For the surface plasmon resonance (SPR)-based optical fiber sensor with four-layer configuration (fiber core/metal/sensing layer/sample), the effects of different metals, different models (Lorentz-Drude model and Drude model) for the same metal, the thickness of metal layer, and the refractive index (RI) of sample on the transmitted spectra are investigated. The calculated results show that the real part of the refractive index of metal layer has the greatest effects on the sharp degree of the transmitted dip. Moreover, the dispersion function under four-layer configuration can be used to understand the relationship between the resonance wavelength and the thickness of metal layer. For the surface plasmon resonance (SPR) -based optical fiber sensor with four-layer configuration (fiber core / metal / sensing layer / sample), the effects of different metals, different models (Lorentz-Drude model and Drude model) metal, the thickness of metal layer, and the refractive index (RI) of sample on the transmitted spectra are investigated. The calculated results show that the real part of the refractive index of metal layer has the greatest effects on the sharp degree of the transmitted dip. Moreover, the dispersion function under four-layer configuration can be used to understand the relationship between the resonance wavelength and the thickness of the metal layer.