Exceeding a cable's length limit leads to signal attenuation (loss), reduced bandwidth, and unreliable connectivity. Fiber optic cable transmission distance is determined by two primary physical factors that affect signal quality as light travels through the fiber medium. This guide dives deep into the maximum length constraints of the three most common network cables—Ethernet, coaxial, and fiber optic—explaining why these limits exist, how they vary. Multimode fiber is large enough in diameter to allow rays of light to reflect internally (bounce off the walls of the fiber). Interfaces with multimode optics typically use LEDs as light sources. Intrinsic loss: Rayleigh scattering, inherent absorption.
