Use our Ethernet Cable Finder or Connector Finder to get personalized recommendations. Where do I find compatible products?Executive Summary: With data center traffic doubling every three years and enterprise networks pushing toward 400G and 800G speeds, choosing the wrong fiber optic patch cable does more than create a bad connection—it creates a cascading performance bottleneck that haunts your operations team for. So What Exactly Is a Fiber Optic Patch Cord? If I had to explain it in one sentence, I'd say: a fiber optic patch cord is simply a fiber cable with connectors on both ends, used to connect two devices and transmit optical signals between them. That's the simplest way to understand it. You plug it into a switch, router, or patch panel. A fiber patch cord, also known as a fiber patch cable, fiber jumper, or fiber patch lead, is a fiber cable of a specific length terminated with fiber optic connectors at both ends. 100% end-face, IL & RL tested.