NETWORKING 1

FINAL MODULE
WEEK 1-5

Transmission Media
On any network, the various entities must communicate through some form of media.

Just as humans can communicate through telephone wires or sound waves in the air,
computers can communicate through cables, light, and radio waves.

Transmission media enables computers to send and receive messages

Types of Transmission Medium

There are two main groups of transmission media, namely the guided medium and the
wireless medium/ unguided medium.

► For the guided medium, there is a physical path (such as a cable) for
electromagnetic wave propagation.
► For the wireless medium, however, the electromagnetic wave is transmitted
through air, water, or vacuum.

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 Twisted Pair Cable

► A twisted pair consists of two conductors (normally copper), each with its own
plastic insulation, twisted together.
► Low frequency transmission medium
► We can transmit 1 Mbps over short distances (less than 100m).
► They are mainly used to transmit analog signals, but they can be used for digital
signals.
► Types of Twisted Pair Cable:
- UTP (Unshielded Twisted-Pair)
- STP (Shielded Twisted-Pair)

Advantages & Disadvantages

Advantages:
- Inexpensive and readily available
- Flexible and light weight
- Easy to work with and install
Disadvantages:
- Susceptibility to interference and noise
- Attenuation problem
For analog, repeaters needed every 5-6km
For digital, repeaters needed every 2-3km
- Relatively low bandwidth (3000Hz)

Applications

► Twisted-pair cables are used in telephone lines to provide voice and data
channels.

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 ► The DSL lines that are used by the telephone companies to provide high data-rate
connections also use the high bandwidth capability of unshielded twisted-pair
cables.
► Local-area networks, such as10Base-T and 100Base-T, also use twisted-pair
cables.

Coaxial Cable
► Coaxial cable (or coax) carries signals of higher frequency ranges than those in
twisted- pair cable.
► Coaxial consists of a core made of solid copper surrounded by insulation, a
braided metal shielding, and an outer cover.

Advantages & Disadvantages

Advantages:
- Higher bandwidth
400 to 600Mhz
up to 10,800 voice conversations
- Much less susceptible to interference than twisted pair

Disadvantages:
- More expensive than twisted pair cable.
- Harder to work with & gets easily damaged.

“’Committed to your
SISTECH Bldg., Corner Alvarez & Gov. Gaffud St., brighter future through
Villasis, Santiago City, Philippines quality education”’
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 Applications

► Television distribution
Ariel to TV & Cable TV
► Long distance telephone
transmission
► Short distance computer systems
links
► Local area networks

Fiber Optic Cable

► Relatively new transmission medium used by telephone companies in place of
long-distance trunk lines
► Require a light source with injection laser diode (ILD) or light-emitting diodes
(LED)
► Optical fiber consists of a glass core, surrounded by a glass cladding with slightly
lower refractive index.

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SISTECH Bldg., Corner Alvarez & Gov. Gaffud St., brighter future through
Villasis, Santiago City, Philippines quality education”’
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 Fiber Optic Transmission Modes
Single-mode fiber
► Carries light pulses along single path.

Multimode fiber
► Many pulses of light travel at different angles

Advantages & Disadvantages

Advantages:
- Greater capacity (bandwidth of up to 2 Gbps).
- Smaller size and lighter weight.
- Lower attenuation.
- Immunity to environmental interference.
- Highly secure due to tap difficulty and lack of signal radiation.

Disadvantages:
- Expensive over short distance
- Requires highly skilled installers
- Adding additional nodes is difficult

“’Committed to your
SISTECH Bldg., Corner Alvarez & Gov. Gaffud St., brighter future through
Villasis, Santiago City, Philippines quality education”’
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 Applications

► The fiber optic cable is often found in backbone

networks because its bandwidth is cost effective.
► Used in TV companies.
► LAN such as 100 Base FX Network

Unguided Transmission Medium

Unguided media – no medium to control or contain signals; therefore, no boundaries
transmission and reception are achieved by means of an antenna.

Types of unguided media

systems:

Microwave
Satellite
Radio

Types of Unguided Transmission Medium

Radio
► Wireless transmission of electrical waves over air
► Each device has a radio transceiver with a specific frequency
Low power transmitters (few miles range)
Often attached to portables (Laptops, PDAs, cell phones)

Infrared

► “invisible” light waves (frequency is below red light)

► Requires line of sight; generally subject to interference from heavy rain, smog,
and fog
► Used in remote control units (e.g., TV)

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 Microwave Transmission
► High frequency form of radio communication.
► Antenna at transmitter & receiver must be aligned (Line of Sight).
► Does not penetrate through objects.

Advantages & Disadvantages

Advantages:
- easy to install - no need to run cables throughout the building
- users are able to move around with portable systems and stay connected
- transmission speeds are very high

Disadvantages:
- less secure - its lot easier to hack into a wireless network.

Applications
► They are used in Cellular phones.
► They are used in wireless LANs.
► AM and FM Radio, television, maritime radio, cordless phone, and paging are
examples of multicasting.
► Infrared waves are used in communication between devices such as Keyboard,
PCs and Printers.

DIRECTIONS: Explain in your own words and discuss significance. (5PTS.EACH)

1. What is the position of the transmission media in the OSI or the Internet model?
2. Name the two major categories of transmission media.
3. How do guided media differ from unguided media?
4. What are the three major classes of guided media?
5. What is the significance of the twisting in twisted-pair cable?
6. What is the purpose of cladding in an optical fiber?
7. Name the advantages of optical fiber over twisted-pair and coaxial cable.
8. What is the difference between omnidirectional waves and unidirectional waves?

The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge; fools despise wisdom and instruction.
Proverbs 1:7

Prepared by:

MARIS P. ESTEBAN
Instructor

Checked by:

AMELIA J. BANIQUED, MSIT

College Dean

“’Committed to your
SISTECH Bldg., Corner Alvarez & Gov. Gaffud St., brighter future through
Villasis, Santiago City, Philippines quality education”’
Tele. Fax. No. (078) 305-0849  Email: [email protected]