Data Communication and
Computer Networks
Transmission Media
Dr. Ehsan Munir
Department of Computer Science
COMSATS University Islamabad, Wah Campus
[email protected]The slides are adapted from the publisher’s material
Data Communications and Networking by Behrouz A. Forouzan, 5 th edition
Data and Computer Communications by William Stallings, 8 th Edition
Computer Networking: A Top-Down Approach by J F Kurose, K W Ross, 6 th Edition
Computer Networks, by L. Peterson, and B. Davie, 5 th edition
Outline
Transmission Media
Guided Media
Twisted-Pair Cable
Coaxial Cable
Fiber-Optic Cable
Unguided Media
Digital Subscriber Line
Cable Network
Home Network
Wireless Networks
Classes of transmission media
7.3
Links: physical media
bit: propagates between Twisted pair (TP)
transmitter/receiver pairs two insulated copper wires
physical link: what lies • Category 5: 100 Mbps, 1 Gbps Ethernet
between transmitter & • Category 6: 10Gbps Ethernet
receiver • Distance: 100 m
• 10 Base T
guided media:
• signals propagate in solid
media: copper, fiber
unguided media:
• signals propagate freely,
e.g., radio
Introduction: 1-4
Links: physical media
Coaxial cable: Fiber optic cable:
two concentric copper conductors glass fiber carrying light pulses, each
• multiple frequency channels on pulse a bit
cable high-speed operation:
• high-speed point-to-point
• 10Base2 or 10base5 transmission (10’s-100’s Gbps)
• Distance: 200 or 500 • Distance: 2Km – 100 Km
low error rate:
• repeaters spaced far apart
• immune to electromagnetic noise
Introduction: 1-5
Links: physical media
Wireless radio Radio link types:
signal carried in terrestrial microwave
electromagnetic spectrum • up to 45 Mbps channels
no physical “wire” Wireless LAN (WiFi)
• Up to 100’s Mbps
broadcast • Bluetooth
propagation environment • Short distance
effects: wide-area (e.g., cellular)
• reflection • 4G cellular: ~ 10’s Mbps
• obstruction by objects satellite
• interference • up to 45 Mbps per channel
• 270 msec end-end delay
Introduction: 1-6
Access net: digital subscriber line (DSL)
central office telephone
network
DSL splitter
modem DSLAM
ISP
voice, data transmitted
at different frequencies over DSL access
dedicated line to central office multiplexer
use existing telephone line to central office DSLAM
data over DSL phone line goes to Internet
voice over DSL phone line goes to telephone net
< 2.5 Mbps upstream transmission rate
< 24 Mbps downstream transmission rate
Introduction 1-7
Access net: cable network
cable headend
cable splitter
modem
C
O
V V V V V V N
I I I I I I D D T
D D D D D D A A R
E E E E E E T T O
O O O O O O A A L
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9
Channels
frequency division multiplexing: different channels transmitted
in different frequency bands
Introduction 1-8
Access net: cable network
cable headend
cable splitter cable modem
modem CMTS termination system
data, TV transmitted at different
frequencies over shared cable ISP
distribution network
HFC: hybrid fiber coax
asymmetric: up to 30Mbps downstream transmission rate, 2
Mbps upstream transmission rate
network of cable, fiber attaches homes to ISP router
Introduction 1-9
Access net: home network
wireless
devices
to/from headend or
central office
often combined
in single box
cable or DSL modem
wireless access router, firewall, NAT
point (54 Mbps)
wired Ethernet (100 Mbps)
Introduction 1-10
