Transmission Media

The most common network transmission media

 Coaxial cable
Twisted-pair cable
 Fiber-optic cable
 Wireless communications
Transmission Media
Factors to be considered for cable installation
 Cost.
 Ease of installation.
 Transmission rates (Bandwidth).
 Immunity to EMI.(Electromagnetic Interference)
 Signal interception.
 Attenuation
Transmission Media
Coaxial Cable
 Coaxial cables were the first
cable types used in LANs.
Coaxial cable consists of two
electrical conductors sharing
the same axis, with insulation in
between and encased in a
protective sheath.
 Coaxial cable is used bus
topology

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Transmission Media
Coaxial Cable
Coaxial cables are categorized by their by their radio grade (RG) ratings. Each
RG number denotes a unique set of physical specifications. These include the
wire gauge of the inner insulator, the construction of the shield, and the size and
type of the outer casing.
There are two types of coaxial cable :

• RG58, which is known as Thin Ethernet

(0.195 inches, used in Thin Ethernet
10BASE2 network)

• RG8, also known as Thick Ethernet

(0.405 inches , used in Thick Ethernet
10BASE5 networks.)
RG59 is another type of coaxial cable that has 75-Ohm impedance. It is used to
connect a cable modem to a CATV network. RG6 also has 75-Ohm impedance
and is commonly used for satellite CATV.
Transmission Media
Coaxial Cable

Connector
•Type N : - Used with RG8
coaxial cable.
•Type BNC :- Used with RG58
coaxial cable.
•Type F :- Used with CATV
coaxial cables.
Transmission Media
Twisted-pair cable
• Twisted-pair is a type of cabling that is used for
telephone communications and most modern Ethernet
networks
• A pair of wires form a circuit that can transmit data.
The pairs are twisted to prevent cross talk, the noise
generated by adjacent pairs
There are two basic types:

1.Shielded twisted-pair (STP)

2.Unshielded twisted-pair (UTP)
Transmission Media
Shielded twisted-pair (STP) cable
STP
Shielded twisted-pair (STP) cable consists of
pair of wires is wrapped in metallic foil to
further shield the wires from noise. The four
pairs of wires are then wrapped in an overall
metallic braid or foil. STP reduces electrical
noise, both within the cable, termed
crosstalk, and from outside the cable, termed
EMI and RFI.
Uses RJ-45 Connectors to connect to the
network.
•STP cable costs more than thin
coaxial or unshielded twisted-pair
cable. STP is less costly, however,
than thick coax or fiber-optic cable.
Maximum transmission rate of 500
Mbps (Although only few
implementations exceed 155 Mbps
with 100-meter cable runs )
•Distance limited to 100 meters for
500 Mbps
•At minimum the shield of the STP
cable must be grounded at both
ends of a continuous cable.
•Used in IBM Token ring network
and Ethernet (10BASE
T/100BASE TX/ 1000BASE TX
etc.)
Transmission Media
Unshielded twisted-pair cable (UTP)

•Low cost compared to other media

•Relatively easy to install, requiring
very few specialized tools.
•Used in 10BaseT, 100Basetx,
100BaseT4, 1000BaseT.

Unshielded twisted-pair (UTP) cable has •Because UTP cable lacks a shield,
two or four pairs of wires. This type of cable it is more sensitive to EMI than
relies solely on the cancellation effect coaxial or STP cables.
produced by the twisted wire pairs to limit
signal degradation caused by
electromagnetic interference (EMI) and
radio frequency interference (RFI).

Uses RJ-45 Connectors to connect to the

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network.
Transmission Media

Available UTP cable categories

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Fiber-Optic Cable

Fiber optic cables transmit

pulses of light over a glass or
plastic conductor. than are
copper cables .Fiber optic
cable has a glass or plastic
core surrounded by cladding
that reflects the light pulses
back and forth along the
cable's length.

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Transmission Media
Wireless Media

A wireless network is an alternative

method for connecting a Network.
These networks use
electromagnetic waves such as
radio frequency (RF), laser, infrared
(IR), and satellite/microwaves to
carry signals from one computer to
another without a permanent cable
connection
 Transmission Media
Crimping of Twisted UTP/STP.

The Telecommunications Industry Associations and Electronics Industry Associations

(TIA/EIA) Building Wiring Standards specify two standards, T568A and T568B T568B to
identify which color wire in a UTP connection needs to be associated with each contact on
the connector.
 Transmission Media
The types of Ethernet cables available are:
Straight-through cable
Crossover cable
Rolled cable

Straight-Through Cable
The straight-through cable is
used to connect
• Host to switch or hub
• Router to switch or hub

Crossover Cable
The crossover cable can be
used to connect
• Switch to switch
• Hub to hub
• Host to host
• Hub to switch
• Router direct to host
Transmission Media