Network Media

Network Media
Objectives
• Define the primary cables used in wired networking

• Describe the characteristics of the major types of
fiber-optic media
• Explain the technologies used for wireless
networking
2
© Cengage Learning 2016
Wired Networking
• Wired networking uses tangible physical media

called cables
• Two broad categories of cables: copper wire and
fiber optic
• The main differences between the two types:
– Composition of signals (electricity or light)
– Speed at which signals can be sent
– Distance the signals can effectively travel
3
Criteria for Choosing Network Media
• Bandwidth Rating – number of bits per second that can
be transmitted across a medium
– A factor determining bandwidth is how bit signals are
represented on the medium (called encoding)
– When possible, choose a cabling category that’s
compatible with the standard you want to implement now
but will support growth and faster speeds
• Maximum Segment Length – maximum length of cable
between two network devices
– Each cable type can transport data only so far before its
signals begin to weaken beyond what can be read by a
receiving device (called attenuation)
4
• Maximum Segment Length – maximum length of

cable between two network devices (called cable
segment)
– Any intermediate passive devices, such as wall jacks,
are part of the total segment length
– Each cable type can transport data only so far before
its signals begin to weaken beyond what can be read
by a receiving device (called attenuation)
5
• Interference and Eavesdropping Susceptibility
– Interference to electrical signals on copper media comes in
the form of electromagnetic interference (EMI) and radio
frequency interference (RFI)
• Motors, transformers, fluorescent lights and other sources of
intense electrical activity can emit both EMI and RFI.
• RFI can also affect wireless networks if the frequencies are
in the same range
– Crosstalk - interference one wire generates on another
wire when both wires are in a bundle
– Copper wire is susceptible to electronic eavesdropping
– Fiber-optic media carries light signals and is not
susceptible to interference or eavesdropping
6
• Cable Grade
– Building and fire codes include specific cabling
requirements
– Cables ran between a false ceiling and the true ceiling
(plenum) must be plenum-rated
– UTP Cabling is marked as communication cable riser
(CMR) or communication cable plenum (CMP)
– CMR can only be used for building risers or in cable
trays
– CMP is suitable for use in plenum spaces
7
• Connection Hardware
– Every type of cable has connectors that influence the
kinds of hardware the cable can connect to
– You must make sure the media you select can be
supported by the network device
8
Other Media Considerations
• Ease of installation – factors to consider:
– Media’s minimum bend radius, which limits the angle at which a
cable can be bent to run around corners
– Cost and time needed to terminate the medium
– Physical environment – types of walls and ceilings, EMI or RFI
• Testability – A network that “works” might be crippled by
excessive errors
– It is important to certify whether the cable meets requirements
for its category
• Total cost – includes cabling, connectors, termination
panels, wall jacks, termination tools, testing equipment
and time
9
Coaxial Cable
• Often called “coax” for short

• Once was the predominant form of network
cabling
• Inexpensive and easy to install
• Started to phase out in the early 1990’s
• Still used primarily in connecting a cable modem
to the wall outlet your cable TV/Internet provider
installs
10
Twisted-Pair Cable
• Comes in two types: unshielded and shielded

• Consists of one or more pairs of insulated strands of
copper wires twisted around one another and
housed in an outer jacket
• Twists are necessary to improve resistance to
crosstalk from wires and EMI from outside sources
– The more twists per unit length, the better resistance
to EMI and crosstalk
– More expensive TP is twisted more than less
expensive and provides a better pathway for higher
bandwidth networks
11
Twisted-Pair Cable
12
Unshielded Twisted-Pair Cable
 Most networks use Unshielded Twisted-Pair (UTP)
 Consists of four pairs of insulated wires
 Rated according to categories devised by the
Telecommunications Industry Association (TIA) and
Electronic Industries Alliance (EIA) and American
National Standards Institutes (ANSI)
 Categories 1 – 6a are accepted in US
 Two additional categories aren’t yet TIA/EIA standards
and might never be in US
 Europe has accepted Category 7 and 7a, which specify that each wire
pair is shielded
13
Unshielded Twisted-Pair Cable
• Categories 5e and 6 UTP Cabling Characteristics

• These categories are the most popular types of UTP
cabling in today’s networks
14
Shielded Twisted-Pair Cable
• Includes shielding to reduce crosstalk and

interference
– Has a wire braid inside the sheath material or a foil
wrap
– Best to use in electrically noisy environments or very
high-bandwidth applications
15
Twisted-Pair Cable Plant Components
• RJ-45 Connectors – STP and UTP uses registered

jack 45 (RJ-45)
– Most commonly used in patch cables, which are used
to connect computers to hubs, switches, and RJ-45
wall jacks
16
• Patch cable – short cable for connecting a computer to
an RJ-45 wall jack or connecting a patch-panel port to a
switch or hub
– Can be made with inexpensive tools, two RJ-45 plugs and
a length of TP cable
17
• Patch Panels – used to terminate long runs of cable
from where the computers are to the wiring closet
(where the switches and hubs are)
• Distribution racks – hold network equipment such
as routers and switches, plus patch panels and
rack-mounted servers
– Also called 19” racks because the upright rails are 19”
apart
18
Structured Cabling: Managing and
Installing a UTP Cable Plant
• Structured cabling specifies how cabling should be
organized, regardless of the media type or network
architecture
• Large networks typically use most or all of these:
– Work area
– Horizontal wiring
– Telecommunication closets
– Equipment rooms
– Backbone or vertical wiring
– Entrance facilities
19
• Work Area – where workstations and other user
devices are located
– Faceplates and wall jacks are installed in the work area
– Patch cable connect computers and printers to wall jacks
20
• Horizontal wiring – runs from the work area’s wall jack
to the telecommunication closet
– Wiring from the wall jack to the patch panel should be no
longer than 90 meters (plus 10 meters for patch cables)
• Telecommunications Closet
– TC provides connectivity to computer equipment in the
nearby work area
– Typical equipment includes patch panels to terminate
horizontal wiring runs, hubs and switches
– A TC that houses the cabling and devices for work area
computers is referred to as an intermediate distribution
frame (IDF)
21
22
• Equipment Room – houses servers, routers,
switches, and other major network equipment and
serves as a connection point for backbone cabling
– An equipment room that’s the connection point
between IDFs is called a main distribution frame
(MDF)
– An MDF can be the main cross-connect for the entire
network or it might serve as the connecting point for
backbone cabling between buildings
• Each building often has its own MDF
23
• Backbone Cabling –
interconnects IDFs
and MDFs
– Runs between floors
or wings of a building
and between
buildings
– Frequently fiber-optic
cable but can also be
UTP if the distance
between TCs is less
than 90 meters
24
• Entrance Facility – the location of the cabling and
equipment that connects a corporate network to a
third-party telecommunications provider
– Can also serve as an equipment room and the main
cross-connect for all backbone cabling
– Where a connection to a WAN is made
– Demarcation point: point where corporate LAN
equipment ends and a third-party provider’s
equipment and cabling begins
25
Installing UTP Cabling
• Cable termination – putting RJ-45 plugs on the ends

of cable or punching down wires into terminal blocks
on a jack or patch panel
• Some tools
needed:
Wire cutters
Crimping Tool
Cable Tester
Punchdown Tool
Cable Stripper
RJ-45 plugs/jacks
26
Installing UTP Cabling
• When making a cable

or terminating a cable
at a jack or patch
panel
– It is important to get
the colored wires
arranged in the
correct order
– There are two
standards: 568A and
568B
27
Straight-Through Versus Crossover
Cable
• Standard patch cables are called straight-through
cables (same wiring standard on both ends)
• Crossover cables – use 568A standard on one side of
the cable and 568B standard on the other side
– Crosses the transmit and receive wires so that
transmit on one end connects to receive on the other
– This type of cable is often needed when you connect
two devices of the same type to one another
– For a 1000BaseT crossover cable, you have to cross
the blue and brown pins because they’re used in
1000BaseT
28
Straight-Through Versus Crossover
Cable
29
Medium Dependent Interface
• Network devices that connect by using RJ-45 plugs over
twisted-pair cabling are classified as medium dependent
interface (MDI) devices or MDI crossed (MDI-X) devices
• MDI devices transmit on pins 1 and 2 and receive on pins 3
and 6
– PC NICs and routers are examples
• MDI-X devices receive on pins 1 and 2 and transmit on pins 3
and 6
– Hubs and switches are examples
• When two switches (or any other like devices) need to be
connected, you use a crossover cable so that transmit and
receive wires get crossed
30
Why Two Transmit and Two Receive
Wires?
• One wire pair is used for transmit (labeled
transmit+/transmit-) and one pair for receive (labeled
receive+/receive-)
• The plus and minus symbols indicate that the wires carry
a positive and negative signal
– This differential signal mitigates the effect of
crosstalk and noise on the cable
31
Fiber-Optic Cable
• Bits are transmitted as pulses of light instead of

electricity
• Immune to electrical interference
• Highly secure – electronic eavesdropping is
eliminated
• Composition
– A slender cylinder of glass fiber called the core is
surrounded by a concentric layer of glass called the
cladding
– Fiber is then jacketed in a thin transparent plastic
material called the buffer
32
Fiber-Optic Cable
33
Fiber-Optic Cable
• Each fiber-optic strand carries data in only one
direction
– Network connections consist of two or more strands
• Fiber-optic cable used as backbone cabling often
comes in bundles of 12 or more fiber strands
– Even only using 2 in the backbone, running more is a
good idea so that you are ready for any future
expansion
• Some testing has shown that glass fibers can carry
several terabits (1000 gigabits) per second
– Fiber-optic cable may one day replace copper for all
types of network connections
34
Fiber-Optic Cable
35
Fiber-Optic Connectors
• Types of connectors:
– Straight tip (ST)
– Straight connection (SC)
– Locking connection (LC)
– Mechanical transfer registered jack (MT-RJ)
– Fiber channel or ferrule connector (FC)
– Medium interface connector (MIC)
– Subminiature type A (SMA)
36
Fiber-Optic Connectors
37
Fiber-Optic Installation
• Somewhat more difficult and time consuming than

copper media installation
– However, advances in connector technology is closing
the gap
• Connectors and test equipment required for
termination are still more expensive than copper
• There are many methods for terminating fiber-optic
cables because of the many connectors and cable
types available
– Installation details are beyond the scope of this book
38
Fiber-Optic Cable Types
• Single-mode fiber (SMF)
– Includes a single, small-diameter fiber at the core (8
microns)
– Generally works with laser-based emitters
– Spans the longest distances
– Used in higher-bandwidth applications
• Multimode fiber (MMF)
– Larger diameter fiber at the core (50 and 62.5 microns)
– Costs less than SMF
– Works with lower-power light emitting diodes (LEDs)
– Spans shorter distances
39
Cable-Testing Equipment
• Common tools for testing and troubleshooting wired

networks:
– Cable certifier
– Basic cable tester
– Tone generator
– Time domain reflectometer (TDR)
– Multimeter
– Optical power meter (OPM)
40
Wireless Networking
• Demand has increased considerably

– Many home users have turned to wireless networks
• Wireless networks are often used with wired
networks to interconnect geographically dispersed
LANs or groups of mobile users with wired servers
and resources on a wired LAN (sometimes referred
to as “hybrid networks”)
• Even in small networks with workstations connecting
to a wireless AP or router, the AP or router usually
connects to the Internet via a wired connection to a
cable modem
41
Wireless Benefits
• Creates temporary connections to wired networks
• Establishes backup or contingency connectivity for
existing wired networks
• Extends a network’s span beyond the reach of wire-
based or fiber-optic cabling, especially in older buildings
where rewiring might be too expensive
• Allows businesses to provide customers with wireless
networking easily, offering a service that gets customers
in and keeps them there
• Enables users to roam around a corporate or college
campus with their machines
42
Wireless Benefits
43
Types of Wireless Networks
 Local area networks (LANs) – usually provides

connectivity for mobile users or across areas that
couldn’t otherwise be networked
 Extended LANs – usually used to increase a LAN’s
span beyond normal distance limitations
 Internet service – used to bring Internet access to
homes and businesses
 Mobile computing – users communicate by using a
wireless networking medium that enable them to
move while remaining connected to a network
44
Wireless LAN Components
• Network interface attaches to an antenna and an

emitter rather than to a cable
• Transceiver/access point (AP) – a
transmitter/receiver device that must be installed to
translate between wired and wireless networks
– Includes an antenna and a transmitter to send and
receive wireless traffic but also connects to the wired
side of the network
– Shuttles traffic back and forth between a network’s
wired and wireless sides
45
Wireless LAN Transmission
• Signals take the form of waves in the

electromagnetic (EM) spectrum
• The frequency of the wave forms used for
communication is measured in cycles per second,
usually expressed as hertz (Hz)
• Lower-frequency transmissions can carry less data
more slowly over longer distances, and higher-
frequency transmissions can carry more data faster
over shorter distances
46
Wireless LAN Transmission
• The following are the most common frequencies for

wireless data communication:
– Radio – 10 KHz to 300 MHz
– Microwave – 300 MHz to 300 GHz
– Infrared – 300 GHz to 400 THz (terahertz)
• Wireless LANs make use of four primary
technologies for transmitting and receiving data
– Infrared
– Laser
– Narrowband (single-frequency) radio
– Spread-spectrum radio
47
Infrared LAN Technologies
• Infrared (IR) wireless networks use infrared light

beams to send signals between pairs of devices
– Works well for LAN applications due to high bandwidth
– Four main kinds of infrared LANs
• Line-of-sight networks – require an unobstructed view
between transmitter and receiver
• Reflective wireless networks – broadcast signals from
optical transceivers near devices to a central hub
• Scatter infrared networks – bounce transmissions off
walls and ceilings to deliver signals
• Broadband optical telepoint networks – provide
broadband services
48
Laser-Based LAN Technologies
• Also require a clear line of sight between sender

and receiver
• Subject to many of the same limitations as infrared
– Aren’t as susceptible to interference from visible light
sources as infrared
49
Narrowband Radio LAN Technologies
• Use low-powered, two-way radio communication

• Receiver and transmitter must be tuned to the same
frequency to handle incoming and outgoing data
• Requires no line of sight between sender and
receiver as long as both parties stay within the
broadcast range of these devices
– Typically 70 meters or 230 feet
• Depending on the frequency, walls or other solid
barriers can block signals
• Interference from other radio sources is possible
50
Narrowband Radio LAN Technologies
51
Spread-Spectrum LAN Technologies
• Uses multiple frequencies simultaneously, improving

reliability and reducing susceptibility to interference
– Also makes eavesdropping more difficult
• Two main kinds of spread-spectrum
communications
– Frequency hopping – switches data between multiple
frequencies at regular intervals
– Direct-sequence modulation – breaks data into fixed-
size segments called chips and transmits the data on
several different frequencies at the same time
52
Spread-Spectrum LAN Technologies
53
LAN Media Selection Criteria
• Three main media choices: UTP, fiber-optic, and

wireless
• When choosing between media types, consider:
– Bandwidth – Higher bandwidth means more
expensive cable and higher installation costs
• If 40 Gbps or more, fiber-optic is the only choice
– Budget – A typical UTP cable installation cost $100 -
$200 per cable run and fiber-optic might cost twice
that much
• Wireless have no physical installation costs but you need to
install access points and verify connectivity
54
• When choosing between media types, consider:

– Environmental considerations – How electrically noisy
is the environment? How important is data security?
• The more weight either factor has, the more likely fiber-optic
or secured wireless is the right choice
– Span – What kind of distance must the network span?
• Longer spans might require fiber-optic or wireless be used
between buildings
• Strategic placement of small switches or hubs gives UTP
surprising reach
– Existing cable plant – For an upgrade, the existing
cable plant must be considered
55
56
Baseband and Broadband Signaling
• Network technologies can use media to transmit signals
in two main ways
• Baseband sends digital signals in which each bit of data
is represented by a pulse of electricity or light
– Sent at a single fixed frequency and no other frames
can be sent along with it
• Broadband uses analog techniques to encode binary 1s
and 0s across a continuous range of values
– Signals flow at a particular frequency and each
frequency represents a channel of data
57
Ethernet Networks
• Ethernet is the most popular LAN technology

– Easy to install and support with a low cost factor
• Supports a broad range of speeds: 10 Mbps to 10
Gbps
• Can operate in physical bus or physical star and
logical bus or switched logical topology
• Most NICs/hubs/switches can operate at multiple
speeds: 10/100/1000
– Underlying technology is the same
58
Ethernet Addressing
• Every station has a physical (MAC) address

• Each MAC address has 48 bits expressed as 12
hexadecimal digits
• Incoming frames must match NIC’s address or
broadcast address (FF-FF-FF-FF-FF-FF).
• Once processed by NIC, incoming frames are sent
to the network protocol for further processing
59
Ethernet Frames
• Four different formats or frame types –depending on the
network protocol used to send the frame
• Ethernet II frame type used by TCP/IP
– TCP/IP has become the dominant network protocol in
LANs so supporting multiple frame types has become
unnecessary
• Frames must be between 64 and 1518 bytes
– Destination MAC
– Source MAC
– Type
– Data
– FCS
60
Ethernet Media Access
• Media access method: Rules governing how and

when the medium can be accessed for transmission
• Ethernet uses Carrier Sense Multiple Access with
Collision Detection (CSMA/CD)
– Carrier Sense: Listen before send – must hear silence
– Multiple Access: If two or more stations hear silence,
multiple stations may transmit at the same time
– Collision Detection: If two or more stations transmit, a
collision occurs and is detected by the NIC; all
stations must retransmit
61
Collisions and Collision Domains
• All devices interconnected by one or more hubs
hear all signals generated by all other devices
• The extent to which signals in an Ethernet bus
topology network are propagated is called a
collision domain
• All devices in a collision domain are subject to the
possibility that whenever a device sends a frame, a
collision might occur
62
Collisions and Collision Domains
63
Ethernet Error Handling
• Ethernet is a best-effort delivery system

– Like the post-office; you hope it gets there but there is
no acknowledgement either way
– Network protocols and applications ensure delivery
– Only collisions are automatically retransmitted
• Ethernet detects damaged frames
– The error-checking code in an frame’s trailer is called
a Cyclic Redundancy Check (CRC)
– Uses CRC to determine that data is unchanged
– If a frame is detected as damaged, it is discarded with
no notification
64
Half-Duplex Versus Full-Duplex
Communication
• Half-duplex works like a two-way radio; you can talk
and listen but not both at the same time
– Ethernet on hubs works only in half-duplex
• Full-duplex means NIC/switch can transmit/receive
simultaneously
– Like a telephone
– CSMA/CD is turned off
– Most switches operate in full-duplex
65
Ethernet Standards
• Ethernet standards expressed as:

– XBaseY – 10Base2, 10BaseT, 100BaseT,
100BaseFX
– X – designates the speed of transmission
– Y – specifies the type of media (T = twisted-pair, FX =
fiber optic)
• 10BaseT
– Uses two of the four wire pairs
– Runs over Category 3 or higher UTP cabling
– Highly susceptible to collisions and is obsolete
66
Ethernet Standards
• 100BaseTX
– Most common Ethernet variety
– Runs over Category 5 or higher UTP
– Uses two of four wire pairs
– Two types of 100BaseTX hubs
• Class I – can have only one hub between
communicating devices
• Class II – can have a maximum of two hubs between
devices
– Switches can be used to interconnect multiple hubs
67
Ethernet Standards
• 100BaseFX
– Runs over two strands of fiber optic cabling
– Typically used as backbone cabling between hubs or
switches
• Also used to connect clients or servers when immunity
to noise and eavesdropping is required
• 1000BaseT Ethernet
– Also known as “Gigabit Ethernet”
– Runs over Category 5 or higher UTP and uses all
four wire pairs
68
Ethernet Standards
• 10GBaseT Ethernet
– Runs over four pairs of Category 6A or 7 UTP
– Operates only in full-duplex mode
• No hubs, only switches support 10GBaseT
– Still considered an expensive option
– Good for network servers so they can keep up with
desktop systems that commonly operate at 1 Gbps
69
Additional Ethernet Standards
• 100BaseT4
– Uses all four pairs of wires in UTP Category 3 cable
– Obsolete
• 1000BaseLX
– Uses fiber-optic media
– “L” stands for “long wavelength” laser
– Supports a maximum cable segment length of 5000
meters
70
• 1000BaseSX
– Uses fiber-optic media
– “S” stands for “short wavelength” laser
– Can’t cover as much distance as long-wavelength
lasers, but are less expensive
• 1000BaseCX
– Uses specially shielded, balanced, copper jumper
cables
– Might also be called “twinax” or “short-haul” copper
cables
71
• 10 Gigabit Ethernet IEEE 802.3ae

– Much like the others in frame formats and media
access
– Defined to run only on fiber-optic cabling and
specifies a maximum distance of 40 kilometers
– Primarily used for network backbones
– Varieties:
• 10GBaseSR, 10GBaseLR, 10GBaseER, 10GBaseSW,
10GBaseLW, and 10GBaseEW
72
• 40 Gigabit and 100 Gigabit Ethernet

– Very high cost is still prohibitive
– Adoption has been slow
– Fiber-optic cabling is primary medium
• Although there are provisions to use special copper
assemblies over short distances
73
74
802.11 Wi-Fi
• The 802.11 wireless networking standard is also

referred to as Wireless Fidelity (Wi-Fi)
• In most towns you can usually find a public Wi-Fi
network, called a hotspot
• 802.11 is essentially an extension to Ethernet
– Using airwaves instead of cabling as the medium
75
Wi-Fi Modes of Operation
• Wi-Fi can operate in one of two modes

– Infrastructure — use central access point (AP)
– Ad hoc — no central device; data travels from device
to device like a bus
• Sometimes called “peer-to-peer mode”
• Most of this chapter’s discussion of Wi-Fi focuses on
infrastructure mode
76
Wi-Fi Channels and Frequencies
• Wi-Fi operate at one of two radio frequencies:

2.4GHz and 5.0 GHz
– Although this frequency is not fixed
• 2.4 GHz is actually 2.412 thru 2.484 divided into 14
channels spaced 5 MHz apart
– Work like a TV channel – you must tune to the correct
channel to connect
– Needs 25 MHz to operate spanning 5 channels
– Choose channels five apart from other known APs
• 5.0 GHz is actually 4.915 thru 5.825 GHz divided
into 42 channels of 10, 20, or 40 MHz each
77
Wi-Fi Channels and Frequencies
78
Wi-Fi Antennas
• Antenna on a Wi-Fi device is both transmitter and
receiver
– Characteristics and placement determine how well a
device transmits or receives Wi-Fi signals
• Usually categorized by their radiation pattern:
– Omnidirectional antennas – signals radiate out from the antenna
with equal strength in all directions
– Unidirectional antenna – signals are focused in a single direction
• Ideal for placement at one end of long, narrow spaces
79
Wi-Fi Access Methods and Operation
• Wi-Fi Access Method

– Sending station can’t hear if another station begins
transmitting so they cannot use the CSMA/CD access
method that Ethernet uses
– Wi-Fi devices use carrier sense multiple access with
collision avoidance (CSMA/CA)
– Uses request-to-send/clear-to-send (RTS/CTS)
packets and acknowledgements
– With this extra “chatter” actual throughput is
essentially cut in half
80
81
Wi-Fi Signal Characteristics
• Common types of signal interference:

– Absorption – solid objects absorb radio signals, causing
them to attenuate (weaken)
– Refraction – the bending of a radio signal as it passes from
a medium of one density through a medium of a different
density
– Diffraction – the altering of a wave as it tries to bend
around an object
– Reflection – occurs when a signal hits a dense, reflective
material, resulting in signal loss
– Scattering – when a signal changes direction in
unpredictable ways, causing a loss in signal strength
82
Wi-Fi Signal Characteristics
• Signal-to-noise ratio – the amount of noise

compared with the signal strength
– Noise can come from equipment, other wireless
devices, and other wireless networks
• Throughput – the actual amount of data transferred
– Not counting errors and acknowledgements
• Goodput – actual application-to-application data
transfer speed
• Overhead – packet frame headers,
acknowledgements, and retransmissions
83
Wi-Fi Standards
84
Wi-Fi Security
• Signals from a Wi-Fi network can travel several hundred
feet – Wi-Fi devices outside your home or business can
detect your signals
• Wi-Fi network should be protected by an encryption
protocol that makes data difficult to interpret
• Encryption protocols
– Wired equivalent privacy (WEP), Wi-Fi Protected
Access (WPA), and WPA2,
– Not all devices support all three protocols
• Older devices might only support WEP and/or WPA
85
Token Ring Networks
• Based on the IEEE 802.5 standard

• Star physical topology, ring logical topology
• A token is passed along the network
– Only the station with the token can transmit
– Frames are acknowledged and token is released
– No collisions
• Originally operated at 4Mbps and then increased to
16 Mbps and later 100 Mbps
• Uses cat 4 and higher UTP
• Obsolete
86
Fiber Distributed Data Interface
Technology
• Physical and logical ring topology
• Uses a token-passing access method and dual rings
for redundancy
• Transmits at 100 Mbps and can include up to 500
nodes over a distance of 60 miles
• Uses fiber-optic cable only
• Obsolete on new networks
87
Summary
• Wired networking media come in two primary
categories: copper and fiber-optic
• Twisted pair cabling come in shielded or unshielded
varieties
• Twisted pair cabling components consist of
connectors, patch cable, jacks, patch panels and
distribution racks
• A structured cabling plant consists of work areas,
horizontal wiring, telecommunications closets,
equipment rooms, backbone cabling, and entrance
facilities
88
Summary
• Fiber-optic uses pulses of light to represent bits and
is immune to EMI, RFI and electronic eavesdropping
• Wireless networks can be subdivided into LANs,
extended LANs, and mobile computing
• Components of a wireless LAN are a NIC, an
antenna, and a transceiver or access point
• Technologies used to transmit and receive data
including: infrared, laser, narrowband radio and
spread-spectrum radio
• Networks combining fiber-optic, UTP, and wireless
have become the norm
89

Network Media

Uploaded by

Document Information

Copyright

Available Formats

Share this document

Share or Embed Document

Sharing Options

Did you find this document useful?

Is this content inappropriate?

Copyright:

Available Formats

Network Media

Uploaded by

Copyright:

Available Formats

Network Media

• Define the primary cables used in wired networking

• Wired networking uses tangible physical media

• Maximum Segment Length – maximum length of

• Often called “coax” for short

• Comes in two types: unshielded and shielded

• Categories 5e and 6 UTP Cabling Characteristics

• Includes shielding to reduce crosstalk and

• RJ-45 Connectors – STP and UTP uses registered

• Cable termination – putting RJ-45 plugs on the ends

• When making a cable

• Bits are transmitted as pulses of light instead of

• Somewhat more difficult and time consuming than

• Common tools for testing and troubleshooting wired

• Demand has increased considerably

 Local area networks (LANs) – usually provides

• Network interface attaches to an antenna and an

• Signals take the form of waves in the

• The following are the most common frequencies for

• Infrared (IR) wireless networks use infrared light

• Also require a clear line of sight between sender

• Use low-powered, two-way radio communication

• Uses multiple frequencies simultaneously, improving

• Three main media choices: UTP, fiber-optic, and

• When choosing between media types, consider:

• Ethernet is the most popular LAN technology

• Every station has a physical (MAC) address

• Media access method: Rules governing how and

• Ethernet is a best-effort delivery system

• Ethernet standards expressed as:

• 10 Gigabit Ethernet IEEE 802.3ae

• 40 Gigabit and 100 Gigabit Ethernet

• The 802.11 wireless networking standard is also

• Wi-Fi can operate in one of two modes

• Wi-Fi operate at one of two radio frequencies:

• Wi-Fi Access Method

• Common types of signal interference:

• Signal-to-noise ratio – the amount of noise

• Based on the IEEE 802.5 standard

You might also like