<PAGE>


As filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on April 26, 2002
                                                      Registration No. 333-_____
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

                UNITED STATES SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
                             Washington, D.C. 20549

                                    FORM S-8
                             REGISTRATION STATEMENT
                        UNDER THE SECURITIES ACT OF 1933

                             STRATOS LIGHTWAVE, INC.
             (Exact Name of Registrant as Specified in its Charter)

               Delaware                                36-4360035
       (State of Incorporation)                     (I.R.S. Employer
                                                 Identification Number)

                7444 West Wilson Avenue, Chicago, Illinois 60706
   (Address, including Zip Code, of Registrant's Principal Executive Offices)

         Stratos Lightwave, Inc. 2002 Stock Plan for Acquired Companies
                            (Full Title of the Plan)

                                James W. McGinley
                                    President
                             Stratos Lightwave, Inc.
                             7444 West Wilson Avenue
                             Chicago, Illinois 60706
                                 (708) 867-9600
           (Name, Address, and Telephone Number of Agent For Service)

                                   Copies to:
                              James W. Ashley, Jr.
                              Lord, Bissell & Brook
                            115 South LaSalle Street
                             Chicago, Illinois 60603
                                 (312) 443-0700

<TABLE>
<CAPTION>
                                               CALCULATION OF REGISTRATION FEE
================================================================================================================================
Title of securities               Amount to be      Proposed maximum             Proposed maximum               Amount of
to be registered                  registered (1)    offering price per share     aggregate offering price       registration fee
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
<S>                               <C>               <C>                          <C>                            <C>
Common Stock, $0.01 par value        600,000               $2.81 (2)                  $1,686,000 (2)                $155 (2)
================================================================================================================================
</TABLE>

(1)   Together with an indeterminant number of additional shares of common stock
      which may be necessary to adjust the number of shares reserved for
      issuance pursuant to the plan as a result of any future stock split, stock
      dividend or similar adjustment of the outstanding common stock pursuant to
      Rule 416(c) of the Securities Act of 1933.

(2)   Estimated pursuant to Rule 457(c) and (h) of the Securities Act of 1933
      solely for the purpose of calculating the registration fee and based on
      the average of the high and low prices of the common stock as reported on
      the Nasdaq National Market on April 23, 2002.

<PAGE>

                     STATEMENT OF INCORPORATION BY REFERENCE

         This Registration Statement on Form S-8 is filed pursuant to General
Instruction E for the purpose of registering 600,000 additional shares of common
stock, $0.01 par value per share ("Common Stock"), issuable pursuant to the
Stratos Lightwave, Inc. 2002 Stock Plan for Acquired Companies (the "Plan"). On
March 7, 2002, the Board of Directors of the Registrant approved an amendment to
the Plan to increase the total number of shares of Common Stock available for
issuance under the Plan from 550,000 to 1,150,000. The contents of the
Registrant's previously filed Form S-8 Registration Statement (File No.
333-81836), as filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on January 31,
2002, are incorporated herein by reference to the extent not otherwise amended
or superseded by the contents hereof.

                                     PART II

               INFORMATION REQUIRED IN THE REGISTRATION STATEMENT
               --------------------------------------------------

Item 3.     Incorporation of Documents by Reference.
            ---------------------------------------

       The Registrant hereby additionally incorporates by reference into this
registration statement the documents listed below which have previously been
filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the "Commission"):

       1.   The Registrant's Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the quarter ended
            January 31, 2002;

       2.   The Registrant's Report on Form 8-K filed with the Commission on
            February 15, 2002; and

       3.   The Registrant's Report on Form 8-K filed with the Commission on
            April 12, 2002.

       In addition, each document or report subsequently filed by the Registrant
with the Commission pursuant to Sections 13(a), 13(c), 14, and 15(d) of the
Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the "Exchange Act") after the date
of this registration statement, but prior to the filing of a post-effective
amendment to this registration statement which indicates that all securities
offered by this registration statement have been sold or which deregisters all
such securities then remaining unsold, shall be deemed to be incorporated by
reference into this registration statement. Each document or report incorporated
into this registration statement by reference shall be deemed to be a part of
this registration statement from the date of the filing of such document with
the Commission until the information contained therein is superseded or updated
by any subsequently filed document which is incorporated by reference into this
registration statement or by any subsequently filed amendment to this
registration statement.

Item 8.     Exhibits.
            --------
<TABLE>
<S>         <C>
3.1         Restated Certificate of Incorporation dated June 5, 2000
            (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 3.2 to the Company's
            Registration Statement on Form S-1, Registration No. 333-34864)
</TABLE>

<PAGE>

<TABLE>
<S>         <C>
3.2         By-laws (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 3.3 to the Company's
            Registration Statement on Form S-1, Registration No. 333-34864)

5.1         Opinion of Lord, Bissell & Brook

23.1        Consent of Ernst & Young LLP, independent auditors

23.2        Consent of Lord, Bissell & Brook (included in Exhibit 5.1)

24.1        Power of Attorney (included on signature page)

99.1        Stratos Lightwave, Inc. 2002 Stock Plan for Acquired Companies
</TABLE>

<PAGE>

                                   SIGNATURES

     The Registrant. Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Act of 1933,
the Registrant certifies that it has reasonable grounds to believe that it meets
all of the requirements for filing on Form S-8 and has duly caused this
registration statement to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned, thereunto
duly authorized, in the City of Chicago, State of Illinois, on April 25, 2002.

                                 STRATOS LIGHTWAVE, INC.

                                 By: /s/ James W. McGinley
                                     -------------------------------------------
                                 Name: James W. McGinley
                                 Its:  President and Chief Executive Officer

                                POWER OF ATTORNEY

     KNOW ALL MEN BY THESE PRESENTS, that each person whose signature appears
below hereby constitutes and appoints James W. McGinley and David A. Slack and
each of them with power to act without the other, as his or her true and lawful
attorney-in-fact and agent, with full power of substitution and resubstitution,
for him or her and in his or her name, place and stead, in any and all
capacities, to sign any or all amendments and supplements to this Registration
Statement, and to file the same, or cause to be filed the same, with all
exhibits thereto, and other documents in connection therewith, with the
Securities and Exchange Commission, granting unto each said attorney-in-fact and
agent full power to do and perform each and every act and thing requisite and
necessary to be done in and about the premises, as fully to all intents and
purposes as he or she might or could do in person, hereby ratifying and
confirming all that any said attorney-in-fact and agent or his substitute or
substitutes, may lawfully do or cause to be done by virtue hereof.

     Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Act of 1933, this
registration statement has been signed by the following persons in the
capacities and on the dates indicated.
<TABLE>
<CAPTION>

NAME AND CAPACITY                                                 DATE
-----------------                                                 ----
<S>                                                               <C>
/s/ James W. McGinley                                             April 25, 2002
--------------------------------------------
James W. McGinley
President and Chief Executive Officer
(Principal Executive Officer); Director


/s/ David A. Slack                                                April 25, 2002
--------------------------------------------
David A. Slack
Chief Financial Officer
(Principal Financial and Accounting Officer)
</TABLE>

<PAGE>

<TABLE>
<CAPTION>
NAME AND CAPACITY                                                 DATE
-----------------                                                 ----
<S>                                                               <C>
/s/ Michael P. Galvin                                             April 25, 2002
--------------------------------------------
Michael P. Galvin
Director

/s/ Brian J. Jackman                                              April 25, 2002
--------------------------------------------
Brian J. Jackman
Director

                                                                  April 25, 2002
--------------------------------------------
C. Daniel Nelsen
Director

/s/ Edward J. O'Connell                                           April 25, 2002
--------------------------------------------
Edward J. O'Connell
Director
</TABLE>

<PAGE>


                               INDEX TO EXHIBITS

<TABLE>
<CAPTION>
Exhibit
Number    Description of Exhibit
------    ----------------------
<S>      <C>
3.1      Restated  Certificate of Incorporation  dated June 5, 2000
         (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 3.2 to the Company's
         Registration Statement on Form S-1, Registration No. 333-34864)

3.2      By-laws (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 3.3 to the Company's
         Registration  Statement on Form S-1, Registration No. 333-34864)

5.1      Opinion of Lord, Bissell & Brook

23.1     Consent of Ernst & Young LLP, independent auditors

23.2     Consent of Lord, Bissell & Brook (included in Exhibit 5.1)

24.1     Power of Attorney (included on signature page)

99.1     Stratos Lightwave, Inc. 2002 Stock Plan for Acquired Companies
</TABLE>
[{"type": "S-8", "sequence": "1", "filename": "ds8.txt", "description": "FORM S-8", "secsgml_size_bytes": 11458}]
{"company-data": {"conformed-name": "STRATOS LIGHTWAVE INC", "cik": "0001111721", "assigned-sic": "3674", "irs-number": "364360035", "state-of-incorporation": "DE", "fiscal-year-end": "0430"}, "filing-values": {"form-type": "S-8", "act": "33", "file-number": "333-87102", "film-number": "02623440"}, "business-address": {"street1": "7444 WEST WILSON AVENUE", "city": "CHICAGO", "state": "IL", "zip": "60656", "phone": "7088679600"}}
As filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on April 26, 2002
                                                      Registration No. 333-_____
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

                UNITED STATES SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
                             Washington, D.C. 20549

                                    FORM S-8
                             REGISTRATION STATEMENT
                        UNDER THE SECURITIES ACT OF 1933

                             STRATOS LIGHTWAVE, INC.
             (Exact Name of Registrant as Specified in its Charter)

               Delaware                                36-4360035
       (State of Incorporation)                     (I.R.S. Employer
                                                 Identification Number)

                7444 West Wilson Avenue, Chicago, Illinois 60706
   (Address, including Zip Code, of Registrant's Principal Executive Offices)

         Stratos Lightwave, Inc. 2002 Stock Plan for Acquired Companies
                            (Full Title of the Plan)

                                James W. McGinley
                                    President
                             Stratos Lightwave, Inc.
                             7444 West Wilson Avenue
                             Chicago, Illinois 60706
                                 (708) 867-9600
           (Name, Address, and Telephone Number of Agent For Service)

                                   Copies to:
                              James W. Ashley, Jr.
                              Lord, Bissell & Brook
                            115 South LaSalle Street
                             Chicago, Illinois 60603
                                 (312) 443-0700
CALCULATION OF REGISTRATION FEE
================================================================================================================================
Title of securities               Amount to be      Proposed maximum             Proposed maximum               Amount of
to be registered                  registered (1)    offering price per share     aggregate offering price       registration fee
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Common Stock, $0.01 par value        600,000               $2.81 (2)                  $1,686,000 (2)                $155 (2)
================================================================================================================================
(1)   Together with an indeterminant number of additional shares of common stock
      which may be necessary to adjust the number of shares reserved for
      issuance pursuant to the plan as a result of any future stock split, stock
      dividend or similar adjustment of the outstanding common stock pursuant to
      Rule 416(c) of the Securities Act of 1933.

(2)   Estimated pursuant to Rule 457(c) and (h) of the Securities Act of 1933
      solely for the purpose of calculating the registration fee and based on
      the average of the high and low prices of the common stock as reported on
      the Nasdaq National Market on April 23, 2002.
STATEMENT OF INCORPORATION BY REFERENCE

         This Registration Statement on Form S-8 is filed pursuant to General
Instruction E for the purpose of registering 600,000 additional shares of common
stock, $0.01 par value per share ("Common Stock"), issuable pursuant to the
Stratos Lightwave, Inc. 2002 Stock Plan for Acquired Companies (the "Plan"). On
March 7, 2002, the Board of Directors of the Registrant approved an amendment to
the Plan to increase the total number of shares of Common Stock available for
issuance under the Plan from 550,000 to 1,150,000. The contents of the
Registrant's previously filed Form S-8 Registration Statement (File No.
333-81836), as filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on January 31,
2002, are incorporated herein by reference to the extent not otherwise amended
or superseded by the contents hereof.

                                     PART II

               INFORMATION REQUIRED IN THE REGISTRATION STATEMENT
               --------------------------------------------------

Item 3.     Incorporation of Documents by Reference.
            ---------------------------------------

       The Registrant hereby additionally incorporates by reference into this
registration statement the documents listed below which have previously been
filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the "Commission"):

       1.   The Registrant's Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the quarter ended
            January 31, 2002;

       2.   The Registrant's Report on Form 8-K filed with the Commission on
            February 15, 2002; and

       3.   The Registrant's Report on Form 8-K filed with the Commission on
            April 12, 2002.

       In addition, each document or report subsequently filed by the Registrant
with the Commission pursuant to Sections 13(a), 13(c), 14, and 15(d) of the
Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the "Exchange Act") after the date
of this registration statement, but prior to the filing of a post-effective
amendment to this registration statement which indicates that all securities
offered by this registration statement have been sold or which deregisters all
such securities then remaining unsold, shall be deemed to be incorporated by
reference into this registration statement. Each document or report incorporated
into this registration statement by reference shall be deemed to be a part of
this registration statement from the date of the filing of such document with
the Commission until the information contained therein is superseded or updated
by any subsequently filed document which is incorporated by reference into this
registration statement or by any subsequently filed amendment to this
registration statement.

Item 8.     Exhibits.
            --------
3.1         Restated Certificate of Incorporation dated June 5, 2000
            (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 3.2 to the Company's
            Registration Statement on Form S-1, Registration No. 333-34864)
3.2         By-laws (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 3.3 to the Company's
            Registration Statement on Form S-1, Registration No. 333-34864)

5.1         Opinion of Lord, Bissell & Brook

23.1        Consent of Ernst & Young LLP, independent auditors

23.2        Consent of Lord, Bissell & Brook (included in Exhibit 5.1)

24.1        Power of Attorney (included on signature page)

99.1        Stratos Lightwave, Inc. 2002 Stock Plan for Acquired Companies
SIGNATURES

     The Registrant. Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Act of 1933,
the Registrant certifies that it has reasonable grounds to believe that it meets
all of the requirements for filing on Form S-8 and has duly caused this
registration statement to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned, thereunto
duly authorized, in the City of Chicago, State of Illinois, on April 25, 2002.

                                 STRATOS LIGHTWAVE, INC.

                                 By: /s/ James W. McGinley
                                     -------------------------------------------
                                 Name: James W. McGinley
                                 Its:  President and Chief Executive Officer

                                POWER OF ATTORNEY

     KNOW ALL MEN BY THESE PRESENTS, that each person whose signature appears
below hereby constitutes and appoints James W. McGinley and David A. Slack and
each of them with power to act without the other, as his or her true and lawful
attorney-in-fact and agent, with full power of substitution and resubstitution,
for him or her and in his or her name, place and stead, in any and all
capacities, to sign any or all amendments and supplements to this Registration
Statement, and to file the same, or cause to be filed the same, with all
exhibits thereto, and other documents in connection therewith, with the
Securities and Exchange Commission, granting unto each said attorney-in-fact and
agent full power to do and perform each and every act and thing requisite and
necessary to be done in and about the premises, as fully to all intents and
purposes as he or she might or could do in person, hereby ratifying and
confirming all that any said attorney-in-fact and agent or his substitute or
substitutes, may lawfully do or cause to be done by virtue hereof.

     Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Act of 1933, this
registration statement has been signed by the following persons in the
capacities and on the dates indicated.
NAME AND CAPACITY                                                 DATE
-----------------                                                 ----
/s/ James W. McGinley                                             April 25, 2002
--------------------------------------------
James W. McGinley
President and Chief Executive Officer
(Principal Executive Officer); Director

/s/ David A. Slack                                                April 25, 2002
--------------------------------------------
David A. Slack
Chief Financial Officer
(Principal Financial and Accounting Officer)
NAME AND CAPACITY                                                 DATE
-----------------                                                 ----
/s/ Michael P. Galvin                                             April 25, 2002
--------------------------------------------
Michael P. Galvin
Director

/s/ Brian J. Jackman                                              April 25, 2002
--------------------------------------------
Brian J. Jackman
Director

                                                                  April 25, 2002
--------------------------------------------
C. Daniel Nelsen
Director

/s/ Edward J. O'Connell                                           April 25, 2002
--------------------------------------------
Edward J. O'Connell
Director
INDEX TO EXHIBITS
Exhibit
Number    Description of Exhibit
------    ----------------------
3.1      Restated  Certificate of Incorporation  dated June 5, 2000
         (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 3.2 to the Company's
         Registration Statement on Form S-1, Registration No. 333-34864)

3.2      By-laws (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 3.3 to the Company's
         Registration  Statement on Form S-1, Registration No. 333-34864)

5.1      Opinion of Lord, Bissell & Brook

23.1     Consent of Ernst & Young LLP, independent auditors

23.2     Consent of Lord, Bissell & Brook (included in Exhibit 5.1)

24.1     Power of Attorney (included on signature page)

99.1     Stratos Lightwave, Inc. 2002 Stock Plan for Acquired Companies