With most of the world now relying on fiber optic systems for communication, a key component to ensuring a high level of performance from operators is network monitoring.  When we think of network monitoring, much of the focus is usually on the equipment itself, as well as the management of all the data flowing through the system.  As a result, an area often overlooked when deploying and monitoring a network is the actual fiber optic cable, through which all the data is sent from one location to another.

As the demand for faster speeds has grown rapidly over recent decades, new communications networking equipment and systems are constantly being developed to accommodate these requirements. One result of these efforts is a series of established networking protocols and terminology that are used to identify various speed thresholds and the related equipment.

With fiber optic equipment now widely used in most communications systems, it is crucial that administrators and service personnel have an efficient solution in place for dealing with issues directly related to the physical network.  While there are many Network Management Systems (NMS) being utilized, most will send an alert if a specific piece of equipment fails, but are not a help in locating the problem if it should occur to the line itself.  Therefore, while a failure will often be recognized quickly, much time can be lost in sending a technician out to locate and fix the specific issue.