Transmission Media

Transmission media refers to the physical medium through which data is transmitted from one
device to another within a network. These medium can be wired or wireless. The choice of
medium depends on factors like distance, speed, and interference. In this article,
rticle, we will discuss
the transmission media. In this article we will see types of transmission media in detail.
What is Transmission Media in Computer Networks?
A transmission medium is a physical path between the transmitter and the receiver i.e. it is the
channel through which data is sent from one device to another. Transmission Media is broadly
classified into the following types:

Types of Transmission Media

1. Guided Media
Guided Media is also referred to as Wired or Bounded transmission media. Signals being
transmitted are directed and confined in a narrow pathway by using physical links.
Features:
 High Speed
 Secure
 Used for comparatively shorter distances
.
There are 3 major types of Guided Media:
Twisted Pair Cable
It consists of 2 separately insulated conductor wires wound about each other. Generally, several
such pairs are bundled together in a protective sheath. They are the most widely used
Transmission Media. Twisted Pair is of two types:
 Unshielded Twisted Pair (UTP): UTP consists of two insulated copper wires twisted around
one another. This type of cable has the ability to block interference and does not depend on a
physical shield for this purpose. It is used for telephonic applications.
 Unshielded Twisted Pair

Advantages of Unshielded Twisted Pair

 Least expensive
 Easy to install
 High-speed capacity
Disadvantages of Unshielded Twisted Pair
 Lower capacity and performance in comparison to STP
 Short distance transmission due to attenuation

Shielded Twisted Pair

Shielded Twisted Pair (STP): Shiel

Shielded Twisted Pair (STP) cable consists of a special jacket (a
copper braid covering or a foil shield) to block external interference. It is used in fast-data-rate
Ethernet and in voice and data channels of telephone lines.
Advantages of Shielded Twisted Pair
 Better performance at a higher data rate in comparison to UTP
 Eliminates crosstalk
 Comparatively faster
Disadvantages of Shielded Twisted Pair
 Comparatively difficult to install and manufacture
 More expensive
 Bulky
Coaxial Cable
Coaxial cable has an outer plastic covering containing an insulation layer made of PVC or Teflon
and 2 parallel conductors each having a separate insulated protection cover. The coaxial
cable transmits information in two modes: Baseband mode(dedicated cable bandwidth) and
Broadband mode(cable bandwidth is split into separate ranges). Cable TVs and analog television
networks widely use Coaxial cables.

Advantages of Coaxial Cable

 Coaxial cables has high bandwidth
bandwidth.
 It is easy to install.
 Coaxial cables are more reliable and durable.
 Less affected by noise or cross
cross-talk or electromagnetic inference.
 Coaxial cables support multiple channels
Disadvantages of Coaxial Cable
 Coaxial cables are expensive.
 The coaxial cable must be grounded in order to prevent any crosstalk.
 As a Coaxial cable has multiple layers it is very bulky.
 There is a chance of breaking the coaxial cable and attaching a “t-joint” by hackers, this
compromises the security of the data.
Optical Fiber Cable
Optical Fibre Cable uses the concept of refraction of light through a core made up of glass or
plastic. The core is surrounded by a less dense glass or plastic covering called the coating. It is
used for the transmission of large volumes of data. The cable can be unidirectional or bidirectional.
The WDM (Wavelength Division Multiplexer) supports two modes, namely unidirectional and
bidirectional mode.

Advantages of Optical Fibre Cable

 Increased capacity and bandwidth
 Lightweight
 Less signal attenuation
 Immunity to electromagnetic interference
 Resistance to corrosive materials
Disadvantages of Optical Fibre Cable
 Difficult to install and maintain
 High cost
Applications of Optical Fibre Cable
 Medical Purpose: Used in several types of medical instruments.
 Defence Purpose: Used in transmission of data in aerospace.
 For Communication: This is largely used in formation of internet cables.
 Industrial Purpose: Used for lighting purposes and safety measures in designing the interior
and exterior of automobiles.
Stripline
Stripline is a transverse electromagnetic (TEM) transmission line medium invented by Robert M.
Barrett of the Air Force Cambridge Research Centre in the 1950s. Stripline is the earliest form of
the planar transmission line. It uses a conducting material to transmit high-frequency
frequency waves it is
also called a waveguide. This conducting material is sandwiched between two layers of the ground
plane which are usually shorted to provide EMI immunity.
Microstripline
A microstripline is a type of transmission media used to carry high-frequency signals, commonly
found in microwave and radio frequency circuits. It consists of a flat, narrow conducting strip
(usually made of metal) placed on top of a dielectric material (an insulating layer), with a metal
ground plane on the other side.
2. Unguided Media
It is also referred to as Wireless or Unbounded transmission media . No physical medium is
required for the transmission of electromagnetic signals.
Features of Unguided Media
 The signal is broadcasted through air
 Less Secure
 Used for larger distances
There are 3 types of Signals transmitted through unguided media:
Radio Waves
Radio waves are easy to generate and can penetrate through buildings. The sending and
receiving antennas need not be aligned. Frequency Range:3KHz – 1GHz. AM and FM radios and
cordless phones use Radio waves for transmission.

Radiowave

Microwaves
It is a line of sight transmission i.e. the sending and receiving antennas need to be properly
aligned with each other. The distance covered by the signal is directly proportional to the height of
the antenna. Frequency Range:1GHz – 300GHz. Micro waves are majorly used for mobile phone
communication and television distribution.

Infrared
Infrared waves are used for very short distance communication. They cannot penetrate through
obstacles. This prevents interference between systems. Frequency Range:300GHz – 400THz. It is
used in TV remotes, wireless mouse, keyboard, printer, etc.
Difference Between Radio Waves, Micro Waves, and Infrared Waves
Basis Radiowave Microwave Infrared wave

These are These are

These are omni
omni-
unidirectional in unidirectional in
directional in nature.
Direction nature. nature.

At low frequency, they At low frequency, they

can penetrate through can penetrate through They cannot
solid objects and walls solid objects and penetrate through
but high frequency walls. at high any solid object
they bounce off the frequency, they and walls.
Penetration obstacle. cannot penetrate.

Frequency range:
Frequency range: 3 Frequency range: 1
Frequency 300 GHz to 400
KHz to 1GHz. GHz to 300 GHz.
range GHz.

These offers poor These offers medium These offers high

Security security. security. security.

Attenuation is
Attenuation is high. Attenuation is low.
Attenuation variable.

Some frequencies in Some frequencies in There is no need

Government the radio-waves
waves the microwaves of government
License require government require government license to use
Basis Radiowave Microwave Infrared wave

license to use these. license to use these. these waves.

Setup and usage Cost Setup and usage Usage Cost is

Usage Cost is moderate. Cost is high. very less.

These are not

These are used in These are used in
used in long
long distance long distance
distance
communication. communication.
Communication communication.
Causes of Transmission Impairment
Transmission impairment refers to the loss or distortion of signals during data transmission,
leading to errors or reduced quality in communication. Common causes include signal distortion,
attenuation, and noise all of which can affect the clarity and reliability of transmitted data.

Transmission Impairment

 Attenuation: It means loss of energy. The strength of signal decreases with increasing
distance which causes loss of energy in overcoming resistance of medium. This is also known
as attenuated signal. Amplifiers are used to amplify the attenuated signal which gives the
original signal back and compensate for this loss.
 Distortion: It means changes in the form or shape of the signal. This is generally seen in
composite signals made up with different frequencies. Each frequency component has its own
propagation speed travelling through a medium. And thats why it delay in arriving at the final
destination Every component arrive at different time which leads to distortion. Therefore, they
have different phases at receiver end from what they had at senders end.
 Noise: The random or unwanted signal that mixes up with the original signal is called noise.
There are several types of noise such as induced noise, crosstalk noise, thermal noise and
impulse noise which may corrupt the signal.
Factors Considered for Designing the Transmission Media
 Bandwidth: Assuming all other conditions remain constant, the greater a medium’s bandwidth,
the faster a signal’s data transmission rate.
 Transmission Impairment : Transmission Impairment occurs when the received signal differs
from the transmitted signal. Signal quality will be impacted as a result of transmission
impairment.
 Interference: Interference is defined as the process of disturbing a signal as it travels over a
communication medium with the addition of an undesired signal.
Applications of Transmission Media in Computer Networks
Transmission media in computer networks are used to connect devices and transfer data. Here
are some common applications:
Transmission Media Application

Unshielded Twisted Pair

Local Area Networks (LAN), telephones
(UTP)

Industrial networks, environments with high

Shielded Twisted Pair (STP)
interference

Optical Fiber Cable Long-distance communication, internet backbones

Coaxial Cable Cable TV, broadband internet, CCTV

Stripline Printed Circuit Boards (PCBs), microwave circuits

Microstripline Antennas, satellite communication, RF circuits

Wireless communication, AM/FM radio, mobile

Radio
phones

Infrared Remote controls, short-range communication

Microwave Satellite communication, radar, long-distance links