wires into the connector holding the pin side
of the connector up (connector clip pointing down.)
10. Push moderately hard to assure that all of the wires have
reached the end of the connector. Be sure that the cable
jacket goes into the back of the connector by about
3/16”. The rubber jacket should be clearly visible inside
the RJ45 connector.
11. Place the connector into a crimp tool squeeze the
handles together until they can go no further (this will
require considerable effort.) Pushing the cable into the
connector while crimping ensures that the cable does not
back out during the process.
12. Finished product should appear as in the picture to the
left.
13. Repeat the process on the opposite end of the cable.
14. Use a Cat5 tester to verify continuity.
04.06 – OTI Best Practices Manual 13 of 105 11/3/11 Cat5 Connector Pin Configuration
Terminating Cat5e Cable with a Modular Terminal
When terminating with a CAT5 Modular Connector it is important that the twist in the pairs is
kept as close to the terminating point as possible.
CAT5 Modular Connector
All data lines will be tested for continuity using Cat5 cable testers. Even though pins 1,2,3, & 6
are all that are used in a 10Base-T connection, it is important for all conductors to maintain
continuity for future technological andvances. 04.06 – OTI Best Practices Manual 14 of 105 11/3/11 Testing Cat5 Cables
Cat5 Tester
Cat5 Test Between ONT and Termination
04.06 – OTI Best Practices Manual 15 of 105 11/3/11 Installing Wall Plates
Wall plates will be mounted level and matching the height of the receptacles in that room.
Below are some examples of how the finished product should look.
Cabling and connections going to the wall plate
Installed wall plate
Clean Up
Using Dust Buster to Clean Up Clean up should include handy wet-wipes along with Dust Buster. Premise should be
“spic-and-span” upon completion.
04.06 – OTI Best Practices Manual 16 of 105 11/3/11 Data Troubleshooting
The typical data troubleshooting will occur when the Cat5 jumper has been plugged into the
computer but the computer does not see the new network. There are two possible categories
of explanation for this issue. Troubleshooting steps are provided under each.
1) The signal is not getting to the customer’s equipment (computer, router, switch.).
a) Is the Data port at the ONT working properly? Hook your laptop up directly into the
ONT data port to verify.
i) Yes – go to b.
ii) No – verify proper lights in ONT
(a) Yes – go to b
(b) No – notify the proper network administrator
b) Is continuity complete through all of the cabling and outlets that have been installed or
existed prior to install? Test with Cat5e cable testers to verify.
i) Yes – go to c
ii) No – Reinspect cabling to assure
(1) Proper 568B Color code in terminals and jacks
(2) Proper punchdown in jacks
(3) Proper insertion depth of the conductors into the connectors (should be visible at
the opposite end of insertion.
(4) No kinks or pinches in the cable.
c) Will your laptop function normally with the supplied cabling and outlets. Hook up your
laptop to verify.
i) Yes – Customer’s equipment is not functioning properly. Go to 2).
ii) No – Review process above
2) The customer’s equipment is not functioning properly.
a) Follow guidelines as established by local On Trac supervision.
04.06 – OTI Best Practices Manual 17 of 105 11/3/11 PREMISE CERTIFICATION
Section 2: Voice Lines (plus testing)
Table: CatX Utilization and Bandwidth
Category
Type
Spectral
Bandwidth
Cat3
Cat4
Cat5
Cat5e
Cat6
Cat7
UTP*
UTP
UTP
UTP
UTP
ScTP**
16 MHz
20 MHz
100 MHz
100 MHz
250 MHz
600 MHz
Length
100m
100m
100m
100m
100m
100m
Notes
Now mainly used for telephone cables
Rarely seen
Common for current LANs
Common for current LANs
Emerging
10Gbps network
* UTP – Unshielded Twisted Pair
** ScTP – Screened (Shielded) Twisted Pair
Installation Standards
There are several types of cables that have been used over the years for voice lines. Station
line cable or “JK” was commonly used inside older homes for interior phone jack wiring.
Station line cable is a four conductor cable (Red, Green, Black, Yellow) that is not twisted.
Cat5 or Cat3 unshielded twisted pair (UTP) is the proper cable to install new voice jacks and
should be used to replace station line cable when at all possible. Cat5 cable has four pairs
and will accommodate four voice lines. The color sequenced will be used as follows:
Table: Voice Lines / Colors
04.06 – OTI Best Practices Manual LINE 1
BL/BW
LINE 2
OR/OW
LINE 3
GR/GW
LINE 4
BR/BW
18 of 105 11/3/11 Voice Line Installation Standards (cont’d)
All voice lines will be home run to a central location and placed inside a NID (network
interface device).
Note how the wires are wrapped around studs in a clockwise manner. If wrapped counterclockwise, the wires will tend to back out when the nut is tightened. 2 Pair Phone NID (Network Interface Device) 04.06 – OTI Best Practices Manual 19 of 105 11/3/11 Preparing Phone Cable and Making Connections
The following describes the correct steps to be taken in preparing the phone cable and
making the connections
1. Strip off the cable jacket approximately 1” or slightly
more to expose the rip cord. The rip cord should be
used to expose the length of conductors needed.
2. Untwist each pair and straighten each wire between the
fingers.
3. Separate the pairs to be used and wrap the remaining
pairs back over the cable so they will be available for
future use.
4. Strip the insulation off approximately ½“ on the pairs
to be used. Be careful not to score the conductors.
5. The NID (Network Interface Device) has connection
points (threaded bolts) with two washers followed by a
nut. Some NIDs may have multiples of washer / nut
combinations. The conductor is to be wrapped
clockwise between the washers and the nut tightened.
There should be no “tail” exposed from under the nut.
04.06 – OTI Best Practices Manual 20 of 105 11/3/11 Testing Voice Lines
Testing should be performed via test calls to On Trac’s Operations Center from the customer’s
phone inside the home. Test calls from the ONT identify the clarity of connection in terms of call
quality. The clarity of the connection should be as good inside as it is from the Butt Set on the
ONT.
If the customer has a fax machine, a test fax will be made to On Trac’s Operations Center and a
reply fax will be sent back to the customer’s machine to verify operation.
Phone Test at ONT
04.06 – OTI Best Practices Manual 21 of 105 11/3/11 Voice Troubleshooting
The typical data troubleshooting will occur when the customer’s phone is plugged into a wall
outlet and no dial tone is detected. The steps to identify the problem will usually be as follows:
1.
2.
3.
4.
Verify presence of dial tone at the ONT.
Verify proper installation of the phone cable conductors in the ONT.
Verify dial tone after splice points.
Verify dial tone in wall jacks.
The following items can be reviewed when there are problems with getting or
maintaining dial tone:
o Anywhere the dial tone is lost verify that the correct wires were terminated or
punch down in the correct position.
o
Where the conductors are tightened down under a nut, verify that the copper
conductor has not been broken.
o There may be too many phones daisy chained together.
§
There is no set # of phone jacks that will determine that there are too many
phones daisy chained together. The key is to look for a significant drop in
voltage or no dial tone with too many phones.
§
Even with home runs there could still be a significant drop in voltage after
about 15 phones.
§
You can have too many phones on a daisy chain that may cause the ones
down the line not to ring. With electronic ringers you can put about 15
phones on a particular daisy chain. But if you have the old type of bell
phones the limit would be about 4 on a daisy chain and about 7 totals even
with home runs.
o Incorrect voltage at the ONT.
§
The voltage at the ONT varies depending on the manufacture. Consult
your Lead Tech or Project Manager for details.
§
most single line phones will work on anything between -22 and -52 volts
§
If the phones have lights on them that tell you when you’re on a particular
line you may notice that the light will stay lit all the time. This is a current
issue not a voltage issue normally.
04.06 – OTI Best Practices Manual 22 of 105 11/3/11 PREMISE CERTIFICATION Section 3: Video Lines (RF levels plus testing)
Installation Standards
RG-­‐59
RG-­‐6
The two (2) most common coaxial types encountered are RG-59 which is usually found in
older establishments and RG-6 which is used when installing outlets in a premise installation.
1. The first item that must be adhered to when installing video is the replacement / installation
of coaxial connectors. There is a specific connector that is assigned to each coaxial type.
Typical Color Coded Connectors
The correct connector has to be used for the particular type cable involved. Most brands
of connectors are color coded to indicate the cable type it is designed for.
The proper method of installing connectors on coaxial can be seen on the following
pages.
04.06 – OTI Best Practices Manual 23 of 105 11/3/11 Installing Coaxial Connectors
These procedures are specific for one brand of RF connectors. The guidelines are the
same for all brands.
STEP 1
a. Cut the end of the cable off square with a pair of sharp cutters.
STEP 2
a. Place the coaxial in the stripper part of the tool, with the end flush against the side of the tool.
b. Twirl the strip tool around the coaxial until the “crunching” stops. (Approx. 5 – 10 turns)
c. Remove the coaxial cable from the tool.
04.06 – OTI Best Practices Manual 24 of 105 11/3/11 Installing Coaxial Connectors (cont’d)
STEP 3
a. Pull off the stripped material.
b. Fold back the remaining braid so that there is only one layer of foil left against the center white
dielectric.
c. If you do not get everything except the innermost layer of foil folded back, it will be very
difficult to push on the connector.
d. With RG-6 Quad Shield coaxial, there may be two layers of braid and one layer of foil to fold
back. When using the stripper tool, adjust the blade so that it cuts through the outer layer of braid
and foil. This makes the “folding back” operation much quicker and easier.
STEP 4
a. Untwist the colored ring (black in the illustration) from the Snap-N-Seal connector and slide
onto the cable, fat end first.
NOTE: Newer versions have the ring already inserted in the back of the connector
04.06 – OTI Best Practices Manual 25 of 105 11/3/11 Installing Coaxial Connectors (cont’d)
STEP 5
White insulation flush with m etal flange. a. When the connector is inserted onto the coaxial properly, the white insulator of the coaxial
should be flush with the metal flange. If you cannot get the coaxial to go in all the way, pull it
out and push it in again using a twisting motion.
STEP 6
a. Slide the ring into the connector and lay the assembly into the crimp tool.
b. Squeeze the handle until the ring seats all the way into the connector. You should hear or feel
a “click” as it pops into position
c. Remove the coaxial and connector from the crimper.
04.06 – OTI Best Practices Manual 26 of 105 11/3/11 Coax Signal Quality Issues
1. Signal Loss in Coax Cable
Signal loss in coax cable varies with frequency. Loss at higher frequencies (higher channels)
is much greater than loss at lower frequencies (lower channels.) Most video installations will
have at least 50 to 100 feet of coax between the ONT and the TV set(s). The signal loss can
be as high as 5db to 6db in the coax alone.
On Trac requires RF signal levels to be verified at each outlet for low, medium, and high
frequencies.
Table: Coax Cable Signal Loss
Channel
2
62
117
Frequency
55 MHz
450 MHz
750 MHz
1 GHz (1000 MHz)
04.06 – OTI Best Practices Manual RG-59 Loss @ 100’
-2.05
5.40
-6.97
-8.12
27 of 105 RG-6 Loss @ 100’
-1.60
-4.40
-5.65
-6.55
11/3/11 Coax Signal Quality Issues (cont’d)
2. Proper Installation of Splitters
2. The second important item that must be adhered to when installing video is the installation of
a splitter.
When possible and reasonable, coax splitters should be located inside of a plastic
enclosure and all feeds should be directed to a singular location. Isolated circumstances
that deviate from this practice should be approved through the local project manager.
Bend radius of the coax cable should be maximized with no kinks at the coaxial
connectors when the enclosure lid is closed. No splitter port should be left open.
Splitter in Video Splice Box
If splitters are not to be placed in a cable house box, proper splitter mounting and cabling
must be observed. The splitter ports should not face upward and the cabling should not
come down into the port. The cables should be routed so that they come from below the
splitter. This procedure prevents water from running down the cables into the connectors
and eventually into the splitter.
Proper Mounting When not in Splice Box
04.06 – OTI Best Practices Manual 28 of 105 11/3/11 Proper Installation of Splitters (cont’d)
Multiple outlet installations are accomplished by using the proper splitter.
The most
common splitters are 2-way, 3-way, 4-way, and 8-way. Splitters are used to split one
incoming feed to two or more outputs. Splitters divide the incoming signal to multiple
outputs.
Because of their design, splitters have insertion loss that is determined by the number of
outputs. The output legs on splitters reflect the dB “loss” as signal passes through that port.
The losses are evident when a splitter’s input and output signal levels are measured. If a
splitter is used on the output of another splitter the losses stack up.
For example if a drop with 10dB is inserted in the input of a 2-way splitter approximately 6.5
dB is read at either of the 2 outputs. If one of the outputs is inserted into the input of a second
2-way splitter the output of the second splitter will be approx 3dB.
The table below defines signal loss per type of splitter.
Table: Splitter Loss
Splitter Type
2-Way
Loss (dB)
-3.5 each output
3-Way Balanced
-7.0 each output
3-Way Unbalanced
-7.0 1 and 2 / -3.5 output 3
4-Way
-8.0 each output
8-Way
-12.5 each output
Also, verify that all splitter are capable of processing 1000MHz frequencies. This data should
be listed on the label of the splitter. If the splitter is not capable of processing 1000MHz or if
the label does not specify, replace the splitter. Most cable systems contain digital content that
utilizes frequencies up to 1000MHz. If the splitters connot handle these frequencies there will
be video problems
04.06 – OTI Best Practices Manual 29 of 105 11/3/11 Coax Splitters
The table below shows common designs of the different splitter types.
Table: Coax Splitters
Standard Splitters
Vertical Splitters
Notice the loss numbers noted at each output leg. 2-Way
3-Way
Splitters capable up to 1000MHz 4-Way
8-Way
04.06 – OTI Best Practices Manual 30 of 105 11/3/11 Verifying Signal Strength
RF Level Test at Splitter Input Using Signal Level Meter
a. RF signal levels must be documented on every outlet that is activated.
b. RF signal strength of low, middle, and high channels will be recorded on the work order.
04.06 – OTI Best Practices Manual 31 of 105 11/3/11 Video Troubleshooting
Troubleshooting is usually a straightforward process
1. Establish a baseline video signal strength at the ONT video port with an RF Signal Level
Meter
2. Check signal strength at the connected devices with an RF Meter
3. Verify that the signal loss at the connected devices conform to the expected loss per the
Splitter Loss and Coax Signal Loss Tables above.
4. Any signal level below that which is expected indicates a bad connection, bad device, or
a “hidden” / unlocated splitter.
Note: In some cases, an amplifier can be added at the right point in an install to allow
adequate signal level for multi outlet installs.
TESTING EQUIPMENT
Trilithic TR-2 Signal Level Meter
04.06 – OTI Best Practices Manual 32 of 105 11/3/11 PREMISE CERTIFICATION
Section 4: Routing Post Wires (Coax / CAT5)
Standard Premise Installation Wire and Cable Routing
All equipment / boxes will be mounted level and secure.
04.06 – OTI Best Practices Manual 33 of 105 11/3/11 Wire and Cable Routing (cont’d)
The first preference in getting a cable from point “A” to point “B” is through an attic or a
crawl space and then doing a wall fish to get the cable to the outlet location. When running
the cables through attic or the crawl space the cables should be clipped up to the joists to
prevent them from being damaged. Other methods including house wrapping are not as
preferable and require customer notification and approval. Drilling through floors (except in
the case of trailers) is not acceptable without prior approval of the Project Manager or his
designee. In the case of trailers the customer should provide written approval for drilling
through floors.
Only the clip designed for the cabling being installed will be used. When tie wraps are used
care will be taken to not tighten them to the point of distorting the outer diameter of the
cable. If additional cables are tie wrapped to a clipped cable the ties will be evenly spaced
between the clips.
Wiring and cables will be routed as neatly as possible. They will follow existing lines on the
building when possible. An existing line could be a window frame, downspout, or any other
structural component that creates a line on the building.
Clips should be installed every 24” to 36” to prevent sagging of the lines.
CLIPS 04.06 – OTI Best Practices Manual TIE WRAPS 34 of 105 11/3/11 Wire and Cable Routing (cont’d)
Bend Radius
When changing directions on a wall, the bend radius of the Cat5 or Coax cable must be
no less than four times the diameter of the cable.
For example, if the diameter of the Cat5 cable is ½“ then the minimum bend
radius of the cable is 2”.
`
Cable Diameter Minimum Cable Bend Radius Cable 4 Times Cable Diameter Cat5 Bend Radius
Coax Bend Radius
NOTE: No Portion of the wiring may be tie wrapped to the existing CATV or Phone
incoming drop.
04.06 – OTI Best Practices Manual 35 of 105 11/3/11 Cleanliness
All trash will be picked up and placed in vehicle.
All dirt smears and drill dust will be cleaned up inside the customer premises.
Wrap Up
Review installation activities with customer and demonstrate how work that has been done
conforms to the request on the Work Order.
Verify that the customer is comfortable with operating the newly installed services.
Review “Welcome Packet” documentation
o Contact phone number and email
o Email setup
o Website
Provide an opportunity for the customer to ask any further questions.
Note that the customer should feel free to contact the local utility if there are any questions.
Notify On Trac dispatch of completion before leaving the premises.
04.06 – OTI Best Practices Manual 36 of 105 11/3/11 PREMISE CERTIFICATION
Section 5: Grounding per NEC (National Electrical Code) / Powering
The ONT will be grounded to the power circuit #6 ground wire using a split bolt connector.
Only in the absence of #6 copper may the unit be grounded to
1. a corner clamp mounted on the meter base as a second choice or to
2. a pipe strap on the power conduit as a third choice.
Keep the ground run as short as possible (preferably 6 feet or less) while maintaining ON
Trac structured wiring appearance requirements.
Do not include any hard 90 degree turns. All angles should be gentle sweeping turns as
shown in pictures below.
Grounding Options Split Bolt
The ground wire should always go down into the split bolt. Pipe Strap 04.06 – OTI Best Practices Manual 37 of 105 Corner Clamp
11/3/11 PREMISE CERTIFICATION
Powering
There are several methods used to power ONT equipment.
A power collar placed between the power meter and the meter base or the use of a UPS
(Uninterruptible Power Supply.) In most residential applications a power collar is plugged
into the meter base and the meter is then plugged into the collar. Wiring from the collar
provides the power for the ONT.
Usually, a Cat5 connection is made between the power collar and the ONT to allow for
Automated Meter Reading (AMR.)
All connections will be made using the manufacturer’s specifications.
Power Collar
On Trac Technicians will never remove a power meter or install a power
collar without having been trained on the safety issues and the use of
required safety equipment.
Technicians MUST be certified by authorized trainers before working with power collars in
the field.
Technicians MUST utilize proper safety gear including, but not limited to, hot gloves and
safety goggles.
Technicians MUST never leave the premise with the power meter not installed properly.
04.06 – OTI Best Practices Manual 38 of 105 11/3/11 Powering (cont’d)
Some applications may require a plug in UPS (Uninterruptible Power Supply) unit mounted
inside the residence or business.
Business Installation with Indoor ONT and UPS
04.06 – OTI Best Practices Manual 39 of 105 11/3/11 Powering (cont’d)
Some systems utilize an external APC designed for outdoor installation
Cyber Power Unit
All three methods require the 7 or 8 conductor wire to be secured to the unit by use of a
plastic tie.
04.06 – OTI Best Practices Manual 40 of 105 11/3/11 Section 6: Wall Fish Technique
Interior walls sometimes must be wall fished to place the outlet at the desired location
Fishing a wall from the attic usually requires the tech to drill into the wall cavity from the attic and
insert a glow rod extended long enough to reach the floor below.
Drilling Top Plate
04.06 – OTI Best Practices Manual Inserting Glow Rod to Floor Below
41 of 105 11/3/11 Wall Fish Technique (cont’d)
Once it has been determined that the glow rod is in the correct location within the wall an opening is made in
the wall at the same height as other wall outlets.
Opening Wall to Access Glow Rod
04.06 – OTI Best Practices Manual Glow Rod and Cables Pulled From the Attic
42 of 105 11/3/11 Wall Fish Technique (cont’d)
A “mud ring” is then mounted in the wall and the wiring is terminated to the back of the wall plate.
Mud Ring
Completed Wall Plate
In some circumstances the wiring may come from a basement or crawl space.
In this instance a hole is made in the wall at the same height as other outlets and a flex bit is
inserted through the hole and flexed to drill through the bottom plate in the wall to the lower area.
If the cable can’t be tied to the flex bit, the glow rods are used to pull the cable through the
opening. 04.06 – OTI Best Practices Manual 43 of 105 11/3/11 II. Fusion Splicing Certification
PROCESS POINTS
Page
1
Typical PON Architecture
45
2
Routing and Aerial Clearances
47
3
Attachment Techniques
51
4
Road Crossing and Safety
53
5
Splicing Technique, Splice Trays and Enclosures
57
6
System Map Interpretation
64
7
Fiber Splitter Location (LCC, Hub, AGG Point, etc.)
67
04.06 – OTI Best Practices Manual 44 of 105 11/3/11 Section 1:Typical Passive Optical Network (PON) Architecture
Fusion Splice Technicians will be involved with many parts of the Outside Fiber Plant.
Because of this the technician will need to understand the basics of the PON (Passive Optical
Network) architecture. The graphic below depicts the basic elements in the PON
Architecture.
Original graphic by Corning Cabling Systems
The flow of optical transmission from the Network Operations Center (NOC) to the
individual residence is described in the following table:
04.06 – OTI Best Practices Manual 45 of 105 11/3/11 Table: General PON Architecture
Data is assembled for broadcast within the NOC and is fed
to the Optical Line Terminal (OLT.) Each card within the
OLT can support 64 outputs. The T7 shown to the right can
support up to as many as 2,304 Optical Network Terminals
(ONTs.)
Enablence® T7 OLT
The OLT broadcasts the signal across a “feeder cable” to
the Local Convergence Point (LCP.)
Typical LCP
Inside the LCP the feeder cables provide signal to a splitter.
There are different styles of splitter. The feeder cable signal
can yield from as few as 8 to as many as 64 ports.
Corning® 32 Port Splitter
A fiber optic “pig tail” or “jumper” is then used to
crossconnect from the splitter port to the “patch down” port
in the LCP.
“Patch Down” Ports inside LCP
The “Patch Down” port is connected directly to the
Network Acces Point NAP to which it is assigned.
A Gel NAP The drop is fusion spliced to the fiber in the NAP that is fed
from the “patch down” port in the LCP.
NAP Splice Tray
The drop connects to the Optical Network Terminal (ONT)
which is typically mounted to the side of the residence.
® Alcatel GPON ONT 04.06 – OTI Best Practices Manual 46 of 105 11/3/11 Section 2: Drop Routing and Aerial Clearance
Standard Overhead Fiber Drop Routing and Attachment Technique
The fiber drop must be routed from the designated NAP to the power service meter area on
the outside of the building being connected.
(Note: ONT installation specification varies on business installs)
Follow power service drop from last pole to house when possible
Must have overhead clearance
Must not wrap other lines or tree limbs
Table: Overhead Clearances
Railroads, Interstates 25’ (MUST have written permit) Roads, Streets, Highways 18’ Alleys 15’ Residential Driveways 15’ 04.06 – OTI Best Practices Manual 47 of 105 11/3/11 Routing at the NAP
At the NAP pole - the drop must be attached to a single “J” hook driven in the pole in line
with the fiber plant. (Maximum of 4 drops per “J” hook)
An 8 inch loop must be formed at the “J” hook using two wraps and secured with a tie
wrap. The bottom of the loop will be tie wrapped together.
In systems with fiber plant in the power zone and with the NAP pole mounted, the fiber
drop is to be routed through approved U-guard from the “J” hook to the NAP.
Note: 8” Circular Loop
04.06 – OTI Best Practices Manual 48 of 105 11/3/11 Routing at Pole
If the drop passes other poles on the route to the building, the drop must be attached to each
pole (do not skip a pole) using two “J” hooks. The drop will pass the pole on the same side as
the fiber plant and other utilities. (Maximum of 4 drops per “J” hook)
04.06 – OTI Best Practices Manual 49 of 105 11/3/11 Routing at Pole (cont’d)
Do not create a new route in any portion of the drop; follow power or other existing lines.
In cases that require the drop to change directions at the pole, two “J” hooks will be used.
(Maximum of 4 drops per “J” hook)
Drop Direction Change
Drops will be “sagged” consistently with other drops and they will “hang free” without
touching or tangling with other lines with “sag.”
04.06 – OTI Best Practices Manual 50 of 105 11/3/11 Section 3: Drop Attachment to Premise
The attachment at the building will be made to a “P” hook screwed into a suitable wooden
portion of the building. Brick or block buildings may require the use of a lead anchor. Never
use plastic anchors for “P” hook. An 8 inch loop must be formed using two wraps and
secured with a tie wrap. The bottom of the loop will be tie wrapped together.
“P” Hook Attachment
The fiber drop will be routed to the ONT location and the appropriate clips will be used to
secure the drop to the building at the top, bottom, and at least one place in between.
04.06 – OTI Best Practices Manual 51 of 105 11/3/11 Drop Attachment to Premise (cont’d)
If a wood structure is not available or if additional height is required the attachment can be
made by use of a “mast clamp”. An 8 inch loop will be formed as using two wraps and
secured with a tie wrap. The bottom of the loop will be tie wrapped together.
Mast Clamp Attachment
The fiber drop will be secured to the mast with black tie wraps which will be placed at the
top, bottom, and at 2’ intervals with a minimum of 3 tie wrap locations.
Note: Some systems do not allow the use of mast clamps
04.06 – OTI Best Practices Manual 52 of 105 11/3/11 Section 4: Road Crossing and Safety
It is not uncommon for drops to cross roads to reach the address to which they are assigned.
Without following the proper procedures these situations can be dangerous to both the
technician running the drop and the motorists passing through the work area. The following
information will serve as a guide to help the technician move safely through this process.
There are requirement that apply to all street crossing activities. See the table below, General
Street Crossing Requirements.”
Table: General Street Crossing Requirements
1. Park at a location to prevent having to move the truck during the crossing.
2. Proper placement of traffic cones
3. Activate 4-way flashers
4. Activate beacon lights
5. Use safety vests
6. Use safety flags
7. DO NOT LAY DROP ACROSS STREET ALLOWING TRAFFIC TO DRIVE
OVER IT!
8. If not absolutely certain that crossing can be safely completed – call for
assistance
9. Large 4 lane roads or complicated intersections should be assisted by police.
Subdivision / Low Traffic Volume Street Crossings
Some quiet subdivision street crossings can be safely completed by a single tech. See the
table below, Subdivision / Low Traffic Volume Street Crossing.
Table: Subdivision / Low Traffic Volume Street Crossing
1. Follow all guidelines as established above, see Table: Street Crossing Requirements.
2. Complete the attachment at the house side of the street.
3. Cut off enough drop to reach, and leave it on the house side of the street
4. Park the truck at the pole to be attached.
5. Making sure street is clear, cross the street, and take the drop up to the attachment
point.
6. If not absolutely certain that crossing can be safely completed – call for
assistance
04.06 – OTI Best Practices Manual 53 of 105 11/3/11 Road Crossing and Safety (cont’d)
Busy streets and multi-lane roads require additional techs to slow or stop traffic while the
crossing is made.
Make preparations to minimize amount of time traffic is stopped.
Table: Busy Road / Multi-lane Road Crossing (Higher Traffic Volume)
1. Follow all guidelines as established above, see Table: Street Crossing Requirements.
2. Complete the attachment on one side of the street.
3. Cut off enough drop to reach, and leave it on the house side of the street
4. Leave enough drop to make the crossing and reach the closure.
5. Park the truck at the pole to be attached.
6. Traffic control techs, wearing vests and using flags, stop traffic while
crossing is made.
7. Once the drop is raised to the proper height traffic can be released.
8. Large 4 lane roads or complicated intersections should be assisted by
police.
Safety Note: Be absolutely certain that no traffic will come through the work area while the
drop is being raised. One of the most dangerous outcomes is for a passing vehicle to snag the
drop while the drop is either in the technician’s hand and / or wrapped around the
technician’s body or equipment. The result of this situation could be severe injury to or
even the death of the technician.
04.06 – OTI Best Practices Manual 54 of 105 11/3/11 Sample Traffic Control Diagram – No Flaggers
Temporary Traffic Control Setup – Without Flaggers
Table: Signage Location
Road Type
Distance “A” (in feet)
Urban (Low Speed)
Urban (High Speed)
Rural
Expressway / Highway
100
350
500
1,000
04.06 – OTI Best Practices Manual 55 of 105 11/3/11 Sample Traffic Control Diagram – With Flaggers
A A Temporary Traffic Control Setup – With Flaggers
See table above, “Signage Location,” for “A” distance.
Flaggers must be able to effectively communicate with each other by verbal or hand signals.
04.06 – OTI Best Practices Manual 56 of 105 11/3/11 Section 5: Splicing Technique, Splice Trays, and Enclosures
Standard NAP Closure and ONT Fiber Splicing
Splice at ONT
04.06 – OTI Best Practices Manual 57 of 105 11/3/11 Fiber Management NAP / ONT Splice Tray
Fibers stored and routed per the closure design
Spliced fibers stored on bottom in tray.
Unused fibers stored on top in tray.
Fibers will be measured before splicing for uniform lengths and stored neatly.
All drop fibers will be on the same side of tray when the heat shrink sleeve is stored.
NAP Splice Tray
04.06 – OTI Best Practices Manual 58 of 105 11/3/11 Fiber Management NAP / ONT Splice Tray (cont’d)
ONT Splice Tray
04.06 – OTI Best Practices Manual 59 of 105 11/3/11 Fiber Optic Connector / Bulkhead Cleaning
Fiber optic connectors (pigtails) serve as a simple means of interconnecting parts of the fiber
optic cabling system. There are two types of “pigtails,” Ultra Physical Contact (UPC.) and
Angle Physical Contact (APC) UPC Connectors are typically blue in color. APC connectors
are typically green in color.
UPC APC Any contaminants on these connectors can easily disrupt the flow of light through the
system. A typical impact of a contaminated connector is an unexpected loss of light level
between the LCP / NAP and the ONT. The connectors can be contaminated in the field or
can come contaminated from the factory.
Always clean the connector before using. Cleaning is quick and easy utilizing a CLETOP
Cleaner. For UPC connectors, hold the connector at a 90 degree angle to the cleaning surface
and follow directions on the cleaner. For APC connectors, visually locate the angle on the
end of the connector, hold the connector at an angle to keep the end of the connector flat on
the cleaning surface, and follow directions on the cleaner.
CLETOP Fiber Connector Cleaner
04.06 – OTI Best Practices Manual 60 of 105 11/3/11 Bulkhead Cleaning
The LCP Cabinet is typically the place where the address fiber is “punched down” to
complete the connection to the Head End. Where the fiber optic connector / “pigtail” is
plugged in is known as a Bulkhead.
A connector is plugged into each side of the bulkhead and the light flows through the empty
space between them. The bulkhead serves to properly align the connectors for the light to
properly pass from one to the other.
Top view
Front View
Bulkhead
It is possible for the space inside the bulkhead to become contaminated by dust or other
contaminants. This will cause problem with the flow of light through the bulkhead and will thus
negatively impact light levels.
The preferred method is to remove the connectors on both sides of the bulkhead and use a can of
compressed air to clear out any contaminants. Standard office use compressed air is acceptable.
The bulkhead can also be cleaned with a specially manufactured swab. To clean the bulkhead
simply remove both connectors, push the swab directly through the bulkhead and straight back
out. There is no need to twist the swab going in or coming out as the liner of the bulkhead will
twist with the swab.
Bulkhead Cleaning Swab
04.06 – OTI Best Practices Manual 61 of 105 11/3/11 Verification of Light Level
WDM PON Meter After the ONT is installed and the splicing is completed the light signal must be checked at
the ONT to verify that all of the upstream splice points provide a light level that is within
specification. This is done correctly with a WDM PON (Wavelength Division Multiplexing
Passive Optical Network) Meter as seen above. WDM PONs are capable of transmitting
multiple signals on one light stream. This provides the capability of fiber optic systems to
carry Internet, Phone, Video, and return information across one fiber optic line. The multiple
signals travel at three different wavelengths on the fiber optic line. (See table below.).
Table: Typical WDM PON Wavelength Guide
Wavelength
Use
1310
Return signal
1490
Data (ie. internet and phone)
1550
Video
The three signals are bound together at the head end by equipment called a multiplexer. The
ONT then demultiplexes the lightstream via a “transceiver” back into the original signals.
The WDM PON Meter (as shown above) has the ability to verify all three wavelengths at the
same time. Each system will define its own acceptable limits due to design variations
between the systems.
04.06 – OTI Best Practices Manual 62 of 105 11/3/11 Splice Storage
Splice sleeves will be used on every splice and will be stored correctly.
ONT Splice
Closure Splice
Never hold splice tube in mouth prior to installing on fiber. Your breath can cause moisture
to collect inside tube.
Always allow splice tube to cool before handling.
Closures will be accessed as per their design and will be restored to the proper condition
upon completion of splice.
All trash will be picked up and placed in vehicle.
04.06 – OTI Best Practices Manual 63 of 105 11/3/11 Section 6: System Map Interpretation
Illustration: System Map
System maps are a valuable tool in correctly splicing fiber drops, troubleshooting, and
routing from the “best” available splice point.
Techs should study and become familiar with the maps available in their particular system.
In most locations, some type of system layouts are available showing LCC cabinet locations,
splice points, NAPs and their available fiber numbers.
The maps will also show underground vaults, drop vaults (hand holes), conduits and conduit
routing.
04.06 – OTI Best Practices Manual 64 of 105 11/3/11 Aerial Fiber Plant Maps
Aerial Fiber Plant
Aerial NAP Location
(4 fiber available: #’s 20-23)
04.06 – OTI Best Practices Manual 65 of 105 11/3/11 Underground Fiber Plant Maps
Underground Fiber Plant
Drop Vault Location Underground NAP Vault Location
(7 fibers available: #’s 1-7)
04.06 – OTI Best Practices Manual 66 of 105 11/3/11 Section 7: Fiber Splitter Location (LCC, HUB, AGG Point, etc.)
Typical LCC / LCP Cabinet
04.06 – OTI Best Practices Manual 67 of 105 11/3/11 Fiber Splitter Location (cont’d)
Organization
LCC / LCP cabinet will be kept clean. No fiber protector caps will be left in the cabinet or on the
ground
Fiber jumpers will be routed and kept neat and orderly per the cabinet design. No crisscrossing
or weaving.
When possible, pigtails will be used in sequence beginning with port #1 and progressing to port
#32.
Tyco Splitter Cabinet
04.06 – OTI Best Practices Manual 68 of 105 11/3/11 Fiber Splitter Location (cont’d)
Patch Cable Locations
Tyco Splitter Cabinet
Patched Splitter Leads 04.06 – OTI Best Practices Manual 1 x 32 Splitters (hidden behind cabinet panel) 69 of 105 Available Splitter Leads 11/3/11 Fiber Splitter Location (cont’d)
Alternative Illustration of Splitter Cabinet
04.06 – OTI Best Practices Manual 70 of 105 11/3/11 Fiber Splitter Location (cont’d)
Documentation
DOCUMENTATION IN CABINET WILL BE NEAT AND ACCURATE!!!!
Cabinet fiber management log entry
The data entered into the log will also be populated into fiber management software /
spreadsheet at the On Trac Operations Center.
04.06 – OTI Best Practices Manual 71 of 105 11/3/11 Typical Fiber Management Information Sheet
Typical Fiber Management Information
04.06 – OTI Best Practices Manual 72 of 105 11/3/11 III. Underground Drop Certification
PROCESS POINTS
Page
1
Locate Tickets
74
2
Fiber Routing
75
3
Machine and Hand Bury Techniques
76
4
Overhead to Underground Drops
79
5
Locate Wire
81
6
Conduit Pull Technique
82
7
Fiber and Cable Protection
84
04.06 – OTI Best Practices Manual 73 of 105 11/3/11 Section 1: Underground Locate Tickets
No underground drop buries will be performed without full adherence to ALL legal
requirements regarding underground locates. The On Trac Project Manager will assign a staff
member to register all locate ticket requirements with the proper authorities. Requirements
are controlled by state and local authorities. However, the marking codes are consistent
across the nation. The colors are as follows:
Table: APWA Uniform Color Code for Marking Underground
Utility Lines
Utility Line Color White Pink Red Yellow Orange Blue Purple Green Proposed Excavation Temporary Survey Markings Electrical Power Lines, Cables, Conduit and Lighting Cables Gas, Oil, Steam, Petroleum or Gaseous Materials Communication, Alarm or Signal Lines, Cables or Conduit Potable Water Reclaimed Water, Irrigation and Slurry Lines Sewer and Drain Lines 04.06 – OTI Best Practices Manual 74 of 105 11/3/11 Section 2: Standard Underground Fiber Drop Routing and Placement
Examples of Underground NAPs
The fiber drop must be routed from the designated NAP to the power service meter on the
outside of the building being connected.
Note: ONT location varies on business installs, typically in communications closet or
mechanical room.
Pedastal NAP (outside)
Pedastal NAP (Internal)
Vault NAP (closed)
Vault NAP (open)
04.06 – OTI Best Practices Manual 75 of 105 11/3/11 Section 3-A: Machine Bury
Check the work order and confirm that locates have been called in and are current.
Do not bury without current locates.
Recognize all utility locates and any other existing objects that might be in jeopardy.
Check with the property owner to determine if sprinkler system, invisible dog fences, electric
lines to out buildings, etc. could be in the path.
If the drop route crosses a utility locate mark, it must be “pot holed” or hand dug to locate the
depth of the line being crossed.
“Pot Hole” at Locate Line
If any other utility or any object is damaged-immediately notify
On Trac dispatch.
04.06 – OTI Best Practices Manual 76 of 105 11/3/11 Machine Bury (cont’d)
Machine bury depth must be maintained at 8”-10.”
Machine Bury
Minimum depth requirement applies to every inch of the run. It is not based on an average calculation.
It is important to monitor the depth of the blade as the machine moves across the ground. As the terrain
goes up and down the blade depth will need to be adjusted to compensate. If this is not monitored
closely it is highly likely that the drop will not meet the minimum depth requirement.
Although all public utilities are required to be located the home owner may have installed lines
underground that are not located. If the owner is home ask them about the existence of unlocated
underground lines. Examples of these are
o Drain lines (look for drain pipes running off of downspouts)
o Sewer lines (look for cleanouts in the yard or large areas of grass that seem to grow better than
others)
o Dog fences (look for marker flags or dog trails in the yard)
o Irrigation lines (look for control valves near the residence or sprinkler heads in the yard)
o Electric lines to out buildings (look for unexpected depressions in the yard)
04.06 – OTI Best Practices Manual 77 of 105 11/3/11 Section 3-B: Hand Bury
Hand bury portion next to house or vault must be maintained at 4”- 6.”
Hand Bury
The drop must be 4”- 6” under the ground. It is not acceptable for the drop simply to be
buried under 4” of mulch, rock, or other landscape material.
04.06 – OTI Best Practices Manual 78 of 105 11/3/11 Section 4: Overhead (OH) to Underground (UG) Drops
Overhead to UG drops require the fiber drop to be clipped down the pole from the NAP
to the UG portion with “U” guard placed over the drop where it enters the ground.
OH to UG Drop
“U” guard must be installed over the drop where it enters the ground. The “U” guard
must be 12” long with 3” buried and must be fastened at top and bottom.
The ends of the locate wire will be neatly and securely wrapped back over the U-guard
and secured to the top screw in the U-guard.
The drop is to be routed up the pole on the same side as the existing power service
conduit. This protects the drop from pole climbers and ladders.
The drop must be clipped at the bottom and top and at least 3 places in between.
04.06 – OTI Best Practices Manual 79 of 105 11/3/11 Overhead (OH) to Underground (UG) Drops (cont’d)
There are times when the drop will be direct buried and another crew will come behind to
finish running the overhead portion of the drop to the NAP. In these situations the
underground crew will need to determine how much fiber to leave at the pole and how to
temporarily attach the excess fiber to the pole.
How much fiber to leave.
o The system map will define to which NAP the drop will go.
o Establish amount of fiber to go up the pole.
o Add amount of fiber to reach the NAP from the pole.
o Add a buffer of 40’- 60.’
How to attach excess fiber to the pole.
o At the top of the U-guard install an E-clip.
o Coil up excess fiber.
o Allow coil of fiber to rest on the ground at the bottom of the pole yet leaving
enough fiber going up to the top of the U-guard at the E-clip to prevent ant
kinking or other damage to the fiber.
04.06 – OTI Best Practices Manual 80 of 105 11/3/11 Section 5: Locate Wire
“U-Guard” Protection at Premise
The ends of the locate wire will be neatly and securely wrapped back over the U-guard and
secured to the top screw in the U-guard.
04.06 – OTI Best Practices Manual 81 of 105 11/3/11 Section 6: Conduit Pull Technique
UG Routing Through Vaults / Hand Holes / Flower Pots
Most UG drops will be routed part way through existing conduits from the NAP vault to
hand holes. Check the conduit to verify it has an integral locate wire. If it does not, a #12
locate wire will be placed in the conduit with the fiber drop and will continue all the way to
the house being connected.
Drop Vault (Hand Hole)
Conduit from NAP with Pull Line, Locate Wire,
and Installed Drop
04.06 – OTI Best Practices Manual Conduit to Building with Locate Wire and Drop
82 of 105 11/3/11 UG Routing Through Vaults / Hand Holes / Flower Pots (cont’d)
Drop Vault With Pull Line
Most conduits will have a pre-installed pull line. If the pull line is used a replacement pull
line must be installed with your drop so the next drop will have the same option.
Entry to NAP and hand hole vaults will be made by tunneling under the unit NOT
THROUGH THE SIDE OF THE VAULT
All trash will be picked up and placed in vehicle
04.06 – OTI Best Practices Manual 83 of 105 11/3/11 Section 7: Fiber and Cable Protection
Underground Drop Exposure at Premise
“U-Guard” Protection at Premise
All UG drops will have the same “U” guard protection installed at the building. All UG drops
will also have U-Guard protection where the fiber transitions from the pole to the
underground conduit.
04.06 – OTI Best Practices Manual 84 of 105 11/3/11 IV – ARRIVAL / CUSTOMER INTERACTION
PROCESS POINTS
Process
Page
1. Introduction
86
2. Initial Contact
86
04.06 – OTI Best Practices Manual 85 of 105 11/3/11 Section 1: Introduction
The technician’s interface with the customer is of critical importance. In an effort to develop
interpersonal skills and maintain consistency On Trac is prescribing a standardized process in
how to approach the customer. However, this does not mean that the technician’s personality
cannot be expressed. The goal is not to produce clones. The desire is to help all technicians
develop a customer approach style that will serve both them and the customer in the best possible
manner.
Section 2: Initial Contact
1. Customer approach
a. Try to park where the customer can readily view the signage on your truck.
b. Appropriate dress / appearance
i. Clothing clean (use crawl suits in crawl spaces to keep clothes clean )
ii. On Trac shirt (and jacket if one is worn)
iii. On Trac hat if one is worn
iv. Clean shaven
v. No earrings
vi. No tattoos showing
c. Have ID showing (name badge if possible and/or On Trac Logo on shirt or jacket.)
d. Have work order in your hand where the customer can see it
e. Greet customer using their name (as on work order)
f. Do not impose on the customer’s personal space. Each person has an approximate
three foot diameter space around them that they consider their personal space. Most
people become quite uncomfortable when someone besides a loved one invades this
space.
g. Speak clearly and loudly enough for the customer to easily understand you. However,
do not be gruff or overbearing in tone.
h. Introduce yourself (first and last name)
i. Use a firm but not harsh handshake
j. Maintain good eye contact
k. State who you are with and why you are present
l. If a minor is present with no adult – DO NOT go into the premise. Immediately
contact the On Trac office for resolution (adult may be on the way, job may be
rescheduled, etc.)
04.06 – OTI Best Practices Manual 86 of 105 11/3/11 m. Customer with inappropriate dress that might put technician in a compromising
position, immediately contact the On Trac office for resolution (reschedule, etc)
2. Establish baseline for work to be performed
Note: There are a number of reasons to establish a baseline of work. First, any
non-functional devices (phones, video outlets, problematic computers) can be
detected before the installation begins. Second, the technician can use this
opportunity to get approval from the customer for any aesthetics / house wrap
issues that will need to be done to complete the installation. Third, this
provides an opportunity to make the customer aware of the costs of any extra
work that might need to be done (ie additional wall fishes.) These activities
help to manage both the customer’s and the technician’s expectations
regarding the install. This will help to eliminate many of the post install
complaints from customers (ie “I didn’t know you were going to screw that
ugly black cable to the outside of my home”) and prevent the installer from
having to fix problems that the technician did not cause (ie “this phone outlet
worked before you got here.”)
a. Verify work order information / functioning of current equipment
i. Video
1. Type of service (basic, expanded, gold, etc)
2. Quantity of outlets
3. Location of outlets
4. Type and quantity of set-top boxes
5. Verify functioning of each TV (esp. low, mid, and high channel
picture quality)
ii. Internet
1. Speed
2. Quantity of outlets
3. Location of outlets
4. Verify functioning of current computer connected to internet (with
router in place if it exists.)
5. Verify continuity of all existing cabling that will be used
6. Will the customer need an e-mail account setup? If so, forward any
pertinent info to office so that head end may set up account.
iii. Phone
1. DOES THE CUSTOMER HAVE A MONITORED SECURITY
SYSTEM? If so, have customer contact monitoring company to verify
04.06 – OTI Best Practices Manual 87 of 105 11/3/11 proper functioning and to notify them that the system will be going
down shortly. AFTER INSTALL have customer verify proper
functioning of security system.
2. Quantity of jacks
3. Location of jacks
4. Verify dial tone and quality of sound at each phone that exists
5. Verify dial tone at all other outlets
iv. Equipment
1. Review installation points
2. Describe for the customer where the equipment will be located (esp
any interior UPS)
v. Questions – Provide the customer an opportunity to ask any questions that
they may have BEFORE the installation begins.
The customer should be involved in, or at least be informed, at each step of the process. This will
help to maintain customer satisfaction by preventing dissatisfaction at the end of the install.
04.06 – OTI Best Practices Manual 88 of 105 11/3/11 I verify that I have received a copy of the documents listed below and have attended a meeting to
discuss them. I understand all the procedures and agree to abide by them.
Yes
No
Score
Document
Premise Certification
Fusion Splicing Certification
Underground Drop Certification
Arrival / Customer Interaction
Place a checkmark in Yes or No position for each document.
Technician Name (Print)
04.06 – OTI Best Practices Manual Technician Signature
89 of 105 Date
11/3/11 CERTIFICATES OF ACHIEVEMENT
On Trac awards various Certificates of Achievement to technicians as they are judged to be
proficient in the disciplines.
There are four different Certificates of Achievement that may be earned:
o Premise Certification
o Fusion Splicing Certification
o Underground Drop Certification
o Customer Interaction
Illustrations of these certifications may be seen on the following pages.
04.06 – OTI Best Practices Manual 90 of 105 11/3/11 Premise Certification
04.06 – OTI Best Practices Manual 91 of 105 11/3/11 Fusion Splicing Certification
= 04.06 – OTI Best Practices Manual 92 of 105 11/3/11 Underground Drop Certification
04.06 – OTI Best Practices Manual 93 of 105 11/3/11 Customer Interaction Certification
04.06 – OTI Best Practices Manual 94 of 105 11/3/11 APPENDIX I: Tables
Table: CatX Utilization and Bandwidth ________________________________________ 18 Table: Voice Lines / Colors ___________________________________________________ 18 Table: Coax Cable Signal Loss ________________________________________________ 27 Table: Coax Splitters ________________________________________________________ 30 Table: General PON Architecture _____________________________________________ 46 Table: Overhead Clearances _________________________________________________ 47 Table: General Street Crossing Requirements ___________________________________ 53 Table: Subdivision / Low Traffic Volume Street Crossing _________________________ 53 Table: Busy Road / Multi-lane Road Crossing (Higher Traffic Volume) _____________ 54 Table: Typical WDM PON Wavelength Guide __________________________________ 62 Table: APWA Uniform Color Code for Marking Underground Utility Lines _________ 74 04.06 – OTI Best Practices Manual 95 of 105 11/3/11 APPENDIX II: For Further Reading
DWDM http://www.cisco.com/univercd/cc/td/doc/product/mels/cm1500/dwdm/dw
dm_ovr.htm FTTH
Council
Website http://www.ftthcouncil.org/ FTTH
Explained http://www.iec.org/online/tutorials/fiber_home/topic06.html
FTTH
Networking
and Concepts http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/FTTP Optical Fiber http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fiber_optic Terminology http://www.fiber-optics.info/glossary-d.htm Terminology http://www.outsideplantsoftware.com/telecommunications-glossary-a.asp Terminology http://www.commsdesign.com/glossary/define.htm 04.06 – OTI Best Practices Manual 96 of 105 11/3/11 GLOSSARY: Common Telecom / Fiber Optic Terms
Term
Description
10 Base-T
Local Area Network (LAN) functioning at 10Mbps
100 Base-T
Local Area Network (LAN) functioning at 100Mbps
1000 Base T
Local Area Network (LAN) functioning at 1000Mbps (1 Gigabit per second (Gbps))
66 Block
a punch-down block used to connect wiring for telephone systems and other low-speed and
low-voltage wiring applications, typically for business with multiple lines and multiple
phones.
A/D or ADC
Analog-to-digital converter. A device used to
convert analog signals to digital signals.
ADSS
All Dielectric Self Supporting (cable). A non-metallic fiber optic cable that does not have
to be installed with the assistance of a support strand. The ADSS cable supports its own
weight via a non-metallic, internal strength member.
Aerial Plant
Cable that is suspended in the air on telephone or electric utility poles.
Analog
A continuously variable signal. Opposite of digital.
AON
Active Optical Network – a fiber optic data transmission system that relies on some sort of
electrically powered equipment to distribute the signal, such as a switch, router, or
multiplexer. Each signal leaving the central office is directed only to the customer for
which it is intended. Incoming signals from the customers avoid colliding at the
intersection because the powered equipment there provides buffering.
APC
Acronym for manufacturer of UPS Units, American Power Conversion.
APON
The original PON specifications set by FSAN and ratified by the ITU-T as G.983.1 (1998).
APON specifies asynchronous transfer mode (ATM) as the Data Link Layer protocol.
APON runs in asymmetric mode at a signaling rate of 622 Mbps downstream and 155
Mbps upstream, or in symmetric mode at 155 Mbps.The more contemporary broadband
passive optical network (BPON) is an APON variant
ASTM
Abbreviation for American Society for Testing and Materials. An organization that
provides a forum for the development and publication of voluntary consensus standards for
materials, products, systems, and services that serve as a basis for manufacturing,
procurement, and regulatory activities.
ATM
Asynchronoous Transfer Mode. A transmission standard widely used by the telecom
industry. A digital transmission switching format with cells containing 5 bytes of header
information followed by 48 data bytes. Part of the B-ISDN standard.
Backreflection
A term applied to any process in the cable plant that causes light to change directions in a
fiber and return to the source. Occurs most often at connector interfaces where a glass-air
interface causes a reflection.
Bandwidth
The range of frequencies within which a fiber optic waveguide or terminal device can
04.06 – OTI Best Practices Manual 97 of 105 11/3/11 transmit data or information.
Bending Loss
Attenuation caused by high-order modes radiating from the outside of a fiber optic
waveguide which occur when the fiber is bent around a small radius.
BPON
An ATM-based PON specification described in ITU-T G.983.3 (2001) and based on the
original APON (ATM-base PON) specifications ratified by the ITU-T in 1998. BPON runs
in asymmetric mode at 622 Mbps downstream and 155 Mbps upstream, or in symmetric
mode at 155 Mbps over a distance of as much as 20 kilometers (12 miles). BPON supports
as many as 32 splits, that is, splitters can divide the signal to serve as many as 32 premises
from a single optical fiber. BPON employs wavelength division multiplexing (WDM) for
downstream transmission, with as many as 16 wavelengths with 200 GHz spacing and 32
wavelengths with 100 GHz spacing between channels. BPON provides for enhanced
security through a technique known as churning in which the encryption key is changed at
least once a second between the Optical Line Terminal (OLT) at the headend and the
Optical Network Terminal (ONT) at the customer premises. PON variants also include
Ethernet-based PON (EPON), and gigabit PON (GPON).
Broadband
a signaling method that includes or handles a relatively wide range of frequencies, which
may be divided into channels or frequency bins
Butt Set
a special type of telephone used by technicians for installing and testing local loop
telephone lines.
Butt Splice
A joining of two fibers without optical connectors arranged end-to-end by means of
splicing.
Cabinet
A structure where communication transmission lines are crosconnected between the Head
End and the Premise location.
Cable Television
Communications system that distributes broadcast and non-broadcast signals as well as a
multiplicity of satellite signals, original programming and other signals by means of a
coaxial cable and/or optical fiber.
Cat
ANSI/EIA (American National Standards Institute/Electronic Industries Association)
Standard 568 is one of several standards that specify "categories" (the singular is
commonly referred to as "CAT") of twisted pair cabling systems, such as wires, junctions,
and connectors.
Cat5
Cat 5, short for Category 5, is the current preferred industry standard for network
and telephone wiring. Cat 5 is an unshielded twisted pair type cable exclusively
designed for high signal integrity. The cable consists of four pairs of 24-guage
twisted copper pairs terminating in an RJ-45 jack. If a wire is certified as Category
5 and not just twisted pair wire, then it will have "Cat 5" printed on the shielding.
The actual Cat 5 standard describes specific electrical properties of the wire, but
Cat 5 is most widely known as being rated for its Ethernet capability of 100 Mbit/s.
Category 5 cable comes with three twists per inch of each twisted pair of 24 gauge
copper wires within the cable. The twisting of the cable helps to decrease electrical
interference and crosstalk.
http://www.tech-faq.com/cat-5.shtml
Cat5e
an enhanced version of Cat5 that adds specifications for far end crosstalk. It was formally
defined in 2001 as the TIA/EIA-568-B standard, which no longer recognizes the original
04.06 – OTI Best Practices Manual 98 of 105 11/3/11 Cat 5 specification. Although 1000BASE-T was designed for use with Cat 5 cable, the
tighter specifications associated with Cat 5e cable and connectors make it an excellent
choice for use with 1000BASE-T. Despite the stricter performance specifications, Cat 5e
cable does not enable longer cable distances for Ethernet networks: cables are still limited
to a maximum of 100 m (328 ft) in length
CATV
Originally an abbreviation for community antenna television; the term now typically refers
to cable television.Communications system that distributes broadcast and non-broadcast
signals as well as a multiplicity of satellite signals, original programming and other signals
by means of a coaxial cable and/or optical fiber.
Cladding
Material that surrounds the core of an optical fiber. Its lower index of refraction, compared
to that of the core, causes the transmitted light to travel down the core.
CLEC
Competitive Local Exchange Carrier. A new telecommunications company in an area
attempting to take business from the ILEC.
Climbing Violation
Installing hardware or cabling on a pole in a manner that would interfere with a climber’s
ability to climb the pole. Typically, all equipment is installed on a single side of the pole to
leave one side clear for those who need to climb the pole.
CO
Central Office. A physical building used to house inside plant equipment including
telephone switches, which make telephone calls "work" in the sense of making connections
and relaying the speech information.
Concentricity
The measurement of how well-centered the core is within the cladding.
Customer Premises
Equipment
Equipment on the install premise that are owned by the customer. This is typically any
equipment that is beyond the demarc.
dB
A unit of measurement indicating relative power on a logarithmic scale. Often expressed in
reference to a fixed value such as dBm (decibel relative to milliwatt.)
Demarc
The interface point between the premise wiring and the service provider’s wiring.
Dielectric
Any substance in which an electric field may be maintained with zero or near-zero power
dissipation. This term usually refers to non-metallic materials
Digital
A signal that consists of discrete states. A binary signal has only two states, 0 and 1.
Antonym of analog.
Drop
Fiber Optic cable connecting the ONT at the Premise to its NAP.
DSL
Digital Subscriber Line. Abbreviation for digital subscriber line. In an integrated systems
digital network (ISDN), equipment that provides full-duplex service on a single twisted
metallic pair at a rate sufficient to support ISDN basic access and additional framing,
timing recovery, and operational functions. See also ISDN.
Duplex (Full Duplex)
Full duplex is a transmission path capable of transmitting signals in both directions
Simultaneously.
DWDM
Dense Wavelength Division Multiplexing. See WDM.
Ethernet
Ethernet is the most widely-installed local area network ( LAN) technology.
Frequency
Frequency is the number of occurrences of a repeating event per unit time.
04.06 – OTI Best Practices Manual 99 of 105 11/3/11 FSAN
Full Service Access Network Group. An organization created by a group of service
providers in order to facilitate the creation of suitable access network equipment standards
and hence reduce the price of affordable equipment.
FTTB
Fiber To The Business
FTTC
Fiber To The Curb
FTTH
Fiber To The Home
FTTN
Fiber To The Node/Network
FTTP
Fiber To The Premise – typically a term used to describe FTTH and FTTB
Gateway
Definition: A network gateway is an internetworking system capable of joining together
two networks that use different base protocols. A network gateway can be implemented
completely in software, completely in hardware, or as a combination of both.
GHz
In wireless communications, the term "Hz" (pronounced Hertz after the name of 19th
century scientist Heinrich Hertz) refers to the transmission frequency of radio signals in
cycles per second. 1 MHz (Megahertz) equals one million cycles per second, while 1 GHz
(Gigahertz) equals one billion cycles per second or 1000 MHz
GPON
The PON specification described by the ITU-T in G.984 (2004), GPON operates in both
asymmetric and symmetric configurations, and currently supports signaling rates as high as
2.488 Gbps with a maximum logical reach of approximately 60 kilometers (37 miles).
GPON supports as many as 32 or 64 splits, that is, splitters can divide the signal to serve as
many as 32 or 64 premises from a single optical fiber, and expectations are that as many as
128 splits will be supported in the future. At full speed of 2.488 Gbps with the current
maximum of 64 splits, each premise has access to sustained bandwidth of more than 35
Mbps, which is far beyond that offered by other access technologies. GPON supports
voice, data, and video in ATM format. GPON also supports voice in native PCM/TDM
format and data in Ethernet format, and employs wavelength division multiplexing (WDM)
for downstream transmission. GPON specifies advanced encryption standard (AES) to
secure downstream transmissions. PON variants also include ATM-based PON (APON),
broadband PON (BPON), and Ethernet-based PON (EPON).
Half Duplex
Half duplex is a transmission path capable of transmitting signals in both directions, but
only in one direction at a time.
Hang and Light
An On Trac term referring to Hanging a drop and installing and providing Light to the
ONT via splicing in the NAP and the ONT.
Head End
a master facility for receiving television and signals for processing and distribution over a
fiber optic system.
HFC
Hybrid-Fiber-Coax
Hybrid Fiber-Coax
A hybrid fiber coaxial (HFC) network is a telecommunication technology in which optical
fiber cable and coaxial cable are used in different portions of a network to carry broadband
content (such as video, data, and voice). Using HFC, a local CATV company installs fiber
optic cable from the cable head-end (distribution center) to serving nodes located close to
business and residential users and from these nodes uses coaxial cable to individual
businesses and homes.
04.06 – OTI Best Practices Manual 100 of 105 11/3/11 ILEC
Incumbent Local Exchange Carrier. See also CLEC
Intranet
A network within a company or organization that employs the same protocol as the
Internet. One can think an intranet as a private version of the Internet that allows people
within an organization to exchange information and data and is usually protected by a
firewall.
IP
Internet Protocol.
IP Address
Is the address of a computer on a TCP/IP (Transmission Control Protocol/Internet
Protocol) network. IP addresses are written as four groups of numbers separated by
periods. An example of an IP address is 192.168.2.36
LAN
Local Area Network. A local area network (LAN) supplies networking capability to a
group of computers in close proximity to each other such as in an office building, a school,
or a home. A LAN is useful for sharing resources like files, printers, games or other
applications.
LCP
Local Convergence Point. Crossconnection point between Head End and Premise that
allows for connection or disconnection of services...
MAN
Metropolitan Area Network. A MAN is optimized for a larger geographical area than a
LAN, ranging from several blocks of buildings to entire cities. MANs can also depend on
communications channels of moderate-to-high data rates. A MAN might be owned and
operated by a single organization, but it usually will be used by many individuals and
organizations. MANs might also be owned and operated as public utilities. They will often
provide means for internetworking of local networks. Metropolitan area networks can span
up to 50km, devices used are modem and wire/cable
MDU
Multiple-dwelling Unit. ie. apartments, townhouses, duplexes.
MHz
In wireless communications, the term "Hz" (pronounced Hertz after the name of 19th
century scientist Heinrich Hertz) refers to the transmission frequency of radio signals in
cycles per second. 1 MHz (Megahertz) equals one million cycles per second.
Modulation
Modulation is the process of varying certain parameters of a carrier signal i.e., a signal
suitable for modulation by an information signal by means of another signal (the
modulating or information bearing signal).
Multimode Fiber
A type of optical fiber with a relatively thick inner core that allows light rays to propagate
along multiple modes, or physical paths, through the fiber. The number of modes is
sensitive to the core diameter, the numerical aperture (NA), and the wavelength. A core
diameter that is large in relationship to the wavelength supports a large number of modes.
Multimode Optical
Fiber(S)
Multimode fibers, with much wider cores than single mode fibers, allow light to enter at
various angles, and reflect (bounce off of) core-clad boundaries as electromagnetic (light)
wave propagates from transmitter to receiver. From a technical performance trade-off point
of view, single mode fiber exhibits bandwidths of up to 100,000 MHz (MHz = 1,000,000
hertz or cycles per second = one megahertz) while multimode band width is in the range of
1,000 to 2,000 MHz (1,000 MHz = one billion hertz = one gigahertz = 1 GHz). See optical
fiber(s); single mode fiber(s).
Multiplexing
Multiplexing is a technique that enables a number of communications channels to be
combined into a single broadband signal and transmitted over a single circuit. At the
receiving terminal, demultiplexing of the broadband signal separates and recovers the
original channels. Multiplexing makes more efficient use of transmission capacity to
04.06 – OTI Best Practices Manual 101 of 105 11/3/11 achieve a low per channel cost. Two basic multiplexing methods used in
telecommunications systems, are frequency division multiplexing (FDM) and time division
multiplexing (TDM).
NAP
Network Access Point. Location where the actual fibers that comprise a part of the fiber
optic network may be readily accessed. These are typically used for splicing drops into the
fiber optic network or splicing different sections of the fiber optic network that come
together or split off at a particular location.
NOC
Network Operations Center
Node
an active electronic device that is attached to a network, and is capable of sending,
receiving, or forwarding information over a communications channel.[1] A node is a
connection point, either a redistribution point or a communication endpoint (some terminal
equipment).
OLT
Optical Line Terminal. Equipment that serves as the origination point for FTTH
transmissions.
ONT
Optical Network Terminal - In a passive optical network (PON), the device that terminates
the optical local loop at the customer premises in a fiber-to-the-premises (FTTP) scenario.
The ONT serves as a media converter, interfacing the optical fiber to the copper-based
inside wire. The ONT is an addressable device that recognizes and accepts downstream
data addressed to it specifically, ignoring all other data. The ONT is synchronized with the
optical line terminal (OLT) at the network edge and is assigned time slots for usergenerated upstream data, which it buffers as necessary.
ONU
Optical Network Unit. In a passive optical network (PON), the device that terminates the
optical circuit in a remote network node in a fiber-to-the-curb (FTTC) or fiber-to-theneighborhood (FTTN) scenario. The ONU serves as a media converter, interfacing the
fiber circuit to embedded copper in the form of unshielded twisted pair (UTP) in a telco
network and coaxial cable in a CATV network. The ONU physically is positioned between
the optical line terminal (OLT) at the network edge and the optical network terminal
(ONT) at the customer premises.
Optical Fiber
A slender strand of transparent glass or plastic specially
constructed to serve as a dielectric conductor, or
waveguide, of infrared (IR) light in a fiber optic
transmission system (FOTS).The fiber generally is one of
many types of glass optical fiber (GOF). GOF offers the
advantage of very low signal attenuation over long
distances, in support of signaling rates that currently are as
high as 40 Gbps per lambda, or wavelength.
Outside Plant
all cables, conduits, ducts, poles, towers, repeaters, repeater huts, and other equipment
located between a demarcation point in a switching facility and a demarcation point in
another switching center or customer premises.
Poll
Program a TV Set-Top Box
PON
Passive Optical Network - is a point-to-multipoint, fiber to the premises network
architecture in which unpowered optical splitters are used to enable a single optical fiber to
serve multiple premises,
POP
Point of Presence
04.06 – OTI Best Practices Manual 102 of 105 11/3/11 POTS
Plain Old Telephone Service. the voice-grade telephone service that remains the basic form
of residential and small business service connection to the telephone network in most parts
of the world. The name is a reflection of the telephone service still available after the
advent of more advanced forms of telephony such as ISDN, mobile phones and VoIP.
Quad Shield
A type of RG-6. It has four layers of shielding, regular RG-6 only has one or two
Reflection
A term applied to any process in the cable plant that causes light to change directions in a
fiber and return to the source. Occurs most often at connector interfaces where a glass-air
interface causes a reflection.
RF
Radio Frequency
RG-59
used to carry baseband video in closed-circuit television, previously used for cable
television. Generally it has poor shielding but will carry an HQ HD signal or video over
short distances.
RG-6
low loss at high frequency for cable television, satellite television and cable modems
Router
Traditional routers are designed to join multiple area networks (LANs and WANs).
Routers serve as intermediate destinations for network traffic. They receive TCP/IP
packets, look inside each packet to identify the source and target IP addresses, then
forward these packets as needed to ensure the data reaches its final destination.
Router
Routers are physical devices that join multiple wired or wireless networks together.
Routers
In IEEE 802 local area network (LAN) standards, routers are devices that connect
autonomous networks of like architecture at the network layer (layer 3). Unlike a bridge
which operates transparently to communicating end-terminals at the logical link layer
(layer 2), a router reacts only to packets addressed to it by either a terminal or another
router. Routers perform packet (as opposed to frame) routing and forwarding functions;
they can select one of many potential paths based on transit delay, network congestion or
other criteria. How routers perform their functions is largely determined by the protocols
implemented in the networks they interconnect.
ScTP
Screened Twisted Pair. The simplest form of shielded twisted pair (STP) copper cable,
ScTP comprises multiple insulated pairs enclosed in a common metallic shield that is
encased in a thermoplastic cable jacket. The shield typically consists of helically or
longitudinally applied plastic and aluminum laminated solid tape, although it may consist
of a woven mesh, and steel or copper also may be used. An uninsulated steel or tinned
copper conductor in contact with the shield serves as a drain wire, ensuring that the
continuity of the shield remains intact in the event that the tape is broken or cracked. The
shield absorbs ambient energy and conducts it to ground through the drain wire, thereby
protecting the signal transmitted through the center conductors. The shield also serves to
confine the electromagnetic field associated with the transmitted signal within the core
conductors, thereby reducing signal loss and maintaining signal strength over a longer
distance.
SDU
Single-dwelling Units. Typical stand alone houses.
Server
In a network, a server is equipment that makes available file, database, printing, facsimile,
communications or other services to client terminals/stations with access to the network. A
gateway is a server that permits client terminal/station access to external communications
networks and/or information systems.
04.06 – OTI Best Practices Manual 103 of 105 11/3/11 Service Order
a record that describes a customer request to establish, change, or terminate a service. The
service order contains all information required to meet a customer's needs.
Signal Leakage
the passage of electromagnetic fields through the shield of a cable and occurs in both
directions. Ingress is the passage of an outside signal into the cable and can result in noise
and disruption of the desired signal. Egress is the passage of signal intended to remain
within the cable into the outside world and can result in a weaker signal at the end of the
cable and radio frequency interference to near by devices.
Single Mode Optical
Fiber
Single mode optical fibers have sufficiently small core diameters in relation to the
wavelength (frequency) of operation that electromagnetic (light) wave is constrained to
travel in only one transverse path from transmitter to receiver. This requires the utmost in
angular alignment of light emitting devices at points where light enters the fiber and results
in higher transmitter/termination costs than multimode fiber systems. See multimode
optical fiber(s).
Single mode Fiber
A type of glass optical fiber (GOF) with a very thin inner core that forces light rays to
propagate along a single mode, or physical path, through the fiber.
SMTP
Simple Mail Transfer Protocol. Method by which e-mail is delivered from one computer to
another.
SONET
Synchronous Optical Network
Splice
Joining two fiber optic cables together via electric or plasma fusion.
Splice Box
Typically a plastic box mounted on the outside of the premise in which the connections
between the service providers phone or video lines are connected to those of the premise.
This provides some protection from weather and vandalism.
Splitter
A device that divides one coax input into multiple outputs
Station Line Cable
A non-twisted, four conductor cable (Red, Green, Black, Yellow) (aka “JK” cable)
STP
Shielded Twisted Pair. a copper cable configuration comprising a metallic foil shield that
surrounds each insulated pair, of which there may be several.
Switch
A network switch is a small hardware device that joins multiple computers together within
one local area network (LAN). Switches are incapable of joining multiple networks or
sharing an Internet connection. A home network with a switch must designate one
computer as the gateway to the Internet, and that device must possess two network adapters
for sharing, one for the home LAN and one for the Internet WAN. With a router, all home
computers connect to the router equally, and it performs the equivalent gateway functions.
TCP/IP
Transmission control protocol/internet protocol. TCP/IP is the transport layer and Internet
layer, respectively, of the Internet suite of protocols. TCP corresponds to layer 4 of the OSI
protocol stack: IP performs some of the functions of layer 3. It is a connectionless protocol
used primarily to connect dissimilar networks to each other.
Telecommunications
Closet
In a premises distribution system, a telecommunications closet is an area for connecting the
horizontal and backbone wiring and for containing active or passive PDS equipment.
Twisted Pair
Twisted pair is the most common type of transmission medium, consisting of two insulated
copper wires twisted together. The twists or lays are varied in length to reduce the potential
for interference between pairs. In cables greater than 25 pair, the twisted pairs are grouped
04.06 – OTI Best Practices Manual 104 of 105 11/3/11 and bound together in a common cable sheath.
Unshielded Twisted
Pair
UTP is a pair of two plastic insulated copper conductors (wires), twisted together into
pairs, capable of propagating electromagnetic waves. The twists, or lays, are varied in
length to reduce the potential for signal interference between pairs, in multi-pair cables.
Wire sizes range from 26 to l9 gauge (i.e., 0.016 to 0.036 inch in diameter) and are
typically manufactured in cables of from 2 to 3600 pairs. Shielded twisted pair cable is
similar to UTP, but the twisted pairs are surrounded by a cylindrical metallic conductor
that is clad with an insulating sheath.
UTP
Unshielded Twisted Pair. A pair of copper conductors, separately insulated by a dielectric
material and smoothly twisted in a helix
Virtual Private
Network
VPNs are services using public network facilities augmented by network control point and
service management system facilities wherein traffic is routed through the public network
under computer control in a manner that makes VPN service indistinguishable from
dedicated facilities based private networks. Customers can define, change and control
network resources with the same or more flexibility as afforded by facilities based private
networks.
VPN
Virtual Private Network
WAN
Wide Area Network. (ie. the internet)
WDM
Wavelength Division Multiplexing. A multiplexing technique by which multiple
wavelengths of light, or lambdas, share a single optical fiber. Wavelength division
multiplexing is essentially frequency division multiplexing (FDM) at the optical level.
Much as multiple electrical frequencies can coexist on an electrified copper circuit in
support of multiple, simultaneous conversations in a FDM transmission system, multiple
wavelengths can coexist on a single fiber of the appropriate type in a WDM system. A
number of carriers now routinely deploy dense wavelength division multiplexing (DWDM)
on fiber optic systems, introducing eight or more lambdas into an optical fiber through the
use of tunable, cooled lasers firing through windows, or wavelength ranges
WIMAX
Worldwide Interoperability for Microwave Access. A broadband wireless access (BWA)
solution based on the standards recommendations from the IEEE 802.16 Working Group
and the European Telecommunications Standards Institute (ETSI) HiperMAN group.
WiMAX is promoted by the WiMAX Forum, a special interest group with members from
the manufacturing, carrier, service provider, and consulting communities. Where line of
sight (LOS) can be achieved, the WiMAX cell radius is as much as 50 kilometers (31
miles). Under non-line of sight (NLOS) conditions, the maximum cell radius is
approximately 9 kilometers (5.6 miles).
Work Order
a record that describes a customer request to establish, change, or terminate a service. The
service order contains all information required to meet a customer's needs.
04.06 – OTI Best Practices Manual 105 of 105 11/3/11