Best Practices for Fiber-Optic Cabling Installation

• The most appropriate route for each cable. This could be regarding the existing cable runs or in respect of the proposed newly installed cable housings. It will generally be more cost-effective to use existing infrastructure, but the decision depends on the amount of space in the existing housing and on the condition of the housing. Also, an existing cabling route may take a longer path and the extra cabling costs associated with this may exceed the costs of installing a new route.
  
• The need to run the cables in cable trays, underground, in rooftops or as aerial cables.
  
• The condition of existing cable housings. (Whether costly maintenance is required before new cables are installed.) Is there any potential danger that could cause damage to the cable because of the poor condition of housings? For example, are the housings prone to be affected by flooding?
  
• Whether there are any locations that need special attention. Should tradesmen with special skills be deployed to carry out the job? Are there any locations that could subject cables to extreme temperatures? If so, provision is necessary to use fire or explosion-proof cables.
  
• Are there locations that could subject cables to possible physical damage? If so, provision is necessary to provide appropriate steel armored cables.
  
• Would the cable route run near high-power cables? If so, ensure that the fiber optic cable does not contain any metal (strengthening member or sheath).

• Would the cable route run near areas of high transient voltages (for example, lightning)? If so, ensure the fiber optic cable does not contain any metal.
• Ensure that the installation adheres to all existing electrical and fire codes of the country in which the installation is planned.
  
• Obtain all required council and government permits before commencing any civil works on public land.
  
• Will there be sufficient room to use the cable-pulling equipment? If not, what equipment needs to be moved to carry out the installation without hindrance?
  
• Will cars or trucks be driving over the cable, people walking over it or heavy objects laid across it? If so, plan to take the necessary precautions to protect the cable (for example, conduits) and/or to use the correct sheathed cables.
  
• Locate all the intermediate points from where the cable is to be pulled and where junction boxes are to be located.
  
• Identify appropriate locations for installing termination cabinets and splicing trays.
  
• Determine the exact locations for each data equipment hub.
  
• Talk to local employees to determine if there are any foreseeable problems that may arise during the installation that can be averted now by careful planning.
  
• All these particulars should be carefully noted during the site survey and then officially and completely documented after the survey is done. These findings would be useful while designing the cable system.

• The short-term minimum bend radius, or dynamic bend radius, is the tightest recommended bend while installing cable at the maximum rated tension. It is the larger of the two specified bend radii. Throughout the pull, the minimum bend radius must be strictly followed. If a location exists in the middle of a run where a relatively tight bend is unavoidable, the cable should be hand-fed around the bend or a pulley can be used.
  
• The long-term bend radius, or static bend radius, is the tightest recommended bend while the cable is under a minimum tension. It is the smaller of the two specified bend radii. After the pull is complete, the cable can be bent more tightly to fit into existing space, but not to exceed the long-term minimum bend radius.

• Always follow the manufacturer's guidelines for minimum bend radius and tension. Failure to do so may result in high attenuation (macro bends) and possible damage to the cable and fiber. Guidelines are normally supplied with the cable manufacturer specification sheets. If the bend radius specifications are unknown, the industry de facto standard is to maintain a minimum radius of 20X the diameter of the cable.
  
• The minimum bend radius must also be adhered to when using service loops. Fiber optic splice trays and patch panels are designed to accommodate the bend radii of the individual fibers, but outside of the hardware, extra care must be taken.

Maintaining clean fiber optic cables is an essential part of any network installation, but proper cleaning often gets overlooked. A clean fiber network can be the difference between a secure and robust network connection and one that might not be as robust. 

Here are some dos and don'ts of cleaning fiber:

• Never touch the end-face of the fiber connectors - natural body oil can be a major cause of contamination.
• Always keep a protective cap on unplugged fiber connectors - protection from both damage and contamination.
• Do not clean bulkhead connectors without a way of inspecting them - how else will you know whether the cleaning is successful?
• Always store unused protective caps in a sealed container - they can be a major source of contamination if not stored in a clean environment.
• Never reuse any tissue, swab, or cleaning cassette reel.
• Never touch any portion of tissue or swab where alcohol was applied - you could be introducing both dirt and body oil.
• Never use a wet cleaning method without a way of dry cleaning immediately afterward - the wet process can leave a harmful residue that is hard to remove when it dries.

As fiber optic cables are generally thinner than copper cables, cable management becomes more critical.

To route fiber optic jumper cables and copper patch cords from the patch panel to active ports within the same cabinet, use a combination of horizontal and vertical cable management. To route cables, connect the left side of the patch panel to active ports on the left, and the right side of the patch panel to the right side of the patch panel. 

Why? A well-placed cable facilitates access to transceivers and ports on both active equipment and patch panels. By doing so, new cables can be added and removed as needed. Additionally, it simplifies the process of finding a specific cable.

The best cable management solution for fiber optic cables is a horizontal finger style with a front cover cable manager in a 1U or 2U footprint. For core cabinets, main patch cabinets, cross-connect cabinets or large body cabinets, consider vertical cable managers. 

• Optical Loss Test Set or power meter and test source with optical ratings matching the specifications of the installed system (fiber type and transmitter wavelength and type) and proper connector adapters. An OLTS that merely tests cable plant loss may not include a calibrated power meter needed for testing transmitter and receiver power, so a calibrated power meter and source are a better choice for link or system testing.
• Visual fiber tracer and/or visual fault locator (VFL).

• Reference test cables with proper sized fiber and connectors and compatible mating adapters of known good quality. These do not need to be "reference quality" but only in good condition, generally defined as having connector losses of less than 0.5 dB.
• Optional: OTDR with long launch cable (100 m for Multimode, 1 km or more for single mode).