Network Cables

• To make data transmission more extensible and efficient than a simple peer-to-peer network, network designers use specialized network devices such as hubs, switches, routers, and wireless access points to send data between devices.
• Until recently, cables were the only medium used to connect devices on networks.
• A copper-cored cable surrounded by a heavy shielding.

  Coaxial Cable
• Used to connect the computers to the rest of the network.

  Coaxial cable
• It is a type of copper cable specially built with a metal shield and other components. It is primarily used by cable TV companies.

  Coaxial cable
• (10BASE5) is a coaxial cable used in networks operating at 10 Mbps, with a maximum length of 500 meters. 


  Thick Net
• (10BASE2) is a coaxial cable used in networks operating at 10 Mbps, with a maximum length of 185 meters. 


  Thin Net
• It is most used for cable television in the U.S.

  RG-59
• It is higher-quality cable than RG-59, with more bandwidth and less susceptibility to interference.

  RG-6
• A type of copper cabling that is used for telephone communications and most Ethernet networks. A pair of wires forms a circuit that transmits data.

  Twisted Pair
• Pairs of copper wires are encased in color-coded plastic insulation and are twisted together. An outer jacket protects the bundles of twisted pairs.

  Twisted Pair
• UTP

  UNSHIELDED TWISTED PAIR
• STP

  SHIELDED TWISTED PAIR
• It is a cable that has four pairs of wires.

  UTP
• This type of cable relies solely on the cancellation effect produced by the twisted-wire pairs that limits signal degradation caused by electromagnetic interface (EMI) and radio frequency interference (RFI).

  UTP
• The most used cabling in networks. These cables have a range of 328 feet (100 m).

  UTP
• Each pair of wire is wrapped in metallic foil to better shield the wires from noise.

  STP
• Four pairs of wires are then wrapped in an overall metallic braid or foil.

  STP
• Reduces electrical noise from within the cable and it is more expensive because of the extra shielding.

  STP
• It is also more difficult to install because of the thickness.

  STP
• -It is the wiring used for telephone systems and Ethernet LAN at 10 Megabyte per second (Mbps). -Has four pairs of wires.

  Category 3
• -Have four pairs of wires with a transmission rate of 100 Mbps. -The most common network cables used. 


  Category 5 and 5e
• -Has more twists per foot than Category 5 wiring. These extra twists further prevent interference from outside sources and from the other wires within the cable. 


  Category 5e
• Some _ use a plastic divider to separate the pairs of wires, which prevents interference. The pairs also have more twists than Category 5e cable. 


  Category 6 cables
• A glass or plastic conductor that transmits information using light.

  Optical Fiber
• Has one or more optical fibers enclosed in a sheath or jacket.

  Fiber-optic cable
• Because it is made of glass, fiber-optic cable is not affected by EMI or RFI. All signals are converted to light pulses to enter the cable and are converted back into electrical signals when they leave it.
• Can deliver signals that are clearer, and can go farther, without compromising the clarity of signals.

  Fiber-optic cable
• Can reach distances of several miles or kilometers before the signal needs to be regenerated.

  Fiber-optic cable
• Usually is more expensive to use than copper cable, and the connectors are more costly and harder to assemble.

  Fiber-optic cable
• Common connectors for fiber-optic networks are SC, ST, and LC. These three types of fiber-optic connectors are half-duplex, which allows data to flow in only one direction. Therefore, two cables are needed.
• The cable that has a thicker core than single-mode cable. It is easier to make, can use simpler light sources such as Light Emitting Diodes (LEDs), and works well over distances of a few kilometers or less.

  Multimode
• LEDs

  Light Emitting Diodes
• The cable that has a very thin core. It is harder to make, uses lasers as a light source, and can transmit signals dozens of kilometers with ease.

  Single-mode