dslreports logo
 
    All Forums Hot Topics Gallery
spc
Search similar:


uniqs
397
H_T_R_N (banned)
join:2011-12-06
Valencia, PA

H_T_R_N (banned)

Member

Fiber to the desk.

What are you guys using for wall plates/outlets? I mainly do SC connections but would like to clean up some of the mounts I have been using.
cramer
Premium Member
join:2007-04-10
Raleigh, NC

1 recommendation

cramer

Premium Member

I've never seen anyone run fiber to desks.

Personally, I'd use ST, or LC. Anything other than LC is very likely going to require custom cables to be usable at the desk. (I have virtually no SC equipment anymore.)
H_T_R_N (banned)
join:2011-12-06
Valencia, PA

H_T_R_N (banned)

Member

said by cramer:

I've never seen anyone run fiber to desks.

Personally, I'd use ST, or LC. Anything other than LC is very likely going to require custom cables to be usable at the desk. (I have virtually no SC equipment anymore.)

We already have SC to the desks now, bad planning from the original install but its what I have to work with.
LittleBill
join:2013-05-24

1 recommendation

LittleBill

Member

why was fiber run in the first place? and how are they connecting to the desktop, are you using fiber cards?

keyboard5684
Sam
join:2001-08-01
Pittsburgh, PA

1 recommendation

keyboard5684 to H_T_R_N

Member

to H_T_R_N
Fiber to the desks are pointless. Wondering why that would be done?

There was one company I consulted with that had done that.
They ended up abandoning the fiber. Fiber cards for desktops/laptops were too expensive compared to just running copper cable. Also, the core switching was way to expensive to support bandwidth that just is never needed.

If you are stuck with it, then what is wrong with SC? The big issue I see is that a lot of things happen around desks that will destroy any fiber you connect up anyways - sooo, whatever is cheaper?

The only thing that really matters is the card in the desktop.

tubbynet
reminds me of the danse russe
MVM
join:2008-01-16
Gilbert, AZ

1 recommendation

tubbynet

MVM

said by keyboard5684:

Wondering why that would be done?

while not necessarily the op's case -- fttd is quite common in the fedgov/secure network space.
there are mandates where networked devices cannot be attached via copper, due to the ability to glean information from the emi of the cable.

q.

keyboard5684
Sam
join:2001-08-01
Pittsburgh, PA

1 recommendation

keyboard5684

Member

Really? I have never seen it in any government facility, but maybe I have not done enough work for government entities?

Wireless I could see, but ethernet? I would think the same risk exists with fiber since you could just passively listen to light. You would need to be close enough to cut it to listen to it (and gain any valuable information). I guess with anything government, it does not have to make sense to be a policy.

End to end encryption (PC to server and beyond) is probably the best solution and required anymore.

tubbynet
reminds me of the danse russe
MVM
join:2008-01-16
Gilbert, AZ

1 recommendation

tubbynet

MVM

said by keyboard5684:

but maybe I have not done enough work for government entities?

secure networks.
things like sipr, etc -- all require it. most of these networks are running on 100base-fx. no wireless. no copper. both are much more easily sniffed than fiber.
this is combined with a lot of other access controls, including both data at-rest and in-flight encryption.

q.
H_T_R_N (banned)
join:2011-12-06
Valencia, PA

1 recommendation

H_T_R_N (banned) to keyboard5684

Member

to keyboard5684
said by keyboard5684:

Fiber to the desks are pointless. Wondering why that would be done?

Serial to fiber converters for controllers, printing and displays.
cramer
Premium Member
join:2007-04-10
Raleigh, NC
Westell 6100
Cisco PIX 501

1 recommendation

cramer to keyboard5684

Premium Member

to keyboard5684
I'm with you. I'll have to check with a few buddies who still work in those worlds.

I wouldn't put it past the .gov to not know about this stuff called "shielded cable". As for tapping fiber, there have been a few famous reports of the navy tapping undersea trunks. Optical taps are easily detected -- the link is broken when it's installed, or part of the signal is lost due to a "bend escape" tap. (.mil still uses those freaky hardware line encryptors that self-destruct at the mere thought of tampering.)
LittleBill
join:2013-05-24

1 recommendation

LittleBill

Member

how exactly does shielded cable stop a vampire tap?

optical can be tapped. and considering that links under the ocean prolly break more then you can imagine, very easy to tap as well...

get your tin foil hat on!
cramer
Premium Member
join:2007-04-10
Raleigh, NC
Westell 6100
Cisco PIX 501

1 recommendation

cramer

Premium Member

It doesn't (nor does fiber.) If an attacker has physical access to the cable(s), you have other problems.

Undersea cables do break from time to time, but when they do, they don't self-repair and start working again 10min later. And such breaks are relatively rare events. (most common breaks happen near shore where anchors tend to rip them up.)
LittleBill
join:2013-05-24

LittleBill

Member

ok if we are playing out this stupid scenario, don't you think they know this.

why would they not drag an anchor across the line 50 miles away, and while its getting repaired, they are splicing in a tap down the line at the same time? i mean that took me 4 seconds to think up... not everyone is a retard
cramer
Premium Member
join:2007-04-10
Raleigh, NC

cramer

Premium Member

a) This is our gov at work. b) He who drags it up pays for the damage.

(The NSA style would be to wait for someone else to drag it up, and be the repair crew.)