Fiber QuickMap

One-button multimode fiber troubleshooter

As more OM3 and OM4 multimode fiber is installed in enterprise networks to support 10, 40, and 100 gigabit traffic, fiber infrastructure reliability has never been more critical. As such, the essential capability for enterprise technicians to measure and troubleshoot individual components of the overall fiber channel to prevent network downtime (or to hasten its recovery) is considered one of the Fiber Best Practices. It is no longer acceptable for the technician to spend costly time troubleshooting using a trial and error process before elevating the issue to another technician with OTDR experience. Every technician should have the network tester tools “on their belt” capable of pinpointing the problem within seconds

Fluke Networks’ Fiber QuickMap is an enterprise fiber troubleshooter that quickly and efficiently locates connections and breaks in multimode fiber. By instantly providing distances to failures such as high loss and high reflectance incidents, Fiber QuickMap is the must-have network tester for any technician who works with fiber.

One-Button Testing

Fiber QuickMap can be used straight out of the box with no user-setup required. Simply turn it on, connect to the multimode link to be tested, and press the “TEST” button to obtain the channel visibility you need in order to quickly troubleshoot or verify connectivity. No need to fiddle with settings, fiber types, or standards.

Six-second Troubleshooting

The Fiber QuickMap troubleshooter, as a single-ended instrument, cuts down your troubleshooting time from hours to mere seconds. Averaging six seconds of test time, it quickly provides the visibility and data necessary to locate and fix any issues with your multimode fiber cabling. Tools normally used for troubleshooting are typically inefficient, ineffective, or both. Visual fault locators, lasers, or flashlights, while easy to use, have extremely limited troubleshooting capabilities because they are unable to distinguish or locate problematic loss or reflective incidents. They also require that the user maintain visual contact with the cabling while tracing its length to locate any faults. Not only is this process time-intensive, it is also unrealistic in many data center and campus environments in which the links run underneath floor tiles, behind walls, or underground. Power meters and sources are great for testing the entire channel to verify power and loss, but are inefficient for troubleshooting because the user must sequentially test a channel link-by-link, which can take several hours depending on the length of the channel and the number of links.

Obtain Critical Visibility into the Multimode Channel

Having visibility into all the connection incidents within a channel is imperative because they are where most fiber failures in enterprise environments occur. The Fiber QuickMap troubleshooter will display the distances to multiple* connection incidents all the way until the end of (or break in) the link.

* A maximum of nine incidents can be displayed.

Locate Causes of Bit-Error Rates

While connector reflectance is a normal phenomenon in fiber cabling, too much of it can actually cause problems, especially within high bandwidth (10+ Gbps) systems. Excessive reflectance (usually caused by dirty end-faces or poor polishing) interferes with transmitter output, resulting in bit-error issues. Being able to locate and measure high reflective incidents helps to optimize network performance.

Locate the Most Common Causes of Enterprise Fiber Failure

Discovering high loss incidents within a multimode channel is critical because they are the source of most enterprise fiber failures. These macrobends, contaminated, or damaged fiber end-faces that can create high loss are invisible to visual fault locaters, flashlights, and power meters. With a Fiber QuickMap, however, the user can quickly define loss thresholds to flag and locate any incidents of high loss.