Does anyone know what these are?

[dclamp]

In my library at school we have electrical, ethernet and these odd plugs. Anyone know what they are used for? (one of the plugs has a cover on it, as do most around the library)

[si_the_geek]

It looks like a BNC connector, which is the previous cable type for network/ethernet connections.

[dclamp]

it isnt the same size as bnc though. its a big smaller. Interesting though. No one uses those, nor the current ethernet connectors as everyone is wireless now..

Thanks Si!

[baja_yu]

Looks like BNC to me too. What is the diameter?

[MasterBlaster]

They made the bayonet style connection heads in different sizes back in the day. It was a real pain in the arse. Either way, it looks like a coax connection. If you can get a picture with a penny next to It I could prolly figure it out.

[Shaggy Hiker]

I was thinking that it might have been token ring, but they appear not to have ever used that type of connector. It does look like a mini 10-BaseT connector, but that seems really improbable for a school application, as those were very limitted.

One other option comes to mind, especially since there doesn't appear to be a central post in that picture: Fiber optic connectors. That would be contemporary with Ethernet cabling, would be in keeping with the location, and they roughly match pictures of the connectors that I have seen online. Furthermore, that would fit with the fact that they look like BNC, but are somewhat smaller.

[Lord Orwell]

could be an internal video network. cameras still use hookups like that

[dclamp]

i have only ever seen one thing hooked up to those wires... well i didnt actually see what the device was. I was at IT fixing my email account and behind the counter there were those terminals, and orange wires were attached and went behind a desk... On that desk was a printer... Not sure that it was connected to that printer, however.

[Shaggy Hiker]

Sounds like fiber optic. How thick were the orange wires.

[MasterBlaster]

Sounds like fiber optic. How thick were the orange wires.

Weren't the FO connections multi pronged tho? I'm still guessing Token ring or old school dumb terminal stuff.

[Shaggy Hiker]

I looked at images of token ring connectors, and they look like a pair of ethernet connectors in one housing, so I ruled that out. When I have seen fiber optic, which I admit is only in one place, there were a pair of connectors that looked like mini-BNC connectors, and they had relatively slender orange cabling coming out of them. The pictures look about right, but there could be plenty of other alternatives, for all I know.

[dclamp]

Sounds like fiber optic. How thick were the orange wires.

hard to tell bc i was at a distance... looked very similar to this now that i see a picture:

So assuming it is fiber optics, what would be the practical use in a library for students to use?

[Shaggy Hiker]

Fiber optic is capable of delivering very high bandwidth. I'm not sure what the upper limit is, but I keep hearing about using fiber optic from end to end to deliver gigabit ethernet over long distances. Normal ethernet signals attenuate after a certain distance, but fiber optic signals don't. That, alone, is enough reason to use them for long runs (though I think they are pretty expensive), but you might also get broadband at LAN speeds using fiber optic....or something like that. I certainly don't know the limitations, I just keep hearing how telecoms putting in fiber optic allows for great bandwidth, except that you then go to regular lines to get from the pole to the house, which removes the advantage of the fiber optic lines, so there is talk about running fiber optic lines to houses. The only reason is the super high bandwidth it allows.

[Lord Orwell]

the only place locally to me that i know of that uses fibre uses it to videoconference between two buildings.

[Shaggy Hiker]

We used it to run Ethernet from building to building, so I know it happens.

[dclamp]

But i am still confused as to why these terminals would be equally distributed throughout the library. The part of the library they are in was built in 2006, so they must serve some useful purpose. My original thought was that they were ground terminals for the ground bracelets that are worn when working with electronics.

If they are fiber optics, why are they in pairs? If it were fiber optics, then there must be hundreds of those terminals throughout the library, wouldnt there need to be some fancy (expensive) fiber optic router? Fiber optics seems illogical in this situation. Tomorrow i will try to get more pictures, and look at it more, without looking like a n00b.

[Lord Orwell]

i still say it could be piped in video. My school used a plug like that (but possibly a different size) to distribute a vcr signal to monitors. But frankly it looks to me like a token ring plug. However i will go out on a limb and say it has to be video. This is why: the ethernet plug is right next to it. They might run token ring or ethernet but they most certainly wouldn't install both. As for the plugs being evenly distributed: The floor plan of the building may be general purpose and they planned for future.

[I_Love_My_Vans]

"back in the day"... "token ring"

You guys are showing your age :P

[Shaggy Hiker]

Why don't you just go ask somebody? We get to speculate based on a few pictures, whereas you could just go talk to somebody about it.

As for fiber optics: For reasons I have never bothered to find out, they are paired like that. I don't think that fiber optics rules out video, either, and I am leaning towards it being both. Fiber optics would be an expensive alternative to Ethernet over long distances, but since you also have Ethernet plugs, they would be an expensive and redundant alternative. Video does make more sense, but just asking somebody would make even MORE sense. We clearly don't have a definitive answer.

[EntityX]

I was going to suggest the idea of asking somebody but Shaggy beat me to it. You're asking somebody here at VBForums so why not ask somebody there where the plugs are located.

[Lord Orwell]

Why don't you just go ask somebody? We get to speculate based on a few pictures, whereas you could just go talk to somebody about it.

As for fiber optics: For reasons I have never bothered to find out, they are paired like that. I don't think that fiber optics rules out video, either, and I am leaning towards it being both. Fiber optics would be an expensive alternative to Ethernet over long distances, but since you also have Ethernet plugs, they would be an expensive and redundant alternative. Video does make more sense, but just asking somebody would make even MORE sense. We clearly don't have a definitive answer.

I can answer why they are paired. They are unidirectional. You need two of them to get asynchronous data, at least in home use.

[dclamp]

i guess i could go to IT and ask. I need to go anyway so i can sync my school email to my android.