Posted by Karl on
URL: https://www.es-forum.com/Ethernet-and-laptops-tp4035473p4035477.html

Both Sailplane and Casper converted their laptops to fiber optic ethernet.  You can find out which media converters they used by searching the forum here.  I tried to do it with an HTB-1100S media converter, and it was a huge improvement until it stopped working a few days after I installed it. The replacement I bought failed in a few days also.  Casper had much better luck with a similar device called an HTB-3300.

Right now I'm testing some Allied Telesyn MC102 and MC102XL media converters, but they didn't work with the one-plug ("simplex") SC-UPC fiber cable I have and so I need to wait for a duplex cable I ordered to arrive.  What I can say now is that they are MUCH better built than the HTB-1100S but also have more electronics inside, including what might be a switching power supply.

They run from 12V DC power and they require the same oddball 2.5x5.5mm power plug that the HTB-1100S does.