All modern Ethernet networks follow a star topology, where each device on the network connects with its own cable to a hub or some other device. If your network is contained in a single room, then you can simply use drop cables to connect each device on your network to a hub. If your network spans an entire building, then you will need to install a cabling system, and designate one or more wiring centers for your network. Cables originate at the location of each device on the network and terminate in a wiring center. On the user end, the cable will terminate with a wallplate and in the wiring center the cable will terminate in a jack on a patch panel.
Fiber optics work very well in enterprise networks as a backbone infrastructure.
Fiber offers exceptional performance for high-bandwidth applications, and is extremely reliable and secure. Fiber is not susceptible to many of the sources of interference that can play havoc with copper-based cabling systems. Fiber is also considered to be more secure since it cannot be tapped unless you cut and splice the fiber strands-a task that is virtually impossible to accomplish without detection. If you need to connect a set of buildings within a corporate complex or academic campus, then fiber optics offer the very best solution. While it is possible to use fiber optics to connect PCs and printers in a LAN, only organizations with serious security concerns and extremely data-intensive applications regularly do so.