How to setup a fiber optic cabling link between two buildings

I am having issues with speeds (internet/network). Server, modem and fire wall in on building and connected by a 400 ft of cat5 cable. Cable is running over head and tru pvc conduit. I know it should be replaced with fiber optic cable however I am green when it come to fiber optics and to connect to cat5 at the switches. What would be a good solution on how to get this done?

Solution 1:

Buy a pre-made multimode fiber cable in the appropriate length with LC connectors . The cable should be rated for pulling. The nice thing about LC connectors are you can fit them through conduit. Just don't pull by the connectors.

Make sure your conduit does not have any right angles in it and any bends should have at least a 6 inch radius.

Get yourself a bottle of wire pulling lubricant. Be generous.

If your switches don't have LC fiber connectors built in, buy SFP transceivers (if you switch has SFP ports) or media converters.

Solution 2:

Personally, if you're green with fiber optic I would forget about doing that yourself, either get someone in or leave it.
400ft is over the maximum length of cat5 standard (max 100m ~330ft), so the simple solution if it's available to you is to put a suitable hub or switch in the middle. Of course if this is through walls and conduits you may not find a suitable place where it's available for maintenance, don't just seal it in the wall...
Another option is to use ATM or some other suitable long distance system, but ethernet over cat5 will cause you issues.

Solution 3:

Fiber is somewhat fragile, and it can break (and be rendered useless) if it is subjected to too much strain.

You can’t just pull it over a very long length without taping it to something else (that you’ll also be pulling) at regular intervals to relieve the strain.

You can buy special, relatively inexpensive network pull string for the purpose, or if you don’t have any of that you can use any high tensile strength string (not twine, it breaks too easily, and avoid stretchy string because that sort of defeats the purpose – you want the string to help pull the fiber, not the other way around).

The fiber I’ve seen needs to be inside something to protect it (no direct burial) – you can use cheap irrigation pipe for the purpose, as long as it’s large enough for the connectors at the ends to pull through (don’t try to be thrifty and undersize the pipe, but at the same time realize that fiber with the small LC connectors has plenty of room inside a standard one inch irrigation pipe, assuming you’re not pulling several multiple fiber pairs or other wires and cables).

Also, you should use pulling lubricant on long pulls to prevent damage to the fiber jacket.

(Information taken from fiberstore.com)