High Bandwidth for Modern Links
OM4 fiber has much higher modal bandwidth than older grades. It carries 10GBASE-SR up to about 400 meters and 25GBASE-SR up to about 100 meters. That's the performance data centers and campus networks need when moving past 1 Gigabit.
Connect New LC Gear to SC Panels
Many buildings installed SC patch panels before LC became the standard. Today's SFP+ and SFP28 transceivers almost always use LC. This cord connects them directly, with no adapters and no extra loss.
Connector Details
The SC end has a 2.5 mm ferrule in a square snap-in housing. The LC end has a 1.25 mm ferrule with a push-pull latch that fits dense faceplates. Both ends use a UPC polish for low insertion loss.
Works With Other 50 Micron Fiber
OM4 shares its 50 µm core with OM3 and OM5. It connects to them with no core mismatch. Mixed links run at the performance of the lowest grade, though, so pair OM4 with OM4 for full reach. Keep it away from 62.5 µm OM1 cable.
Duplex Polarity
The zipcord carries two fibers in A-to-B polarity. Transmit at the switch reaches receive at the far end. If the link stays dark, swap the SC legs at the panel.
Installation and Care
High-speed multimode links are sensitive to dirty connectors. Inspect and clean each end before connecting. Keep bends gentle, and use the cable manager instead of hanging the cord from the port. The OFNR jacket suits riser and general indoor runs.
Planning for 40G and 100G
OM4 isn't just for 10G and 25G. With 40G BiDi optics, a single LC duplex pair can carry 40 Gigabit up to about 150 meters on OM4. Higher speeds usually move to MTP-based parallel optics. Either way, building on OM4 today keeps more upgrade paths open for the future.
