As a small business network grows, one of the things that can become a bottleneck is the connection between switches, servers, and the core network. It is easy to focus on adding more Ethernet ports, but the uplink capacity between network segments can be just as important.
For example, a business might start with standard copper connections and find that they work perfectly well for a small office. But once more users, access points, cameras, servers, or high-bandwidth applications are added, the traffic between switches can increase significantly.
This is where fiber uplinks can make sense. They can provide higher-speed connectivity and are particularly useful when switches are located in different rooms, floors, or buildings where longer cable runs are involved.
I have also noticed that it is important to think about the complete upgrade rather than choosing fiber simply because it offers higher bandwidth. The switches need to support the required fiber interfaces, the right transceivers and fiber types need to be selected, and the expected traffic should justify the additional cost.
For anyone planning a network upgrade, I found it useful to look at the different fiber networking options available before deciding on the hardware:
How do you decide when fiber is actually worth adding to a small or medium-sized business network?
Do you normally introduce fiber when upgrading the switch uplinks, or only when copper connectivity becomes a limitation?