Differences between SONET and Media Converters.

[Nikhil Kumar]

Hello,

Could you please clarify the distinction between a SONET and a Media Converter? While both seem to convert Ethernet signals into fiber optic signals, are they not essentially the same?

Thank you.

[wes-bryan]

Hey @Nikhil-Kumar great question. Ethernet is a LAN-based technology (most commonly, there are wider implementations today) and SONET is a WAN-based technology provided by Internet Service Providers or ISPs. For Ethernet-based communications to travel across SONET/SDN-based systems, there is a media converter between the two at the connection point (converter or SFP+ and QSFP modules in a network switch). This is commonly called a demarcation point or demarc for short. This transforms the signals (converts) from one standard to the other and vice versa. On a smaller scale here is an Ethernet to fiber media converter for example:

Image from: https://datainterfaces.com/lfc-100-sc002-fast-ethernet-to-100base-fx-sc-2km-1310nm-mm-fiber-media-converter-lfp-and-dip-sw-settings/?gclid=EAIaIQobChMIovTPjOavgwMVgKRaBR0_YACWEAQYBCABEgIB1vD_BwE

For larger scale networks typically the media converter is a module or series of modules, plugged into a network switch:

Image from: https://www.fs.com/products/66614.html?country=US&currency=USD&languages=English&paid=google_shopping&utm_country=1015033&gad_source=1&gclid=EAIaIQobChMIvrLri-evgwMVl6JaBR1GTwAlEAQYBiABEgK0j_D_BwE