StarTech ET91000SM402 Single-Mode Fiber to Gigabit Ethernet Media Converter

Overview

The StarTech ET91000SM402 is a single-mode fiber media converter that extends a Gigabit Ethernet connection up to 40 km (24.8 miles) over SC duplex fiber — purpose-built for campus backbones, inter-building surveillance runs, and any deployment where copper simply can't cover the distance. At 4 watts of power consumption and a steel housing that measures just 6.3 x 3.7 x 0.8 inches, it installs in tight IDF closets or mounts in a media converter chassis without bulk. If you're bridging a remote parking structure, a warehouse on the far end of a campus, or a utility substation to a central NMS, this is the device class that makes it happen cleanly without a secondary switch.

For integrators working with StarTech networking products, the ET91000SM402 fits into a broader fiber infrastructure strategy alongside PoE switches, patch panels, and structured cabling components. If you're evaluating fiber-based media converters more broadly, understanding your fiber type and wavelength budget upfront will save a costly swap later — this unit is strictly 1310nm single-mode and will not operate on multimode fiber.

Key Features

• 40 km (24.8 mi) reach over single-mode fiber: That's enough to link buildings across a large university campus, industrial plant, or municipal campus without intermediate repeaters. Most copper-based Gigabit runs top out at 100 meters — this unit multiplies that by a factor of 400.
• 2000 Mbps (2 Gbps) aggregate throughput: The full-duplex 1 Gbps in each direction means you're not throttling your surveillance or data traffic at the fiber segment. High-density IP camera deployments generating 50–80 Mbps of sustained video won't bottleneck here even during peak recording windows.
• 1310nm wavelength on SC duplex connectors: The 1310nm wavelength is the industry standard for single-mode runs in this distance range — broadly compatible with existing OSP fiber plant. SC duplex connectors are the most common termination found in enterprise and campus fiber infrastructure, which means you're unlikely to need an adapter at either end.
• Half and full-duplex operating modes: Full-duplex is the right mode for connected switches and NVRs; half-duplex support gives you backward compatibility with legacy equipment on the copper side if you're integrating into an older network segment.
• 4-watt power consumption with universal 100–240V AC input: Four watts is negligible in a power budget — a single PoE port delivering 15.4W to a camera draws nearly four times more. The wide-input AC supply (100–240V, outputting 12V DC at 1.6A) means you can deploy internationally or in environments with inconsistent grid voltage without a separate transformer.
• Steel enclosure rated 0°C to 60°C operating / -10°C to 70°C storage: The steel housing resists physical damage in utility spaces and equipment rooms. The 0–60°C operating range covers most indoor and climate-controlled enclosure deployments; this is not rated for outdoor direct exposure without a protective enclosure.
• RJ-45 copper interface: The standard RJ-45 Ethernet port on the copper side connects directly to any switch, NVR, access control panel, or IP camera head-end without media translation adapters. Auto-negotiation handles speed and duplex matching automatically.
• Compact form factor — 6.3 x 3.7 x 0.8 in, 21.2 oz: Slim enough to stack or mount in a 1U media converter shelf. The 600g weight means it won't stress lightweight wall brackets or open-frame racks in remote IDFs.

Integration and Compatibility

The ET91000SM402 operates as a transparent Layer 1 bridge — it doesn't inspect or modify Ethernet frames, which means it's compatible with any 10/100/1000BASE-T device on the copper side and any 1000BASE-LX device on the fiber side. This makes it straightforward to drop into an existing IP camera network or access control backbone without touching VLANs, QoS policies, or switch configurations. For surveillance-specific deployments, pair it with a PoE switch on the copper side and the fiber run back to your NVR or VMS server — the converter is transparent to both ends.

One planning consideration: this unit uses SC duplex connectors, meaning you need a two-strand fiber path (one transmit, one receive). If your existing conduit has only a single-strand or LC-terminated fiber run, you'll need patch cables or a coupler to adapt. Confirm your fiber plant termination type before ordering. For guidance on building out a fiber-based surveillance backbone, the network infrastructure planning guide covers fiber type selection, distance budgets, and connector compatibility in detail.

Frequently Asked Questions

Q: What fiber type does the ET91000SM402 require?

A: The ET91000SM402 requires single-mode fiber only. It operates at 1310nm wavelength using SC duplex connectors. It is not compatible with multimode fiber — using multimode fiber will result in signal loss and no link establishment.

Q: What is the maximum distance the ET91000SM402 can cover?

A: The ET91000SM402 supports a maximum fiber run of 40 km (24.8 miles) — sufficient for inter-building or campus-wide deployments without intermediate repeaters or amplifiers.

Q: What is the warranty on the ET91000SM402?

A: The ET91000SM402 carries a 2-year manufacturer warranty.

Q: Does the ET91000SM402 require an external power supply?

A: Yes. The ET91000SM402 is powered by an included AC adapter (100–240V input, 12V DC / 1.6A output). It does not draw power from the fiber or the Ethernet port — a standard AC outlet or power strip is required at the installation point.

Q: Can the ET91000SM402 be used outdoors?

A: The ET91000SM402 is rated for 0°C to 60°C operating temperatures in a steel enclosure, but it is not rated for direct outdoor exposure. For outdoor installations, house it in a weatherproof NEMA-rated enclosure with appropriate ventilation.

Q: What data rate does the ET91000SM402 support?

A: The ET91000SM402 supports a maximum aggregate data rate of 2000 Mbps (2 Gbps) — 1 Gbps full-duplex in each direction — making it suitable for high-bandwidth applications including multi-camera surveillance backbones and enterprise data links.

Jerry Tildsen

The spec that defines whether the ET91000SM402 belongs in your project is that 40 km single-mode reach — and it's not marketing headroom. In a campus surveillance deployment I recently reviewed, the longest building-to-building run was 23 km of installed OSP fiber with SC duplex terminations. The ET91000SM402 covered it without a repeater, delivering full 1 Gbps throughput to an NVR aggregating feeds from 48 cameras in a remote parking structure.

Technical Highlights:

• 40 km single-mode reach: Eliminates the need for intermediate switches or fiber amplifiers on runs up to 24.8 miles — directly cuts infrastructure cost and failure points on long campus or utility backbones.
• 2000 Mbps aggregate throughput: Full 1 Gbps each direction means you're not creating a bottleneck even on dense camera clusters pushing 80–100 Mbps of sustained H.265 video traffic.
• 4W power draw / universal 100–240V AC input: Negligible load on any UPS or power strip, and the universal input means the same SKU deploys in international sites or mixed-voltage plant environments without modification.

Deployment Considerations:

• Confirm your installed fiber is single-mode before ordering — the 1310nm wavelength will not establish a link on multimode fiber regardless of connector type, and SC-to-LC adapters don't fix a fiber-type mismatch.
• The 0°C operating floor means this unit needs a climate-controlled or heated enclosure in any location that sees freezing temperatures — mechanical rooms, outdoor cabinet installs, or unheated utility vaults need a NEMA 4 or 4X enclosure with a thermostat-controlled heater if ambient temps drop below freezing.

The ET91000SM402 is the right tool for integrators connecting remote buildings, outlying parking structures, or utility monitoring points to a central security operations center over existing single-mode OSP fiber plant — specifically where the run exceeds what any multimode or copper solution can handle and where a managed switch at each end would add unnecessary cost and complexity.