24 fiber color code

A 24-count fiber cable ships in three common shapes: two buffer tubes of 12 fibers each, one larger tube of 24 (with tracers), or four ribbons of 6. The color order below covers the most common 2×12 configuration.

Tube colors (2×12 configuration)

For two buffer tubes, tubes follow the first two TIA-598-C positions:

1. Blue
2. Orange

Fiber colors within each tube

Inside each tube, fibers run the full TIA-598-C 12-color sequence:

1. Blue
2. Orange
3. Green
4. Brown
5. Slate
6. White
7. Red
8. Black
9. Yellow
10. Violet
11. Rose
12. Aqua

Fiber-number → (tube, color) lookup

Fiber #	Tube	Tube color	Fiber color
1	1	Blue	Blue
2	1	Blue	Orange
3	1	Blue	Green
4	1	Blue	Brown
5	1	Blue	Slate
6	1	Blue	White
7	1	Blue	Red
8	1	Blue	Black
9	1	Blue	Yellow
10	1	Blue	Violet
11	1	Blue	Rose
12	1	Blue	Aqua
13	2	Orange	Blue
14	2	Orange	Orange
15	2	Orange	Green
16	2	Orange	Brown
17	2	Orange	Slate
18	2	Orange	White
19	2	Orange	Red
20	2	Orange	Black
21	2	Orange	Yellow
22	2	Orange	Violet
23	2	Orange	Rose
24	2	Orange	Aqua

1×24 with tracers

Some manufacturers (notably Corning ALTOS in certain product lines) ship 24-fiber cables with a single large tube holding all 24 fibers. Fibers 13–24 repeat the base 12-color sequence but carry an identifying tracer stripe — typically black. So fiber 13 = Blue with black tracer, fiber 14 = Orange with black tracer, and so on.

4×6 ribbon

Ribbon-based 24F builds use four 6-fiber ribbons. Each ribbon uses the first six TIA-598-C colors (Blue, Orange, Green, Brown, Slate, White). Ribbons themselves are identified by position within the stack.