Cisco Cisco Prisma II EDR Receiver Installation Guide

78-748705-01 Rev C 

Maintenance and Troubleshooting 

5-13 

Clean fiber-optic connectors can help prevent interconnect problems and therefore 

aid system performance.  When optical connectors are disconnected and 

reconnected, the fiber surface can become dirty or scratched.  The goal of cleaning 

the fiber-optic connectors is to remove all dust and contaminants without leaving 

any residue behind.   

The following equipment is required to clean the ends of fiber-optic  connectors.   
• 

Optical-grade (91%)

 

isopropyl alcohol  

• 

Lint-free wipes 

• 

Compressed air (also called “canned air”) 

Follow these guidelines to ensure optimal connector performance. 
• 

Connect or disconnect optical connectors only when necessary. 

• 

Always use compressed air before cleaning the fiber-optic connectors. 

• 

Use end caps on connectors when they are not in use. 

• 

Always use compressed air to clean the end caps. 

• 

Use optical-grade isopropyl alcohol of at least 91% or greater.  Anything less than 

91% isopropyl may leave a film on the fiber surface, creating more problems. 

• 

Do not contaminate your alcohol supply. 
− 

Use a sprayer (a fountain pump is also adequate) 

− 

Do not put used alcohol back into the main container 

• 

Use only lint-free wipes.  Never use “Kleenex-type” tissues. 

• 

If you have any degraded signal problems, clean the fiber-optic connector.