® Advanced Test Equipment Rentals Handbook Of Local Area Established 1981 www.atecorp.com 800-404-ATEC (2832) Network Testing Wavetek Wandel Goltermann LAN HANDBOOK Wavetek Wandel Goltermann Sales Offices North & South America 9145 Balboa Ave. San Diego, CA 92123, U.S.A. Tel: (1) 858-279-2955 Fax: (1) 858-278-5141 Toll Free: (800) 854-2708 Germany Tel: (49) 89-996-410 Fax: (49) 89-996-41160 Asia Tel: (61) 3 9690 6700 Handbook ofLANTesting Fax: (61) 3 9690 6750 United Kingdom Tel: 0800-1693657 (Freefone) Fax: (49) 89-996-41413 Web Site: www.wwgsolutions.com E-mail: [email protected] $29.95 © 2000 Wavetek Wandel Goltermann • Specifications subject to change without notice. LASDHB010400AE LAN-Handbook.qxd 1/23/01 3:25 PM Page n1 Notice No part of this document may be reproduced in any form without the prior written consent of Wavetek Wandel Goltermann, LAN Division. Copyright ©2000 Wavetek Wandel Goltermann ALL RIGHTS RESERVED Printed in the USA First Edition April 2000 Appletalk is a registered trademark of Apple Computer, Inc. ARCNET is a registered trademark of Datapoint, Inc. DEC, DECnet, and VAX are trademarks of Digital Equipment Corporation. IBM is a trademark of International Business Machines Corporation. IPX and NETWARE are trademarks of Novell, Inc. Wavetek Wandel Goltermann and its logo and LANTech are trademarks of Wavetek Wandel Goltermann. LAN-Handbook.qxd 1/23/01 3:25 PM Page 1 TABLE OF CONTENTS Introduction/Handbook Overview . .3 Attenuation to Crosstalk Ratio (ACR) . .40 Section A: What is Data Communications? . .4 Limits for Attenuation and NEXT . .41 Section B: What is a Local Area Network? . .6 ELFEXT . .41 LAN Topologies . .6 Return Loss . .41 LAN Protocols . .7 Power Sum Measurements . .42 Section C: Why Standards Are Important . .10 Delay and Skew Test . .43 Section D: The Importance of Documentation . .14 Cable Structural Integrity . .44 Documenting the Hardware . .14 Connecting Point Issues . .45 Document Network Design Limitations . .15 Section H: Tests for Fiber Optic Cabling . .46 Careful Installation/Anticipate Failures . .15 Overview of Fiber Optic Cabling Technology . .46 Develop a Benchmark . .15 Differences between Single-mode and Multi-mode Fiber . .47 Section E: Overview of Testing Standards . .16 Budgeting . .48 The Evolution of Cabling Standards . .16 Bandwidth Budget . .48 TIA/EIA 568A & ISO 11801 . .17 Power Budget . .48 TSB67 . .17 Loss Budget . .48 TSB95 (CAT5) . .17 Standards for Optical Loss Budgets . .49 TIA/EIA 568A Addendum 5 (CAT5e) . .17 Fiber Optic Test Tools . .50 TIA/EIA 568A Draft 5 (CAT6) and ISO 11801 2nd Edition (Class-E) . .18 Basic Fault Finders . .51 TIA/EIA 568B Proposed (CAT7) and ISO Class-F . .18 Power Loss Meters . .51 Structured Cabling Concept . .18 Add-on Fiber Kits for Copper Test Equipment . .52 Test Configurations . .19 OTDR Testers . .52 Basic Link . .19 Optical Power Loss Measurement Procedures . .53 Channel Link . .19 Calculating Maximum Loss Budget . .53 Permanent Link . .20 Measuring Link Loss . .54 Overview of Test Requirements . .20 Loss Measurement Test Results Documentation . .56 Category 5 . .21 What Causes Failing Loss Measurements? . .56 Category 5e . .21 Summary . .57 Category 6 & Class E . .21 Section I: Testing Beyond the Physical Layer . .58 Category 6 / Class-E Implementation Issues . .22 Overview . .58 Future Cabling Standards: Category 7 / Class-F . .22 Importance of Higher Level Testing . .58 Maintaining Effectiveness in an Environment of Evolving Standards . .23 For Cable Installers . .58 Section F: Physical Layer Tools . .24 For Network Administrators . .58 Ohmmeter . .24 Review of the OSI Structure . .59 Terminators . .24 Key Elements.