NETWORK DATA TRANSMISSION MEDIA

Lecture 3: Signal Transmission Media

in Computer Network

Source: Feleke Merin (Dr. – Engr.)

Senior Asst. Professor

SOURCE: FELEKE MERIN (DR. - ENGR.) 1

 COMPUTER NETWORKS MEDIA
After reading this chapter and completing the exercises, you will be able to:
 Explain features of data signals, including attenuation, and noise

 Describe the physical characteristics and applications of:

• Coaxial cable, STP, UTP, and

• Fiber-optic media

 Compare the benefits and limitations of different networking media

SOURCE: FELEKE MERIN (DR. - ENGR.) 2

COMPUTER NETWORKS MEDIA TYPES

SOURCE: FELEKE MERIN (DR. - ENGR.) 3

 COMPUTER NETWORKS MEDIA
a) Cable-based data transmission
 Twisted-pair (TP) cable & Coaxial cable
Use metallic(copper) conductors that receive and transmit signals
in the form of electrical current.

 Fiber-optic cables carry data signals in the form of light.

(The signal is propagated along the inner core by reflection.)

SOURCE: FELEKE MERIN (DR. - ENGR.) 4

 COMPUTER NETWORKS MEDIA
b) Wireless communication
• Employ an antenna for transmission and reception of signals
through air, vacuum, or H2O.
• For transmission: the antenna radiates electromagnetic waves from
the surrounding medium
• For reception: The antenna picks-up electromagnetic waves from
the surrounding medium

SOURCE: FELEKE MERIN (DR. - ENGR.) 5

 ANALOG AND DIGITAL SIGNALING

 Important data transmission characteristic

 On a data network, information can be transmitted via
one of two signaling methods: analog or digital.
 Strength of an analog or digital signal: signal’s voltage.

SOURCE: FELEKE MERIN (DR. - ENGR.) 6

 ANALOG AND DIGITAL SIGNALING (CONT’D.)
Analog signal Examples:
Your speech, a siren, &
live music
 Analog data signals
 Voltage varies continuously
 Properties
 Amplitude, frequency,
wavelength, phase

SOURCE: FELEKE MERIN (DR. - ENGR.) 7

ANALOG AND DIGITAL SIGNALING (CONT’D.)
 Amplitude
 Analog wave’s strength
 Frequency
 Number of times amplitude cycles over fixed time period
 Measure in hertz (Hz)
 Wavelength
 Distance between corresponding wave cycle points
 Inversely proportional to frequency
 Expressed in meters or feet

SOURCE: FELEKE MERIN (DR. - ENGR.) 8

 ANALOG AND DIGITAL SIGNALING (CONT’D.)

 Analog signal benefit over digital

 More variable

 Drawback of analog signals

 Susceptible to transmission flaws (example: Noise)

SOURCE: FELEKE MERIN (DR. - ENGR.) 9

 ANALOG AND DIGITAL SIGNALING (CONT’D.)
 Digital signal pulse
 Pulses of voltages
• Positive voltage represents a 1
• Zero voltage represents a 0
 Binary system
 1s and 0s represent information
 Bit (binary digit)
 Possible values: 1 or 0

SOURCE: FELEKE MERIN (DR. - ENGR.) 10

 ANALOG AND DIGITAL SIGNALING (CONT’D.)
 Digital signal benefit over analog signal
 More reliable
 Less severe noise interference
 Digital signal drawback
 Many pulses required to transmit same information
 Overhead
 Nondata information
 Required for proper signal routing and interpretation
 Such as addressing information

SOURCE: FELEKE MERIN (DR. - ENGR.) 11

 TRANSMISSION FLAWS AFFECTING DATA SIGNALS

Noise- Any undesirable influence degrading or distorting signal

 Most common transmission flaws affecting data signals include:
 Signal noise (caused by EMI, RFI, Crosstalk, Heat)
 Attenuation (loss of a signal’s strength as it travels away from
its source)
 Latency (or delay) on data networks b/n sender and receiver
SOURCE: FELEKE MERIN (DR. - ENGR.) 12
SOURCES OF INTERFERENCE ON DATA SIGNALS

SOURCE: FELEKE MERIN (DR. - ENGR.) 13

 TRANSMISSION FLAWS AFFECTING DATA SIGNALS
 Cause of EMI (electromagnetic interference)
 EMI Waves that emanate from electrical devices or cables
carrying electricity.
 Motors, power lines, televisions, copiers, fluorescent lights,
manufacturing machinery

 RFI (radiofrequency interference) caused by radio waves

 Severe thunderstorm
SOURCE: FELEKE MERIN (DR. - ENGR.) 14
 TRANSMISSION FLAWS AFFECTING DATA SIGNALS
 Crosstalk between wires in a cable
Occurs when a signal traveling
on one wire or cable infringes
on the signal traveling over an
adjacent wire or cable.

SOURCE: FELEKE MERIN (DR. - ENGR.) 15

 TRANSMISSION FLAWS AFFECTING DATA SIGNALS
Attenuation (defined)
 Loss of a signal’s strength
as it travels away from
its source.

 Technology used to strength

analog signal: Amplifier,
but Noise also amplified

Fig. X: An analog signal distorted by noise and then amplified

SOURCE: FELEKE MERIN (DR. - ENGR.) 16

 TRANSMISSION FLAWS AFFECTING DATA SIGNALS
 Technology used to strengthen a digital signal
Regeneration(Repeating process)
 Digital signals retransmitted
in original form

 Repeater:
device regenerating
digital signals

Fig. Y A digital signal distorted by noise and then repeated

SOURCE: FELEKE MERIN (DR. - ENGR.) 17
 TRANSMISSION FLAWS AFFECTING DATA SIGNALS
 Latency - Delay between signal transmission and receipt
Example: To save a file from you computer to a network server.
 Delay takes place between the moment you press the key on your computer to save a
file to the network, the file’s data must travel through your NIC, the network wire, a one
or more connectivity devices, more cabling, and the server’s NIC before it lands on the
server’s hard disk (the moment the server accepts to save the data). This delay is called
latency

 Causes of latency
 Cable length involved
 Connectivity devices ( such as Switch, Router. Repeater, Bridge, etc. )
SOURCE: FELEKE MERIN (DR. - ENGR.) 18
 TRANSMISSION FLAWS AFFECTING DATA SIGNALS
 Most common way to measure latency on data networks
 By calculating a packet’s RTT (round trip time)
• RTT (round trip time)
 Time for packet to go from sender to receiver, then back from
receiver to sender
 Measured in milliseconds

 To constrain the latency and avoid its associated errors, consider

maximum number of connected network segments and maximum
segment length.

SOURCE: FELEKE MERIN (DR. - ENGR.) 19

 COMMON MEDIA CHARACTERISTICS
 Physical media characteristics (for all types of media) include:
Throughput
Cost
Size and scalability
Connectors
Noise immunity

SOURCE: FELEKE MERIN (DR. - ENGR.) 20

 COMMON MEDIA CHARACTERISTICS
a) Throughput
Throughput is limited by:
 Laws of physics that prevent signals from traveling faster than the speed
of light
 Signaling and multiplexing techniques used in a given transmission method.
 Noise
 Devices connected to transmission medium
 Fiber-optic cables allows faster throughput (Compared to copper or
wireless connections)
SOURCE: FELEKE MERIN (DR. - ENGR.) 21
 COMMON MEDIA CHARACTERISTICS
b) Cost  Variables influencing final cost
 Precise costs difficult to pinpoint  Installation cost
 Media cost dependencies
 New infrastructure cost versus
 Existing hardware,
 Network size, reuse
 Labor costs
 Maintenance and support costs

SOURCE: FELEKE MERIN (DR. - ENGR.) 22

 COMMON MEDIA CHARACTERISTICS
C) Noise Immunity  Measures to limit noise impact
 Noise distorts data signals on your network
 Distortion rate dependent upon
 Install cabling away from
powerful Electromagnetic forces.
transmission media
 For wired media, use a metal
• Fiber-optic: least susceptible to
conduit, or pipeline, to contain
noise
and further protect the cabling.
Because it does not use electric current,
but light waves, to conduct signals. SOURCE: FELEKE MERIN (DR. - ENGR.) 23
 COMMON MEDIA CHARACTERISTICS
d) Size and scalability of networking media
 Three specifications determine the size  The maximum number of nodes per

and scalability of networking media: segment depends on attenuation

1. maximum nodes per segment, and latency.

2. maximum segment length, and  The maximum segment length

3. maximum network length. depends on attenuation and

latency plus the segment type.
SOURCE: FELEKE MERIN (DR. - ENGR.) 24
 COMMON MEDIA CHARACTERISTICS
e) Connectors and Media Converters
Connectors – Figure W: UTP connector

• Hardware that connect the wire to

the network device, (be it a
file server, workstation,
switch, or printer.)

SOURCE: FELEKE MERIN (DR. - ENGR.) 25

 COMMON MEDIA CHARACTERISTICS
Converters
• Specific to particular media type
• Affect costs
 Installing and maintaining network

 Ease of adding new segments or nodes

 Technical expertise required to maintain Figure W: Copper wire-to-fiber
network media converter
SOURCE: FELEKE MERIN (DR. - ENGR.) 26
 COAX-COMPUTER NETWORKS MEDIA
Coaxial cable
 Popular transmission medium for

many years.

 accept and transport signals in the

form of electric current.

 Over time, twisted-pair and fiber-optic

cabling replaced coax in modern LANs

SOURCE: FELEKE MERIN (DR. - ENGR.) 27
 COMPUTER NETWORKS MEDIA- COAX
Central copper core
 Carries electromagnetic signal
 Be constructed as one strand of copper or
several thin strands of copper.
Braided metal shielding
 Acts as both a shield against noise and
a ground for the signal.

SOURCE: FELEKE MERIN (DR. - ENGR.) 28

 COMPUTER NETWORKS MEDIA- COAX
Advantages
 High resistance to noise.
 Carry signals farther than twisted-pair
cabling before amplification of the
signals

Disadvantage
 More expensive than twisted-pair cable
because it requires significantly more
raw materials to manufacture.

SOURCE: FELEKE MERIN (DR. - ENGR.) 29

 COMPUTER NETWORKS MEDIA- COAX
Coaxial cabling specifications  The significant differences b/n
 RG specification number. (RG stands for cable types lie in the materials
“radio guide”
used for their center cores
 Example: RG-8(Thicknet) RG-8 coaxial cable,
 Application: Used for video
1-cm thick and contains a solid copper core.
transfer
 Used to guide radiofrequencies in broadband

transmission.

SOURCE: FELEKE MERIN (DR. - ENGR.) 30

 COMPUTER NETWORKS MEDIA- COAX
Types of Coax cable :
a) Thicknet (thickwire Ethernet) or RG-8
• IEEE designates Thicknet as 10BASE-5 Ethernet.
 “10” represents its throughput 10 Mbps,
 “Base” stands for baseband transmission,
 “5” represents the maximum segment length of a Thicknet cable,
which is 500 meters.

SOURCE: FELEKE MERIN (DR. - ENGR.) 31

 COMPUTER NETWORKS MEDIA- COAX
b) Thinnet (thin Ethernet)
• Thinnet uses RG-58A/U coaxial cable
 Its diameter: 0.64 cm, which
 Its core: made of several thin strands of copper.
• IEEE designated Thinnet as 10BASE-2 Ethernet,
 “10” representing its data transmission rate of 10 Mbps,
 “Base” stands for it uses baseband transmission,
 “2” representing its maximum segment length of
185 meters (or 200).
SOURCE: FELEKE MERIN (DR. - ENGR.) 32
COMPUTER NETWORKS MEDIA- COAX
Categories of coaxial cables

SOURCE: FELEKE MERIN (DR. - ENGR.) 33

 COMPUTER NETWORKS MEDIA- COAX
Coaxial Cable Connectors
 BNC connector used to connect the end of the cable to a
device, such as a TV set.  BNC terminator used at the end
 BNC T connector used in Ethernet networks to branch of the cable to prevent the
out to a connection to a computer or other device. reflection of the signal.

SOURCE: FELEKE MERIN (DR. - ENGR.) 34

 COMPUTER NETWORKS MEDIA- COAX
Applications
 Used in digital telephone networks where a single coaxial cable
could carry digital data up to 600 Mbps.
• Replaced today with fiber optic cable.

 Used in Cable TV networks (uses RG-59 coaxial cable.)

 Used in Ethernet LANs

SOURCE: FELEKE MERIN (DR. - ENGR.) 35

 TWISTED PAIR CABLE
Color-coded insulated copper wire pairs
 0.4 to 0.8 mm diameter

 Encased in a plastic sheath

SOURCE: FELEKE MERIN (DR. - ENGR.) 36

 TWISTED PAIR CABLE (CONTD.)
More wire pair twists per foot
 Twist ratio
 More resistance to cross talk
• Twists per meter or foot
 Higher-quality
 High twist ratio
 More expensive
• Greater attenuation

SOURCE: FELEKE MERIN (DR. - ENGR.) 37

 TWISTED PAIR CABLE (CONTD.)
Twisted pair cables comes in hundreds of different designs.
• These designs vary in their:
 Twist ratio,
 Number of wire pairs,
 Copper grade,
 Shielding type,
 Shielding materials

SOURCE: FELEKE MERIN (DR. - ENGR.) 38

 TWISTED PAIR CABLE (CONTD.)
• 1 to 4200 wire pairs possible
• Wiring standard specification
 TIA/EIA 568

• Twisted pair wiring types

 Cat (category) 3, 4, 5, 5e, 6, and 6e, Cat 7

 CAT 5 most often used in modern LANs

SOURCE: FELEKE MERIN (DR. - ENGR.) 39

TWISTED PAIR CABLE (CONTD.)
Advantages
 Relatively inexpensive

 Flexible
 Easy installation
 Spans significant distance before requiring repeater
 Accommodates several different topologies
 Handles current faster networking transmission rates
SOURCE: FELEKE MERIN (DR. - ENGR.) 40
 TWO CATEGORIES TWISTED PAIR CABLE (CONTD.)
 STP (shielded twisted pair)
 UTP
(unshielded twisted pair)

SOURCE: FELEKE MERIN (DR. - ENGR.) 41

 STP (SHIELDED TWISTED PAIR)
Consists twisted wire pairs individually insulated, and

Surrounded by

metallic substance

shielding (such as foil)

SOURCE: FELEKE MERIN (DR. - ENGR.) 42

 STP (SHIELDED TWISTED PAIR) (CONTD.)
The metallic shielding
• Acts as barrier to external
electromagnetic forces

• Contains electrical energy

of signals inside

• May be grounded to

enhance its protective effects

SOURCE: FELEKE MERIN (DR. - ENGR.) 43

 SHIELDED TWISTED PAIR (STP) CABLES (CONTD.)
Features
 Protected
 Hard to install
 RJ45 Connector
 Crimper Tool

SOURCE: FELEKE MERIN (DR. - ENGR.) 44

 UNSHIELDED TWISTED PAIR (UTP) CABLES
 Consists one or more insulated wire pairs
encased in a plastic sheath.
 Most commonly used type
 Easy to install
 Both less expensive and
less resistant to noise than STP
 RJ45 Connector
 Crimper Tool

SOURCE: FELEKE MERIN (DR. - ENGR.) 45

 UNSHIELDED TWISTED PAIR (UTP) CABLES
TIA/EIA designated standards for twisted-pair wiring

SOURCE: FELEKE MERIN (DR. - ENGR.) 46

UNSHIELDED TWISTED PAIR (UTP) CABLES

SOURCE: FELEKE MERIN (DR. - ENGR.) 47

 COMPARING UTP CABLES CATEGORIES
Comparing UTP cables based on number of twists
per meter or inch (also called twist ratio)

(a) Category 3 UTP.

(b) Category 5 UTP.

48
 COMPARING STP AND UTP
Throughput Cost
 STP and UTP transmit the same  STP and UTP vary (depending on grade
of copper used, cable category rating)
rates (10, 100, and 1000 Mbps)
Size and scalability Noise immunity
 STP and UTP maximum segment  STP more noise resistant
length: 100 meters (10Base-T, 100Base-T)
 UTP subject to filtering and balancing
techniques to offset the effects of noise.
 Accommodate max. 1024 nodes
SOURCE: FELEKE MERIN (DR. - ENGR.) 49
 COMPARING STP AND UTP(CONTD.)

Connector
 STP and UTP use RJ-45

(Registered Jack 45)

 Telephone connections use

RJ-11 (Registered Jack 11)

RJ-45 and RJ-11 connectors
SOURCE: FELEKE MERIN (DR. - ENGR.) 50
 TERMINATING TWISTED PAIR CABLE
Crossover cable
 Transmit and receive

Wires on one end

reversed

Fig. Y: RJ-45 terminations on a crossover cable

SOURCE: FELEKE MERIN (DR. - ENGR.) 51
 TERMINATING TWISTED PAIR CABLE (CONTD.)
Straight-through cable
 Terminate RJ-45 plugs at both ends identically

SOURCE: FELEKE MERIN (DR. - ENGR.) 52

 TERMINATING TWISTED PAIR CABLE (CONTD.)
Straight-through cables  Crossover cables
 Switch to router  Switch to switch
 Switch to PC or server  Hub to hub
 Hub to PC or server  Router to router
 PC to PC
 Router to PC

SOURCE: FELEKE MERIN (DR. - ENGR.) 53

 TERMINATING TWISTED PAIR CABLE (CONTD.)
 Straight-through cables connect unlike devices

 Cross-over cable can also

connect a computer to a router.
 Cross-over cable connect like devices.

SOURCE: FELEKE MERIN (DR. - ENGR.) 54

 TERMINATING TWISTED PAIR CABLE (CONTD.)
Wire stripper Crimping tool

After making cables

 Verify data transmit and receive SOURCE: FELEKE MERIN (DR. - ENGR.)
55
 APPLICATIONS OF TWISTED PAIR CABLES
 Used in telephone lines to provide

voice and data channels.

 Used in Local-area networks,

such as 10Base-T and 100Base-T

SOURCE: FELEKE MERIN (DR. - ENGR.) 56
 FIBER OPTIC CABLES
Typical fiber-optic cable
Fiber optic cable
 Core located at the center of the
cable,
 Core made glass or plastic
 Transmits signals in the form of light
 Use reflection to guide light through
a channel

SOURCE: FELEKE MERIN (DR. - ENGR.) 57

 FIBER OPTIC CABLES (CONTD.)
Data transmission
 Via Pulsing light sent from laser
 LED (light-emitting diode) through
central fibers
Cladding
 A Layer of glass or plastic surrounding fibers
 Maintains the signal in the center of the
core as the cable bends
 Reflects light back to core
This reflection allows fiber to bend around corners without diminishing the integrity of light-based signal
SOURCE: FELEKE MERIN (DR. - ENGR.) 58
 FIBER OPTIC CABLES (CONTD.)
Plastic buffer
 Outside cladding
 Protects cladding and core
 Opaque
 Absorbs any escaping light

Strands of Kevlar (advanced polymeric fiber)

 Surrounds plastic buffer
 Prevents the cable from stretching
 Protects the inner core further
Plastic sheath (outer Jacket) covers Kevlar strands
SOURCE: FELEKE MERIN (DR. - ENGR.) 59
 FIBER OPTIC CABLES (CONTD.)
Light Propagation Modes along optical channels
 Different varieties
• Based on intended use and manufacturer
 Multimode implemented in two forms: step-index or graded-index

SOURCE: FELEKE MERIN (DR. - ENGR.) 60

 FIBER OPTIC CABLES (CONTD.)
Transmission over single-mode fiber-
SMF (Single-Mode Fiber) optic cable
Uses narrow core (< 10 microns in diameter)
 Laser generated light travels over one path
 Little reflection
 Light does not disperse
Accommodates
• Highest bandwidths, longest distances

• Connects carrier’s two facilities

Costs prohibit typical LANs, WANs use

SOURCE: FELEKE MERIN (DR. - ENGR.) 61
 FIBER OPTIC CABLES (CONTD.)
Single mode Fiber optic Single mode Fiber optic

SOURCE: FELEKE MERIN (DR. - ENGR.) 62

 FIBER OPTIC CABLES (CONTD.)
Transmission over multimode fiber-optic cable
MMF (Multimode Fiber)
 Uses core with larger diameter
than single-mode fiber
 Common size: 62.5 microns
 Laser or LED generated light
pulses travel at different angles
 Common uses
 Cables connecting router to a switch
 Cables connecting server on network backbone
SOURCE: FELEKE MERIN (DR. - ENGR.) 63
 FIBER OPTIC CABLES (CONTD.)
Multimode Fiber optic cable Multimode Fiber optic cable

SOURCE: FELEKE MERIN (DR. - ENGR.) 64

 FIBER OPTIC CABLES (CONTD.)
MMF (Multimode Fiber) (cont’d.)
Benefits Drawback
 Extremely high throughput  More expensive than
 Very high resistance to noise
twisted pair cable
 Excellent security
 Ability to carry signals for much  Requires special equipment
longer distances before requiring
to splice
repeaters than copper cable
 Industry standard for high-speed
networking
SOURCE: FELEKE MERIN (DR. - ENGR.) 65
 FIBER OPTIC CABLES (CONTD.)
 Faster than twisted pair and coaxial
 Send data as light pulses over glass medium
 Free of electromagnetic interference
 Expensive
 Hard to install
 Used in submarine connections
 More secure

SOURCE: FELEKE MERIN (DR. - ENGR.) 66

 FIBER OPTIC CABLES (CONTD.)
Type Description
Single Mode  Transfer data through the core using a single light ray
 The core diameter is around 9 microns
 Supports a large amount of data
 Cable length can extended a great distance

Multi-Mode  Transfers the data through the core using multiple light rays
 The core diameter is around 60 microns
 Cable length are limited in distance compared to single mode

SOURCE: FELEKE MERIN (DR. - ENGR.) 67

 WIRELESS MEDIA (AIR)
 Wi-Fi Wireless Fidelity
 Uses frequencies 2.4GHz or 5GHz
 IEEE 802.11 standards: a, b, g, and n
 Access Point (AP) connecting devices
 Mobility
 Flexibility
 Less secure

SOURCE: FELEKE MERIN (DR. - ENGR.) 68

Review Questions
1. Name the two major categories of transmission media.
2. What is the function of the twisting in twisted-pair cable?
3. What is the purpose of cladding in an optical fiber?
4. Name the advantages of optical fiber over twisted-pair and coaxial cable.
5. Compare analog and digital data signals.
6. List down different transmission flaws affecting data signals.
7. List down various types of noises in data signals.
8. What are the most common way to measure latency on data networks?
9. How do you limit noise impact on your computer network?
10. Name and explain different types of Coaxial cable.
11. Compare the following categories of twisted-pair cables: Cat 3 and Cat 5.
12. Compare the following twisted-pair cables: Shielded and unshielded.
13. Write a short note on methods used to terminate Twisted Pair Cables.
14. Write down applications of twisted pair cables.
15. Compare single-mode and multi-mode Fiber optic cables.
16. What are the disadvantages of optical fiber as a transmission medium?

============ The End ! ============

SOURCE: FELEKE MERIN (DR. - ENGR.) 69