Transmission Media

Guided and Unguided Media

Introduction
• What is a transmission Media?
• It is the channel through which data is sent from one place to
another.
• Transmission Media is broadly classified into the following types:
• Guided/ bound media
• Unguided/ unbound media.
Guided Media
• It 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
Types of Guided Media
1. Twisted pair cable
2. Coaxial cable
3. Fiber optic cable
1. 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 cable
✓Shielded twisted pair cable
Unshielded twisted pair (UTP) cable
• UTP cables do not have a shield that prevents electromagnetic
interference (also called ‘Electric noise’) from the environment.
• UTP cable is prone to noise & signal interference, and therefore, not
suitable for environments that are electrically ‘noisy’.
• Noise may come from lightening sparks, radio signal, or radiations
from spark plugs in motor vehicles.
• Examples of UTP include Ethernet cables
• The figures below shows UTP cable
UTP Cont.
• The figure below shows a UTP • The figure below shows how the
cable cables are organized inside the
RJ-45 of a UTP
Shielded Twisted Pair (STP) Cable
• In STP cables, a braided shield is wrapped around the wires to protect
them from noise.
• The shield protects the cable from electromagnetic noise. Thus
making it more secure.
• Below is the image of STP
Categories of Twisted Pair cables
• Twisted pair cables are grouped into 5 categories according to the
type of data transmitted, and the maximum rate of transmission.
CATEGORY NETWORK TYPE MAXIMUM DESCRIPTION
NETWORK SPEED
Category 1(CAT 1) Voice Transmission 1 Mbps It’s not suitable for
networking.
CAT 2 For digital telephone 4 Mbps Its commonly not
an low-speed used on networks.
networks
CAT 3 Ethernet 10 Mbps This category is
currently used for
telephone wiring.
CAT 4 IBM token ring 10 Mbps It may also be used
for 10Mbps
Ethernet.
Categories of Twisted Pair cables Cont.
CATEGORY NETWORK TYPE MAXIMUM DESCRIPTION
NETWORK SPEED
CAT 5 Fast Ethernet 100 Mbps
Connection
CAT 5e Gigabit Ethernet 350 Mbps
CAT 6 Gigabit Ethernet 1 Gbps It does supports a
signaling rate of 250
megahertz (MHz).
CAT 6a Gigabit Ethernet 1 Gbps It also supports a
signaling rate of 500
megahertz (MHz).
CAT 7 Gigabit Ethernet 1+ Gbps It support a
signaling rate of 2
gigahertz (GHz).
Advantages of twisted pair cable
• Can support high data rates (bandwidth) of up to 100 Mbps.
• Telephone systems use UTP, which is present in most buildings.
Therefore, it is easier to setup network media because; connection is
readily available.
• Installation equipment is cheap & readily available.
• It is cheap because; of mass production for telephone use.
Disadvantages of twisted pair cable
• They suffer from high attenuation. Therefore, for every cable length
of 90m, a “Repeater” is needed to amplify (restore) the signal.
• UTP is sensitive to electromagnetic interference.
• It has low data transmission rates as compared to other cables.
2. Coaxial cables
• A Coaxial cable resembles the cable that is used to connect television antenna to
a television set.
The cable has;
• A central copper core (which is either solid or stranded wires).
• The diameter of the centre core determines the attenuation rate. If the core is thin, then the
attenuation rate will be higher.
• An insulator (a dielectric material) surrounding the copper core.
• A hollow braid (mesh conductor) surrounding the insulator.
• The braid is made of copper or aluminium, and serves as the ground for the carrier wire.
• A shield which covers the braid making the core more resistant to
electromagnetic interference.
• The braid together with the insulator & the foil shield protects the carrier wire from Radio
Frequency Interference (RFI) and Electromagnetic Interference (EMI).
Cont.
• Coaxial cables have bandwidths of up to 1 Gbps (Gigabits per second).
Hence, they can be used to link/connect different networks between
buildings, and route trunk calls in telecommunication companies.
 Types of Coaxial Cables
• A) Thin coaxial cable (Thinnet): -
it has 1 dielectric insulator
around the core.
• ThinNet is used on Ethernet
10Base2 networks and can span
distances of up to 185 meters.
Types of Coaxial Cables cont.
• B) Thick coaxial cable
(Thicknet): - it has 2 dielectric
insulators around the core, and
is thicker than the thinnet.
• This type of coaxial cabling is Second insulator
used with Ethernet 10Base5
networks and is able to span
distances of up to 500 meters.
Advantages and Disadvantages of coaxial cables
Advantages of Coaxial Cables
• They are very stable even under high loads.
• They have a large bandwidth (up to 1Gbps) compared to twisted pair
cables.
• They can carry voice, data and video signals simultaneously.
• They are more resistant to radio and electromagnetic interference
than twisted pair cables.
Disadvantages of coaxial cables
• Thick coaxial cable is hard to work with.
• They are relatively expensive to buy & install compared to twisted
pair cables.
3. Fiber optic cables.
• A fiber optic cable uses light to transmit data signals from one point
to another on the network.
• A Light Emitting Diode (LED) is used at the source/transmitter
(sending computer) to convert electrical signals to light signals which
are then send along the cable.
• At the receiving computer, a photosensitive device is then used to
convert the light signals back to electric signals that can be processed
by the computer.
Parts of a fiber Optic Cable
The Core.
• This is the central part of the cable, and is made of a hollow transparent
plastic or glass.
Cladding.
• This is a single protective layer surrounding the core.
• The Cladding is able to bend light rays, (i.e., when light tries to travel from
the core to the cladding, it is redirected back to the core).
Buffer.
• It surrounds the cladding. Its main function is to strengthen the cable.
The Jacket.
• It is the outer covering of the cable.
Fiber Optic cables Cont.
• How a fiber optic cables looks • Parts of a fiber optic cable.
like • The strength member is part of
the outer jacket
Light transmission along a fiber optic cable.
• The light signal travels along the core through a process referred to as
Total internal reflection.
• The process that causes total internal reflection is called Refraction.
Refraction is the bending of light when it crosses the boundary of two
mediums that have different densities.
• Therefore, when light signal is inserted into the cable, it tries to cross
from the core to the cladding. The light is bent back into the core,
hence spreads along the length of the cable.
Fiber Optic cables Cont.
• The diagram below shows how light travels in a fiber optic cable.
 Types of Fiber Optic cables
1. Single mode fiber optic cable.
• The single mode fiber has a very
narrow centre core. This implies
that, the light in the cable can take
only one path through it.
• It has a very low attenuation rate, and
is preferred for long distance
transmission.
• It has a very high bandwidth of 50
Gigabits per second.
• It is very expensive, and requires very
careful handling during installation.
Fiber Optic cables Cont.
2. Multimode fiber optic cable.
• A multimode fiber has a thicker
centre core than the single
mode fiber .
• It allows several light signals (rays)
to be sent through the cable at the
same time. Hence, there are high
chances of the signal being
distorted.
• It has a high attenuation rate, and
is usually used for shorter distance
transmission.
Advantages of fibre optic cable.
• It is immune to electromagnetic interference, and eavesdropping.
• It is fast and supports high bandwidth.
• It has low attenuation; hence, a long distance can be covered.
• It does not generate electrical signals; hence can be used in
dangerous (highly flammable) places.
• It is smaller & lighter than copper cables; hence, suitable for
situations where space is limited.
Disadvantages of fibre optic cable.
• Requires expensive connectivity devices and media.
• Installation is difficult because the cable must be handled carefully.
• It is relatively complex to configure.
• A broken fibre optic cable is difficult & expensive to repair.
WIRELESS COMMUNICATION
(UNBOUNDED MEDIA)
Introduction
• Wireless (unbounded) media is a type of media that is used to transmit
data from one point to another without using physical connections.
• It is also referred to as Wireless or Unbounded transmission media. No
physical medium is required for the transmission of electromagnetic
signals.
• Features:
• The signal is broadcasted through air
• Less Secure
• Used for longer distances
• In this case, a transmitting antenna & a receiver aerial are used to facilitate
the communication.
Examples of wireless communication media
• Microwaves.
• Radio waves.
• Infrared transmission.
• Bluetooth
• Wireless Fidelity (WIFI)
• All these waves use different frequencies of the electromagnetic
spectrum, and travel at the speed of light.
 Gamma rays 1022 Hz
X-Rays 1020 Hz
Ultra-violet (UV) 1016 Hz
Electromagnetic spectrum

Visible light 1015 Hz

Infra-red (IR) 1013 Hz
Microwaves 1010 Hz
Ultra-High
108 Hz
Frequency (UHF)
Very High
107 Hz
Frequency (VHF)

waves
Radio
High Frequency
106 Hz
(HF)
 Microwave transmission
• Microwave frequencies have a • Microwave diagram
small wavelength, and can easily
release their energy in water as
heat.
• This is why they are used in making
domestic kitchen appliances, e.g.,
microwave ovens.
• In networking, microwaves are
suitable for point-to-point
transmissions, whereby a signal is
directed through a focused beam
from the transmitter to the
receiver station.
Satellite communication
• A Satellite is a microwave relay station. The microwave earth stations
have parabolic dishes with an antenna fixed on them in order to focus
a narrow beam towards the satellite in space.
• A satellite transmission system has 3 main components:
• Transmitter earth station - it sets up an uplink to the satellite in order to
transmit data.
• A Satellite that is somewhere in an orbit. It receives, amplifies, and
retransmits the signal to a receiving earth station through a downlink
frequency.
• The downlink & the uplink frequency are usually different. This is to prevent
the downlink signal from interfering with the uplink signal.
• Receiving earth station - receives the signal sent by the satellite on the other
side of the globe.
 Satellite communication

• A communication satellite is
usually launched into space
about 36,000 km above the
earth in such a manner that its
speed is almost equal to the
rotation speed of the earth.
• This makes the satellite appear
as if it is stationary in space.
Such types of satellites are called
geostationary satellites.
Advantages of using satellites
• A satellite is convenient because; it provides a large constant line of
sight to earth stations.
• This means that, there is no need to keep on moving the parabolic dish so as
to track the line of sight.
• The satellite transmits the signal to many recipient earth stations.
This is because; the transmitted signal spreads out in all directions to
form a Point to Multipoint transmission.
Radio communication
• Radio waves are used in radio and television broadcasts.
• Radio waves travel just like surface water waves, i.e., they start from a
central point and spread outwards in all directions.
• As they travel outwards, their energy spreads outwards over the
covered area.
• The waves are radiated into the atmosphere by a radio frequency
antenna at constant velocity.
Radio communication
Radio waves can be of:
• High frequency (HF).
• Very high frequency (VHF).
• Ultra-high frequency (UHF).
 Radio communication
High frequency (HF) radio waves Very High frequency (VHF) radio waves
• The High frequency radio wave signal • They are transmitted along the earth’s
is transmitted by directing it to the surface. However, since the earth is
ionosphere of the earth. somehow curved, the signal tends to
• The ionosphere reflects it back to the attenuate at the horizons of
earth’s surface, and the receiver then mountains and buildings.
picks the signal. • This means that, repeater stations have
to be built on raised areas in order to
• Disadvantage of HF communication receive, amplify, and propagate the signal
from one area to another.
• The signal can be intercepted by • Note. The range of VHF is limited;
unauthorized parties. however, it is preferred to HF because;
it is possible to make a VHF wave
follow a narrower & more direct path
to the receiver.
Cont.
• Ultra-High frequency (UHF) radio waves
• The UHF radio waves use the line of sight principle used by the VHF
waves. This means that, there should be no barrier between the
sending & the receiving aerial. However, they require smaller aerials.
• For example;
• The Television aerial for VHF is bigger than the one for UHF radio
waves. This is because; UHF radio waves can be made to follow a
narrower & a more direct path to the receiver than VHF radio waves.
Wireless Fidelity (Wi-Fi)
• Wi-Fi is a popular wireless networking technology. Wi-Fi stands for
“wireless fidelity”.
• Wi-Fi was invented by NCR Corporation/AT&T in the Netherlands in
1991. Wi-Fi is one type of wireless technology It is commonly called a
wireless LAN (local area network).
• WiFi technology allows local area networks to operate without cable
and wiring. It is a popular choice for home and business networks.
• By using this technology we can exchange information between two
or more devices.
• Devices can connect to wifi either through an access point or a router
 WiFi Technology Working Principle
• Wi-Fi is a high-speed internet
connection and network
connection without the use of any
cables or wires.
• The wireless network is operating
three essential elements which are
radio signals, antenna, and router.
• The radio waves are keys that make
Wi-Fi networking possible.
• The computers and cell phones are
ready with Wi-Fi cards.
WiFi Technology Working Principle
• The radio signals are transmitted from antennas and routers. The
signals are picked up by Wi-Fi receivers, such as computers and cell
phones that are ready with Wi-Fi cards.
• Whenever the computer receives the signals within the range of 100-
150 feet from the router it can connect to that network easily.
• This range may increase or decrease depending with the capabilities of the
router as well as barriers.
• The Wi-Fi cards will read the signals and create an internet
connection between the user and the network.
• The speed of the device using Wi-Fi connection increases as the
computer gets closer to the main source and the speed is decreased
the computer gets further away.
The Bluetooth technology
• This is a worldwide and short-range radio transmission technology
that allows all personal, hand-held devices to be able to communicate
with each other through wireless technology.
• It enables people to use hand-held communication devices such as
mobile phones & Personal Digital Assistants (PDA’s) to access the
Internet.
• The main component in Bluetooth is a small low power two-way radio
transceiver, which can be inserted in small devices.
• Bluetooth enabled devices use a network called the Wireless personal
area network (WPAN) or piconet.
Bluetooth Cont.
Infrared transmission
• Communication through infrared waves (signals) is achieved by having
infrared transmitters & receivers (transceivers) within a line of sight in the
same room.
• This is because; infrared signals cannot penetrate obstacles like walls and
ceilings.
• However, the signal can be reflected off these surfaces until they reach
their destination.
For example;
• A tv remote should not encounter any barriers between it and the receiver
if barricade the signal from the remote will not reach the receiver.
 Merits and Demerits of Wireless Communication

Merits Demerits
• Wireless medium is flexible in • The initial cost is very high.
operation, i.e., devices can be • It is relatively difficult to establish
moved around without losing or configure.
access to the network.
• Wireless networks can span large • They are insecure compared to
geographical areas easily. physical network.
• Wireless communication can take • Suffer from attenuation
place via satellite even in very
remote areas that do not have high
cost physical infrastructure like
telephone lines.
 Research Tasks
• Research on the following:
• 5G network
• Wifi6
The End
Thank You!
The End
Thank You!