Types of Transmission Media

Transmission media is the physical medium through which data is transmitted from one
device to another within a network. These media can be wired or wireless. The choice of
medium depends on factors like distance, speed, and interference. In this article, 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 media is a physical path between the transmitter and the receiver i.e. it is the
path along which data is sent from one device to another. Transmission Media is broadly
classified into the following types:

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 twisted 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.

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 (STP): 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 .
 It is easy to install.
 Coaxial cables are more reliable and durable.
 Less affected by noise or 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 total internal reflection of light through a core made
up of glass. 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 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.
Types of Radio Waves:
 Short Wave: AM Radio
 VHF (Very High Frequency): FM Radio/TV
 UHF (Ultra High Frequency): TV
Radio Wave Components:
 Transmitter: Responsible for encoding the signal.
 Receiver: Responsible for decoding the signal.

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.
Advantages:
 Cheaper than using cables
 Freedom from land acquisition
 Ease of communication in difficult terrains
 Communication over oceans
Disadvantages:
 Insecure communication.
 Out of phase signal.
 Susceptible to weather conditions.
 Bandwidth is limited.
 High cost of design, implementation, and maintenance.
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-
unidirectional in unidirectional in
directional in nature.
Direction nature. nature.

Penetration At low frequency, they At low frequency, they They cannot

can penetrate through can penetrate through penetrate through
solid objects and walls solid objects and any solid object
but high frequency walls. at high
Basis Radiowave Microwave Infrared wave

they bounce off the frequency, they cannot

and walls.
obstacle. 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 of

the radio-waves require the microwaves government
Government government license to require government license to use these
License use these. license to use these. waves.

Setup and usage Cost is Setup and usage Cost Usage Cost is very
Usage Cost moderate. is high. less.

These are used in long These are used in long These are not used
distance distance in long 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.
 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 media 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

Transmission Media Application

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