Fiber Optic is the most effective way of transferring data. At present, fiber optic is the one of the great innovations in modern telecommunications technology. Just like all other forms of technological wonders, fiber optic needs to be tested for defects which can possibly block its transmission efficiency. We need a device called a fiber optic tester to do this.

Contamination and damages are the two main reasons why fiber optics can lose its efficacy. An optical can become tainted by dust and oil deposits in its transmission path and it can also be harmed by the 
natural wearing away or cracks and pits formed in the thread. With a high-quality fiber optic tester, there wouldn't be any difficulty detecting these defects. And with the convenience of different types of testers in the market, there is a device to test fiber optics and other related tools like gigabit converters and XFP transceivers.

The one kind of tool is continuity tester. It uses a light source to transmit light from one of the fiber and detect light at the other end to detect any possible defects. Although continuity tester can 
identify the flaw, they are impractical when it comes to providing a detailed data about the type of flaw. The insertion loss tester is another kind of device, which is a good thing. Information about the total loss in the fiber per kilometer in addition to highlighting the bends, splices and links in the fiber or transceiver is supplied by the insertion loss tester. But the OTDR or optical time domain reflectometer is the best type of fiber optic tester.It doesn't only provide the extensive data about the damage such as length and splice losses, connector losses and fiber defects at the same time it also stores data electronically. It is considered as the most advanced tester.

It's not enough only to find out the flaws in the optics, but these defects should be eliminated by cleansing the cables themselves. You can clean them by using a solvent like isopropyl alcohol or better yet, use fiber specific solvents or air blast the fiber cables.

But then again, you don't need to assess them anymore, if you make use of the highest quality optics, since you're quite convinced that these fiber optics adopted industry standard quality specifications for efficiency and functionality and can endure contamination and damages for a long time. So, to avoid the hassle of testing and buying fiber optics tester, begin with buying the best fiber optic cables, gigabit converters and sfp transceivers from a trusted leader in transceivers.

Source: http://www.fiberstore.com